Under the supervision of the Dean of the College of Pharmacy, Professor Dr. Sarmed H. Kathem Alkhateeb, the Scientific Affairs Unit at the University of Baghdad/College of Pharmacy, held an in-person seminar entitled “Novel approach in natural products discovery by click chemistry,” delivered by Pharmacist Ali Hasan Husain, the PhD student at the Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants Department. The seminar aimed to define click chemistry and its principles and elucidate its implementation. Additionally, it sought to highlight advanced strategies for discovering bioactive organic compounds derived from medicinal plants, address the challenges encountered during the isolation of such compounds, and explore how click chemistry can be leveraged to enhance the efficiency and specificity of this process. The seminar included several topics, including chemical assay-guided natural product isolation, which concerns compounds that contain the terminal alkyne group. the late stage of functionalization and diversification of natural compounds, which includes adding an active group to improve therapeutic efficacy and reduce side effects. The application of DNA-encoded libraries with natural products as a cost-effective, high-throughput alternative for compound screening.The seminar concluded that click chemistry represents a powerful and innovative approach to natural product discovery, offering enhanced precision in compound modifications, increased therapeutic potential, and a reduction in both time and cost associated with traditional drug discovery methods.
