An overview of emerging science and hot issues in the nutraceutical and natural products arena.
By Christopher W. Cunningham, Ph.D., Concordia University Wisconsin; Missy Lowery, M. Sc., Capsugel; Anne-Cecile Bayne, Ph.D., DSM Nutritional Products; and David Fast, Ph.D., Amway Corporation
Natural products were in the spotlight in 2015 when the discoverers of artemisin and avermectin received the Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine. Natural products have been used by humankind throughout history to treat a variety of conditions and diseases. Indeed, up to one third of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs are natural products or based on the structure of a natural product.1 In addition, molecular entities derived from natural products can be seen in multiple drug categories ranging from anti-infectives to anticancer. Originally, natural products were primarily derived from plants. More recently, scientists are looking at other avenues in the natural world including animal venoms, deep sea microbes, and extremophiles for new compounds.2 Alternative systems of medicine such as traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda are also being mined for new compounds.