Čes. slov. farm. 2012, 61(3):107-114

Microbial secondary metabolites as inhibitors of pharmaceutically important transferases and oxidoreductases

Eva Buchtová^*, Mária Šturdíková

Slovenská technická univerzita, Ústav biotechnológie a potravinárstva, Fakulta chemickej a potravinárskej technológie

Microorganisms are known for their production of an enormous variety of biologically active secondary metabolites including antibiotics, immunosuppressants and anticancer agents. These compounds have many important biological activities used in the clinical practice in drug treatment of cancer, inflammatory, autoimmune diseases and metabolic disorders. The science and medicine research have been yielded hundreds items of useful knowledge in the therapy of many serious human diseases caused by pathophysiological mechanisms of enzymes. Many substances were discovered already in the last century, but the research of their potential and various modifications improving their prospects of therapeutic use still continues. The new knowledge about mechanisms of the action and enzyme inhibitors in the field of enzymology gives space in drug discovery and development of safer and more effective pharmacotherapy.

Keywords: secondary metabolites; microbial producers; enzyme inhibitors; pathophysiology of enzyme reactions

Received: April 13, 2012; Accepted: May 9, 2012; Published: March 1, 2012  Show citation