Lecture 10

Question 1

How can you extract and screen active compound from natrural plant extract?

Answer 1

Slow process involoving heating up the plant extract (that contain many compounds) in a organic solvant to evaporate the solvent. Then, the extract is screen via phenotypical assay at each level of purification to identify any impurities. This process is repated till a small concentration of purified active compound is left.

In modern era, modern technique is used to screen extract via assay more quickly for biological activity. In addition of phenotypic screening, purified molecules of known concentration are screened against pure macromolecular target in both biochemical and binding assay.

Question 2

What are other sources of new hits?

Answer 2

Microbe which the active compound is isolated from fermented broth