Abstract
Natural products constitute an important source of molecules for product development. However, despite numerous reports of compounds and active extracts from biodiversity, poor and developing countries continue to suffer with endemic diseases caused by arboviral vectors, including dengue, Zika, chikungunya and urban yellow fever. Vector control remains the most efficient disease prevention strategy. Wide and prolonged use of insecticides has resulted in vector resistance, making the search for new chemical prototypes imperative. Considering the potential of natural products chemistry for developing natural products-based products, including insecticides, this contribution discusses the general aspects and specific characteristics involved in the development of drug leads for vector control. Throughout this work, we highlight the obstacles that need to be overcome in order for natural products compounds to be considered promising prototypes. Moreover, we analyze the bottlenecks that should be addressed, together with potential strategies, to rationalize and improve the efficiency of the drug discovery process.
Highlights
Natural products (NP) are widely recognized as an important source of molecules for the discovery of useful chemicals, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reporting that NP/NP-derivatives account for approximately one third of all drugs approved (Patridge et al, 2016)
Considering that commercially available insecticides persist in the environment, harm nontarget organisms, promote resistance in mosquitoes, and pose long-term risks for humans and the environment, new strategies are clearly needed to control the Ae. aegypti vector
We highlight the importance of natural products as an important source of chemical prototypes for new product development
Summary
Natural products (NP) are widely recognized as an important source of molecules for the discovery of useful chemicals, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reporting that NP/NP-derivatives account for approximately one third of all drugs approved (Patridge et al, 2016). Chikungunya, Zika and urban yellow fever are among the viruses transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Chikungunya and Zika emerged as public health concerns associated with neurological manifestations including encephalitis, meningitis and congenital malformations such as microcephaly in newborns (Christo, 2015). In 2016, Brazil experienced a Zika virus epidemic with 205,578 cases, alerting the public health system of the need to increase efforts to address Aedes reproduction (Lowe et al, 2018)
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