An overview of chemical synthesis of antiviral peptides

Abstract

Antiviral peptides are a class of compounds with outstanding properties for the treatment of viral diseases. The sources of these peptides are varied, including plants and bacteria and they can also be chemically synthesized. As chemical synthesis is being increasingly applied, this review discusses the chemical synthesis of antiviral peptides. Initially, the antiviral peptides were grouped depending on their basic structures, including peptide and peptide conjugate groups, followed by a discussion of the synthetic approach. Two techniques commonly used to synthesize the peptides are solution-phase and solid-phase peptide synthesis, where the latter is mostly applied to make the peptides. The synthesis strategies, including the selection of the N-amino protecting group, coupling reagents, resin cleavage cocktails, resin, and other approaches, were also discussed.