Page 21 - Drug Discovery and Development: Prospects and Challenges

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The high demand for camptothecin analogues in the market from
USD 3,500 to USD 50,000 per kilogram has inspired researchers to
produce its callus culture. The production of camptothecin analogues
has been developed using the plant culture propagation technique. In
vitro propagation of O. mungos recorded the production of camptothecin
compared to naturally grown O. mungos, proving that the culture
propagation strategy was successful (Namdeo et al., 2012). Figure 9
shows the strategic model implemented in drug discovery from plants
O. mungos recorded the production of camptothecin compared to naturally grown O. mungos, proving
that the culture propagation strategy was successful (Namdeo et al., 2012). Figure 9 shows the
for unfavourable metabolites.
strategic model implemented in drug discovery from plants for unfavourable metabolites.

Figure 9: Model of drug discovery and development of
Figure 9: Model of drug discovery and development of new drugs through plant culture technique
new drugs through plant culture technique
Our research interest also focused on the Guttiferae family. The Guttiferae family is a tropical
Our research interest also focused on the Guttiferae family. The

plant with four major genera comprising Garcinia, Calophyllum, Mesua, and Mammea. The Guttiferae
Guttiferae family is a tropical plant with four major genera comprising
family is known to possess unique secondary metabolites, such as xanthones (rubraxanthones, a-
mangostin, and b-mangostin) (Jantan et al., 2002; Taher et al., 2006, 2015), triterpenoids, and
Garcinia, Calophyllum, Mesua, and Mammea. The Guttiferae family
coumarins. We have also successfully isolated a new compound called enervosanone, which is a
is known to possess unique secondary metabolites, such as xanthones
polyisoprenylated ketone, from Callopyhlum enervosum (Taher et al., 2005) and biscaloxanthone, a
(rubraxanthones, a-mangostin, and b-mangostin) (Jantan et al., 2002;
xanthone dimer from C. canum (Taher et al., 2021) (Figure 10).
Taher et al., 2006, 2015), triterpenoids, and coumarins. We have also

successfully isolated a new compound called enervosanone, which is a
polyisoprenylated ketone, from Callopyhlum enervosum (Taher et al.,
2005) and biscaloxanthone, a xanthone dimer from C. canum (Taher et
al., 2021) (Figure 10).

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