Natural products – Page 3
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FeatureSeparating turmeric fact from fiction
Thousands of papers have been published on curcumin’s healing potential, but its usefulness is not yet proven, finds Andy Extance
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PodcastBeta-damascenone
Louise Crane explains how a series of happy accidents led to the discovery of this rose-scented compound, found in rose oil, beer, apple pie and Kentucky bourbon.
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Opinion(±)-Rhabdastrellic acid A
A triterpene that looks innocuous until it reveals the highly strained conformation of its rings
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PodcastCiguatoxin
The toxin found in reef fish that leads to food poisoning so bad it can cause life-long symptoms
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ResearchFirst synthesis of unusual natural product could revive forgotten eco-friendly insecticide class
16-step synthesis of rare diterpene could reveal new ways to control insecticide-resistant pests
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Opinion(+)-Microladallene B
A weird structure is enough to spark chemists’ interest, even without any obvious use
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ResearchFlexible catalyst systems open up nitrile chemistry
One new strategy enantioselectively produces amines from nitriles, and another generates valuable alkenyl nitriles
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PodcastVinblastine and vincristine: Vinca alkaloids
Kat Arney unearths a story of an overlooked female researcher in the search for the origins of cancer drugs found in plants
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OpinionWe’re going to need a bigger flask
Scaling up reactions is easy to get wrong in a variety of ways
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PodcastNitrogenase
The mysterious enzyme that can beat the world’s biggest chemical process when it comes to breaking the dinitrogen triple bond
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ResearchFlexible route to enantiomerically enriched cyclobutanes
System for modifying square starting molecule could be gateway to numerous bioactive molecules
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ResearchCrowdsourced drug discovery pits half-forgotten compounds against neglected diseases
45 research groups donate 350 compounds to the first crowdsourced screening library
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PodcastEllagic acid
Louise Crane introduces the antioxidant that led to exaggerated claims that 'whisky helps fight cancer'
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ResearchEnzyme evolved that can perform reactions new to nature
New possibilities for organic synthesis with enzymatic C–H functionalisation
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ResearchWeird mechanism behind catnip compound’s biosynthesis uncovered
Nepetalactone – the compound cats go crazy for – is made by a two-step procedure that is unlike any other in terpenoid biosynthesis
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ResearchDouble umpolung approach to amino amide synthesis
Unusual disconnection strategy behind stereocontrolled route to β-amino amides
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PodcastLevulinic acid
How one footballer's climate concerns led to the creation of a green chemistry company: the story of Mathieu Flamini, GFBiochemicals and levulinic acid.
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ResearchHidden gene cluster unearthed to reveal antibacterial natural product
Scientists encourage soil microorganisms to express themselves