Synergism Between Natural Products. Are Two Better Than One?

PALACIOS S.M.; CARPINELLA M.C.; MAGGI M.E.

Recent progress in medicinal plants, Vol. 21Phytopharmacology and Therapeutic values III

Studium Press

Lugar: Houston, Texas; Año: 2008; p. 233 - 247

Abstract Secondary metabolites in plants are believed to be a defence system originated through coevolution between the plant and microorganisms, insects or animals, as a response to the pressures of natural selection. A single plant synthesizes many closely related substances that differ in stereochemistry, or in functional groups. In consequence, plants usually present defences as a suite of compounds, not as individual ones. Chemists usually see the differences as "minor" but, in terms of living organisms, the differences could become "major", especially in phytochemicals where it is easy to find two similar compounds with two totally different bioactivities. Thus, combining two or more compounds might, in general, be superior to the use of a single compound in that it could make the target organisms more unlikely to develop a mechanism of resistance, in addition to enhancing and / or broadening their biological activity.