Nature and Modern Life science

Dr. Sangeeta Devi Kangabam *

Interest and awareness of the fact probes the importance of science for the development of the future society. We believe that the Modern Life Science will be necessary for a future successful exploration of Nature.

With this aim, one way would be a modernization and renewal of a venerable proven interdisciplinary science. Natural product research can be of value to increase the attraction for young students in modern life science.

With an estimated number of more than 300,000 species of plants and more than a million species of microorganisms, insects and marine organisms the biodiversity of Nature remains an unparalleled reservoir of biological and chemical diversity.

Many food phytochemicals have been shown to exert anti-inflammatory activity and chemopreventive agents. Anti-inflammatory natural products have been discovered based on ethnopharmacological observations, new insights into the biodiversity of fungi, engineering of bioactive peptides. A vegetarian diet rich in phytochemicals may prevent colon carcinogenesis.

Molecular pharmacognosy, a multidisciplinary subject describes techniques and methods to characterize the structure–activity reason for an observation in nature and identification and quality control of crude drugs. This multidisciplinary subject has a strategic position to bridge among biology, chemistry and medicine values in the joint efforts to attract young students for studies in modern life science.

Paths of modern life science research we find attempts to understand and build on more natural or environmental friendly methods. The ethnopharmacological approach has been the platform for research programs with the objective to study plants used in traditional medicine in different cultures.

Several different strategies, based on ethnopharmacological, ecological or toxicological observations together with random screening, and more recently phylogenetic frameworks, have been used in prospecting this biodiversity in revolutionary discoveries in medicine. However, in the extension this will also develop more respectful insights into sharing of resources and traditional knowledge.

Bio-prospecting the marine environment is now rapidly expanding, in many cases driven by ecological observations, and the number of novel bioactive molecules isolated from marine organisms is increasing. Marine sponges produce substances that have a key role in the defense against pathogens, parasites, predators and biofouling organisms.

Combined with phylogenetic studies, which applies to the relationship of evolution of organisms, these methods can be used in silico to explore and attempt to understand how biosynthetic ability governmental offices and boards to survey and supervise mining, trade and agriculture - and as we can see on the numerous TV shows with research themes: a societal glorification of scientists.

Linnaeus used a holistic approach in both his teaching and research. Hiortzberg, 1976 applies a surprisingly modern way of describing different aspects of medicinal plants and their preparation, use and effect. Biological diversity, including the variety of life in all its forms, will be of great importance in the future to secure the access of a range of different organisms for the survival of many people.

Complex mixtures of natural products are marketed in the society as pharmaceutical products in the form of botanical drugs, nutraceuticals or even cosmeceuticals for enhancement of health. With the increasing interest for environmental aspects, green chemistry, and a sustainable use of natural products, this renewal could have a strategic position in bridging chemistry and biology.

Scientific methods need to be developed for standardisation of bioactive components of this type of products together with clinical trials to prove the efficacy and safety. The growing number of resistant pathogenic microorganisms due to an overuse of antibiotics and the problem to treat severe infectious diseases will accelerate the research to find novel effective molecules of natural origin.

In future studies of complex mixtures of natural products these new techniques can reveal the influence of phytochemicals on the expression of genes that are involved in a specific pharmacological function using microarrays, evaluation of the enzymes involved in biosynthesis of bioactive constituents in different organisms, and correlation of the metabolic fingerprint of a crude extract to a specific biological activity.

This is daunting, as a future society will need politicians and citizens that have enough scientific knowledge to make critical decisions about important questions such as global warming, rain forest destruction, stem cell research, and nuclear power waste.

Concern is raised about education methods and the failure to encourage the students for a scientific career but also about spreading knowledge about the importance of basic science in society.