InnocentMary IfedibaluChukwu Ejiofor

By InnocentMary IfedibaluChukwu Ejiofor and Maria-Goretti Chikodili Igbokwe

Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds and are one of the most abundant secondary metabolites present in plants. They are found in almost all vegetables and fruits. Flavonoids are of essence to plants and to man as well, due to their Medicinal and Pharmaceutical importance. Explicit understanding of the biosynthetic pathway of flavonoids is very essential. This will provide a stepwise explanation of the processes and mechanisms through which different forms of flavonoids are synthesized in plants, including the enzyme(s) responsible for each step. The importance in plants, medicine and pharmacy, of all the product(s) of each step will be emphasized.

Part of the book: Bioactive Compounds

By InnocentMary IfedibaluChukwu Ejiofor, Christabel Chikodili Ekeomodi, Sharon Elomeme and MaryGeraldine Ebele Ejiofor

Drug repurposing involves reusing an active pharmaceutical ingredient that is already in the market and drugs that were unsuccessful in their clinical phases of development for a new indication. It has numerous benefits in drug development. Therapeutic inhibitors are agents that could be of synthetic or natural source with the ability to trigger the down-regulation of an enzyme or protein, thereby inducing therapeutic effect(s). Researchers have embraced synthetic methods in searching for therapeutic molecules through structural activity relationships and other means in the past and recent times. Despite these synthetic drugs, the morbidity and mortality rate of ailment and disease affecting humanity remains overwhelming. Research has shown that solutions to these challenges can be attempted through drug repurposing. In the past, natural products in raw forms have been utilized in traditional, complementary medicine to manage and treat diseases and illnesses, as there are molecules in use today as drugs, which originated from plants and other natural sources. Studies on natural products have led to diverse natural product databases that can serve as a source of repurposing agents. There are also databases for protein and enzymes of human origin, which have an enormous role in the in-silico drug repurposing approach.

Part of the book: Drug Repurposing

By Christabel Chikodi Ekeomodi, Kingsley Ifeanyi Obetta, Mmesoma Linus Okolocha, SomtoChukwu Nnacho, Martins Oluwaseun Isijola and InnocentMary IfedibaluChukwu Ejiofor

Drug repurposing is a term applied to finding a new therapeutic and pharmacological indication for an existing drug molecule with a known indication. Repurposing existing drugs to treat both rare and widespread ailments is more and more compelling due to the use of less risky compounds, which may result in lower entire development costs and quicker development timelines. This is due to the high attrition rates, high cost, and slow new drug discovery and development pace. The introduction of computational techniques and their advancements in drug design, discovery, and development has provided a platform for scientists to kick-start drug repurposing with ease. Computational approaches have provided rationality in drug repurposing, reducing the chances of failure in drug repurposing attempts. In this chapter, we present techniques for drug repurposing that are both conventional and computational, talk about the difficulties faced by scientists who attempt drug repurposing, and suggest creative solutions to these difficulties to help drug repurposing reach its full potential.

Part of the book: Drug Repurposing