Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Approaches And Methodologies For The Synthesis Of Aromatic Natural Products, Christina A. Goudreau

Honors Theses

Chemists have been captivated by the ability of most natural products to exhibit biological activity which in effect has made them very attractive to pharmaceutical companies. Many over-the-counter drugs such as aspirin were first extracted from natural products and are now an integral part of most of our lives. More importantly, certain drugs such as taxol, which is used to treat breast cancer, initially came from the bark of a yew tree. Extracting these substances from their natural source and using them medicinally at the demand of the consumers would result in the destruction of the natural habitat. Oftentimes, the …