Date of Award
1998
Document Type
Honors Thesis (Open Access)
Department
Colby College. Chemistry Dept.
Advisor(s)
Bradford P. Mundy
Abstract
Chemists have been captivated by the ability of most natural products to exhibit biological activity which in effect has made them very attractive to pharmaceutical companies. Many over-the-counter drugs such as aspirin were first extracted from natural products and are now an integral part of most of our lives. More importantly, certain drugs such as taxol, which is used to treat breast cancer, initially came from the bark of a yew tree. Extracting these substances from their natural source and using them medicinally at the demand of the consumers would result in the destruction of the natural habitat. Oftentimes, the plants needed are rare or take many years to repair and grow back. Finding alternative means of generating natural compounds without having to use our natural resources is a challenge that organic chemists face daily. The three natural products that my research targets, (±)cuparene, (±) herbertene. and 1-(2,3-dihydroxyphenyl)-4-methoxy-l-butanone each demonstrate diverse biological activities.
Keywords
Aromatic compounds, synthesis, methodologies, natural aromatics
Recommended Citation
Goudreau, Christina A., "Approaches and Methodologies for the Synthesis of Aromatic Natural Products" (1998). Honors Theses. Paper 251.https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/honorstheses/251
Copyright
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