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Team:Wageningen UR/Secondary metabolites
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<p>Compactin was first reported as a cholesterol-lowering drug by Endo in 1985.The fungal fermentation products lovastatin produced by <i>Aspergillus terreus</i> and <i>Monascus ruber</i> was found to be highly effective in reducing serum cholesterol in humans, especially cholesterol LDL levels. Lovastatin is potent inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase and block formation of all products of the mammalian polyisoprenoid pathway, thus reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. </p> | <p>Compactin was first reported as a cholesterol-lowering drug by Endo in 1985.The fungal fermentation products lovastatin produced by <i>Aspergillus terreus</i> and <i>Monascus ruber</i> was found to be highly effective in reducing serum cholesterol in humans, especially cholesterol LDL levels. Lovastatin is potent inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase and block formation of all products of the mammalian polyisoprenoid pathway, thus reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. </p> | ||
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Revision as of 10:35, 23 September 2013
- Why Aspergillus nigem?
- Secondary metabolites
- Toolbox
- Host engineering
- Summary
- Safety introduction
- General safety
- Fungi-related safety
- Biosafety Regulation
- Safety Improvement Suggestions
- Safety of the Application
Secondary metabolites
An infinity field
Natural products
Secondary metabolites are the products of metabolism not essential for normal growth, development or reproduction of an organism. They meet the secondary requirements of the producing organisms, empower them to survive interspecies competition, provide defensive mechanisms and facilitate reproductive processes. Well known sources of secondary metabolites are plants, bacteria, fungi and marine organisms such as sponges, tunicates, corals and snails.
Well-known medical uses
Secondary metabolites are well-know as antimicrobials. Currently, many secondary metabolites have proved to be effective as antibacterial or antifungal agents, anticancer drugs, cholesterol-lowering agents, immunosuppressants, antiparasitic agents, herbicides, diagnostics, and tools for research.
Cholesterol-lowering agents
Compactin was first reported as a cholesterol-lowering drug by Endo in 1985.The fungal fermentation products lovastatin produced by Aspergillus terreus and Monascus ruber was found to be highly effective in reducing serum cholesterol in humans, especially cholesterol LDL levels. Lovastatin is potent inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase and block formation of all products of the mammalian polyisoprenoid pathway, thus reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Extensive applications
Exploiting the therapic potential from fungi
In addition to their known roles in combating disease, secondary metabolites reveal surprising additional activities which may be possible solutions to other treatment-lacked diseases. Many antibiotics, bacterial pigments, plant terpenoids,are also found to have anti-HIV, antitumor, anti-ageing, immunosuppressant, antiprotozoal and antihelminth activities, thus exhibiting multifarious applications in the sphere of medicine.
Unraveling the novel applications of known secondary metabolites and exploiting a myriad of sources as microbes, plants and higher animals for screening new secondary metabolites are paving the way to treat “untreatable diseases”, and help reduce mortality rates. The study of those useful activities of secondary against life-threatening diseases may catalyze further efforts to apply them against other forms of human disease.
