Preface

Frontiers in Natural Product Chemistry presents recent advances in the chemistry and biochemistry of naturally occurring compounds. It covers a range of topics, including important researches on natural substances. The book is a valuable resource for pharmaceutical scientists and postgraduate students seeking updated and critically important information on bioactive natural products.

The chapters in this volume are written by eminent authorities in the field. Bose et al., in chapter 1 of the volume, explain recent developments regarding antiviral agents from seaweeds and seagrass. Singh et al., in chapter 2, present a comprehensive review of various quinolizidine and bis-1-oxaquinolizidine alkaloids isolated from marine organisms, presenting their chemical structures and reported biological properties. Ona and Bouso, in chapter 3 of the book, review the use of natural product mixtures instead of isolated compounds thereby combining two recent paradigms: psychedelic assisted therapy on the one side and polypharmacology on the other. Hussain et al., in chapter 4 give a brief overview of the physiological activities of phenolic compounds along with their potential neuroprotective effects . Yeong and Chin discuss the neuroprotective effects and bioactive constituents of common herbs from the Lamiaceae family in chapter 5 of the book. Masoodi et al. review the coumarin derivatives as potential anti-inflammatory agents for drug development in chapter 6. In the last chapter of the book, Eshghi et al. discuss the recent progress in the synthesis and biological activity of chromene and its derivatives.

I hope that the readers will find these reviews valuable and thought-provoking so that they may trigger further research in the quest for new and novel therapies against various diseases. I am grateful for the timely efforts made by the editorial personnel, especially Mr. Mahmood Alam (Director Publications), Mr. Obaid Sadiq (In-charge Books Department), and Miss Asma Ahmed (Senior Manager Publications) at Bentham Science Publishers.