From drug discovery to coronaviruses: why restoring natural habitats is good for human health

Abstract

The restoration and protection of natural habitats enhance biological diversity (biodiversity; box 1). These two concepts (natural habitats and biodiversity) are interdependent because complex symbiotic interspecies relationships are the foundation of thriving natural habitats. Nearly every aspect of our survival depends on exploiting natural resources-when land is converted for food production and housing, for example, or for the extraction of energy, raw materials, and water. The unsustainable use of natural resources has led to short term improvements in human health characterised by increases in life expectancy and a global decline in poverty. 1 But these are matched by an unprecedented alteration of the natural world characterised by loss of primary forests, species extinction, concentration of greenhouse gases, and ocean acidification, among others. 1 This has perilous consequences to the planet and to human health in the long term. Box 1: Biodiversity and ecosystemsThe Convention on Biological Diversity defines biological diversity (biodiversity) as the variability among living organisms from all sources (including terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems) and the ecological complexes of which they are part. This includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems. Ecosystem means a dynamic complex of plant, animal, and micro-organism communities and their non-living environment interacting as a functional unit. Habitat means the place or type of site where an organism or population naturally occurs. Biodiversity should be preserved at three levels: ecosystem, species, and genetic. In other words, we should preserve a diversity of ecosystems on Earth, and within those ecosystems we should preserve a diversity of species, as the more biodiverse ecosystems are resilient to change. Genetic diversity within a species refers to all the genes and alleles contained in the individuals of that species. It serves as a reservoir of development possibilities, and it can help species adapt to future environment changes.

PeruNPDB: the Peruvian Natural Products Database for in silico drug screening

“… 69 ; the analgesic aspirin, which is the most used drug in the world, derived from salicin extracted from the bark of the willow trees Salix alba 70 ; and the immunosuppressant tacrolimus employed in the prevention of the rejection organ after transplants, obtained from bacteria Streptomyces tsukubaensis 71 , are some examples. Besides, NPs and their derivatives have been considered promising options to improve treatment efficiency in cancer patients and decrease adverse reactions 72 , whereas vinca alkaloids 73 , taxane diterpenoids 74 , camptothecin derivatives 75 , and epipodophyllotoxin 76 , are NPs-derived anticancer compounds clinically used as chemotherapeutics; while an example of the importance of biodiversity conservation is exemplified by the tree Taxus brevifolia , from which the chemotherapeutic drug paclitaxel was originally extracted, that was put on the list of endangered species 77 , 78 . According to the data, there are fewer compounds identified in the PeruNPDB than in AfroDB, BIOFAQUIM, and NuBBEDB, but the chemical diversity is also higher.…”

PeruNPDB: The Peruvian Natural Products Database for in silico drug screening

“…Currently, several NPs or NPs-derived molecules are employed in the treatment of distinct diseases, such as the antibiotic penicillin originally obtained from the fungi Penicillium spp [69]; the analgesic aspirin, which is the most used drug in the world, derived from salicin extracted from the bark of the willow trees Salix alba [70]; and the immunosuppressant tacrolimus employed in the prevention of the rejection organ after transplants, obtained from bacteria Streptomyces tsukubaensis [71], are some examples. Besides, NPs and their derivatives have been considered promising options to improve treatment efficiency in cancer patients and decrease adverse reactions [72], whereas vinca alkaloids [73], taxane diterpenoids [74], camptothecin derivatives [75], and epipodophyllotoxin [76], are NPs-derived anticancer compounds clinically used as chemotherapeutics; while an example of the importance of biodiversity conservation is exemplified by the tree Taxus brevifolia , from which the chemotherapeutic drug paclitaxel was originally extracted, that was put on the list of endangered species [77,78].…”

How human health and well-being depends on healthy marine habitats in the Mediterranean: A review

“…Biodiverse ecosystems have been the source of numerous pharmaceutical compounds over millennia [ 32 ]. Drug discovery currently includes sourcing natural bioactive molecules from land and marine based plants, animals, and microorganisms.…”

“…Drug discovery currently includes sourcing natural bioactive molecules from land and marine based plants, animals, and microorganisms. These original molecules often serve as inspiration for synthetic ones that are later produced as components for new drugs [ 32 ].…”