Drug Discovery from Natural Sources: Traditional Approaches and Modern Techniques

  • Unique Paper ID: 187962
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue: 7
  • PageNo: 225-249
  • Abstract:
  • For thousands of years, nature has been our original pharmacy. Long before modern labs existed, humans relied on plants, tiny microorganisms, sea life, and even animals to heal. This foundational role in drug discovery is why systems like Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and folk medicine are so important—they gave us the very first valuable clues for the pharmaceuticals we use today. The field has come a long way since simple plant extracts. Thanks to incredible technological leaps, natural product research is no longer just about grinding up a root; it's a sophisticated science. This article explores how these natural sources continue to power drug discovery. We’ll look at the traditional wisdom that started it all and then dive into the modern scientific toolkit that has revolutionized the process. We'll see how tools like chromatography (for separating mixtures), spectroscopy (for identifying molecules), High-Throughput Screening (HTS, for quickly testing thousands of compounds), and Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD) have dramatically improved how we find, isolate, and perfect these vital, life-saving compounds. The goal is simple: to highlight the undeniable importance of natural products in developing new medicines and show how modern technology has transformed this ancient pursuit.

Copyright & License

Copyright © 2025 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BibTeX

@article{187962,
        author = {Abhishek Arun Shejwal and Mahendra Khandare},
        title = {Drug Discovery from Natural Sources: Traditional Approaches and Modern Techniques},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2025},
        volume = {12},
        number = {7},
        pages = {225-249},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=187962},
        abstract = {For thousands of years, nature has been our original pharmacy. Long before modern labs existed, humans relied on plants, tiny microorganisms, sea life, and even animals to heal. This foundational role in drug discovery is why systems like Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and folk medicine are so important—they gave us the very first valuable clues for the pharmaceuticals we use today.
The field has come a long way since simple plant extracts. Thanks to incredible technological leaps, natural product research is no longer just about grinding up a root; it's a sophisticated science.
This article explores how these natural sources continue to power drug discovery. We’ll look at the traditional wisdom that started it all and then dive into the modern scientific toolkit that has revolutionized the process. We'll see how tools like chromatography (for separating mixtures), spectroscopy (for identifying molecules), High-Throughput Screening (HTS, for quickly testing thousands of compounds), and Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD) have dramatically improved how we find, isolate, and perfect these vital, life-saving compounds.
The goal is simple: to highlight the undeniable importance of natural products in developing new medicines and show how modern technology has transformed this ancient pursuit.},
        keywords = {},
        month = {November},
        }

Cite This Article

  • ISSN: 2349-6002
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue: 7
  • PageNo: 225-249

Drug Discovery from Natural Sources: Traditional Approaches and Modern Techniques

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