Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design

Phytochemistry and Phytopharmaceuticals

Phytochemistry is the study of phytochemicals, which are chemicals obtained from plants. Phyto chemists strive to elucidate the structures of the massive number of secondary metabolites found in plants, the functions of those compounds in human and plant biology, and therefore the biosynthesis of those compounds. Plants synthesize phytochemicals for various reasons, as well as to guard themselves against the insect attacks and plant diseases. The compounds found in plants are of the various kinds, but maximum are repeatedly grouped into four major biosynthetic classes: alkaloids, phenylpropanoids, polyketides, and terpenoids. Phytochemical studies focused in the direction of human (i.e., drug discovery) use may drop into the discipline of pharmacognosy.it even have significance to the sector of plant physiology. Phytopharmaceutical drug is defined as refined and consonant fraction with defined minimum four bio-active or phytochemical compounds (qualitatively and quantitatively assessed) of an extract of a medicinal plant or its part, for internal or external use of human beings or animals for diagnosis, treatment.