Natural Products and Medicinal Chemistry Research Group

The Natural Products and Medicinal Chemistry (NPMC) Research Group brings together researchers (staff and students) in the Faculty of Pharmacy engaged in research relating to natural products and medicinal chemistry. The group is thus able to capitalize on expertise in the faculty and thus develop exciting collaborative projects.  Current research interests include:

• natural product discovery and structural characterization using advanced spectroscopic techniques and synthetic chemistry
• function and medicinal chemistry of biologically active natural products
• medicinal plants and quality of herbal medicines
• design and synthesis of new medicinal agents

Group Members
Dr Denzil R. Beukes
Dr Leonie Goosen
Dr Bhupesh S. Samant
Mrs Yoland Irwin

Recent Publications

1. Ragubeer N, Beukes DR, Limson JL.Critical assessment of voltammetry for rapid screening of antioxidants in marine algae. Food Chemistry 2010 121, 227-232
2. Samant BS, Sukhthankar MG. Synthesis and comparison of antimalarial activity of febrifugine derivatives including halofuginone. Medicinal Chemistry 2009, 5, 293-300
3. Lategan C, Kellerman T, Afolayan AF, Mann MG, Antunes EM, Smith PJ, Bolton JJ, Beukes DR. Antiplasmodial and antimicrobial activities of South African marine algal extracts. Pharmaceutical Biology 2009, 47, 408-413.
4. Afolayan AF, Mann MG, Lategan CA, Smith PJ, Bolton JJ, Beukes DR. Antiplasmodial halogenated monoterpenes from the marine red alga Plocamium cornutum. Phytochemistry 2009, 70(5), 597-600
5. Samant BS. Synthesis of 3-hydroxypyridin-2-ones from furfural for treatment against iron overload and iron deficiency. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2008, 43, 1978-1982
6. Afolayan AF, Bolton JJ, Lategan CA, Smith PJ, Beukes D.R. Fucoxanthin, tetraprenylated toluquinone and toluhydroquinone metabolites from Sargassum heterophyllum inhibit in vitro growth of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Zeitschrift für Naturforschung C 2008, 63, (11/12), 848-852.
7. Samant BS, Saraf YP, Bhagwat SS. Chlorination of aromatic compounds in micellar media: regioselectivity. Journal of Colloid Interface Science 2006, 302, 207-213.