Natural and Synthetic Alkaloids in Drug Discovery
A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 17
Special Issue Editors
Interests: quinolizidine alkaloids; cinchona alkaloids; chiral resolution; synthesis of alkaloid derivatives; spectroscopic analysis; complexation studies; morphan compounds
Interests: natural products chemistry; synthesis of natural products; medicinal chemistry; alkaloids
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Alkaloids remain one of the most intriguing and influential classes of naturally occurring compounds in medicinal chemistry. Their remarkable structural diversity and broad spectrum of biological activities — encompassing anticancer, antimicrobial, neuroactive, and antiviral effects—continue to drive interest in their pharmacological potential. In recent years, advances in synthetic methodologies, metabolic engineering, and computational design have significantly broadened the opportunities for discovering new alkaloid-based therapeutics, enabling more precise modification of natural scaffolds and the generation of novel bioactive analogues.
While contemporary chromatographic, spectroscopic, and biotechnological tools have transformed natural product research, classical alkaloid isolation techniques retain their fundamental importance. Traditional extraction and purification methods continue to provide valuable access to complex mixtures of natural products, often enabling the detection of overlooked or low-abundance metabolites. In combination with modern analytical and synthetic approaches, these time-tested methods form a complementary toolkit that ensures efficient isolation and characterization of both known and novel alkaloids.
This Special Issue, titled “Natural and Synthetic Alkaloids in Drug Discovery”, is dedicated to showcasing current developments in the chemistry, biology, and pharmacology of both natural and synthetic alkaloids. We welcome original research focused on structure–activity relationships, mechanistic understanding, and innovative synthetic or biotechnological strategies leading to new bioactive derivatives. Reviews that summarize emerging trends or integrate chemical synthesis with molecular modelling, biological evaluation, or interdisciplinary methodologies are also strongly encouraged.
Dr. Anna Przybył
Dr. Francisco Leon
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- alkaloids
- drug discovery
- natural products
- synthetic modification
- medicinal chemistry
- structure–activity relationships
- pharmacological potential
- biotechnological approaches
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