ABSTRACT
The use of natural remedies for the treatment of human diseases has a long history. A prominent example from former times is the application of willow extracts for the treatment of pain. While ancient users did not know about the biologically active ingredients in such preparations, it is now common knowledge that the curative power came from salicin, a small organic molecule produced by the plant that has inspired the development of acetylsalicylic acid, one of the most successful drugs to date. The application of purified and chemically defined natural substances in modern medicine was most likely initiated by the isolation of morphine from Papaver sp. (poppy) by Friedrich Sertürner in 1804. Since then, the development of modern analytical equipment as well as chemical and biomolecular methodology has rendered natural products one of the most important sources of new drugs in a broad variety of medical applications, in particular in the fields of antibiotics, anti-infectives, pain relief and cancer chemotherapy. Of utmost importance for the continued success of nature-derived drugs is the access to and increasing understanding of diverse organisms that produce such metabolites, e.g. for communication or protection. This chapter briefly showcases selected success stories of natural products in modern medicine and outlines current and future potential developments in this exciting field of (bio-)chemical and medical research, emphasising the importance of the preservation of biodiversity also from a medical and economic perspective.
