ISOLATION, CHARACTERIZATION, AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY EVALUATION OF BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS FROM HERBAL PLANTS AS DRUG CANDIDATES

Saeful Amin; Asri Ainul Qolbiah; Dania Alawiyah; Shaila Juliya Pralita

Authors

Saeful Amin Bakti Tunas Husada University, Tasikmalaya
Asri Ainul Qolbiah Bakti Tunas Husada University, Tasikmalaya
Dania Alawiyah Bakti Tunas Husada University, Tasikmalaya
Shaila Juliya Pralita Bakti Tunas Husada University, Tasikmalaya

Keywords:

herbal plants, medicinal chemistry, bioactive compounds, biological activity, flavonoids

Abstract

Research on herbal plants in the field of medicinal chemistry aims to explore the potential of bioactive compounds as drug candidates. Herbal plants are known to contain secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, alkaloids, and phenolic compounds that exhibit various biological activities. This study aims to evaluate the potential of active compounds derived from herbal plants through a medicinal chemistry approach, including isolation, characterization, and biological activity evaluation based on literature studies. The method used in this study was a literature review of relevant scientific journals, including publications from lecturers and other supporting articles. The results indicate that bioactive compounds from herbal plants possess antioxidant, antibacterial, antidiabetic, and anticancer activities. Furthermore, medicinal chemistry approaches such as structural modification and molecular docking have been shown to enhance the effectiveness and selectivity of compounds toward biological targets. In conclusion, herbal plants have great potential as sources of new drug candidates that can be further developed through medicinal chemistry approaches.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abass, S., Parveen, R., & Ahmad, S. (2024). Mechanism of antibacterial phytoconstituents and their role in drug development. Archives of Microbiology, 206(5), 325.

Ahmed, S., Khan, Z., & Mehdi, S. (2024). Flavonoids: The future of natural remedies. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Review and Research, 84(1), 76–87.

Al-Karmalawy, A. A., Elshal, M. F., Conlon, J. M., & El-Faham, A. (2025). Recent Advances in Medicinal Chemistry Approaches for Natural Product Optimization. Current Medicinal Chemistry, 32(4), 521–540.

Amin, S., Farwah, S. L., & Fathurrahman, R. (2025). Tinjauan Literatur: Pendekatan Komputasi Dan Sintesis Turunan Flavonoid Sebagai Kandidat Obat Antidiabetes Tipe 2 Literature Review: Computational Approaches And Synthesis Of Flavonoid Derivatives As Candidates For Type 2 Antidiabetic Drugs. Jurnal Kolaboratif Sains, 8(11), 7499–7508. https://doi.org/10.56338/jks.v8i11.7997

Amin, S., & Pratama, B. R. (2025). Pengaruh Modifikasi Senyawa Alam Terhadap Aktivitas Antikanker Dan Mekanisme Kerjanya The Effect of Chemical Modification of Natural Compounds on Anticancer Activity and Its Mechanism of Action Artikel Review. Jurnal Kolaboratif Sains, 8(12), 7696–7705. https://doi.org/10.56338/jks.v8i12.9033

Anggi Setiawan, R., & Amin, S. (2026). Review Artikel: Studi Penambatan Molekuler Senyawa Alami Sebagai Kandidat Terapi Kanker Serviks. Indonesian Journal of Science, 2(5).

Chihomvu, P., Ganesan, A., Gibbons, S., Woollard, K., & Hayes, M. A. (2024). Phytochemicals in Drug Discovery—A Confluence of Tradition and Innovation. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25(16), 8792.

Dewi, N., Sari, D., & Putri, R. (2022). Aktivitas antioksidan tanaman herbal Indonesia menggunakan metode DPPH. Jurnal Farmasi Indonesia, 17(2), 45–52.

El-Saadony, M. T., Saad, A. M., Mohamed, A. S., et al. (2025). Medicinal plants: Bioactive compounds, biological activities, and health benefits. Frontiers in Immunology, 16, 1491777.

Intharuksa, A., Kuljarusnont, S., Sasaki, Y., & Tungmunnithum, D. (2024). Flavonoids and polyphenols in medicinal plants: Chemistry and biological activities. Molecules, 29(23), 5760.

Jan, I., Khan, F., & Ali, S. (2024). Phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity of selected medicinal plants. Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences, 61(3), 309–316.

Lestari, F., Rahman, M., & Wijaya, A. (2023). Herbal medicine and its pharmacological activity: A review. Journal of Natural Products Research, 37(4), 567–575.

Muteeb, G., Rehman, M. T., & Shahwan, M. (2023). Antibiotics and drug development: Challenges and opportunities. Pharmaceuticals, 16(11), 1615.

Naeem, A., Badshah, S. L., Muska, M., Ahmad, N., & Khan, K. (2022). The Current Case of Quercetin in Drug Discovery and Development. Molecules, 27(14), 4301.

Newman, D. J., & Cragg, G. M. (2020). Natural Products as Sources of New Drugs over Nearly Four Decades from 01/1981 to 09/2019. Journal of Natural Products, 83(3), 770–803.

Rahman, M., Islam, M. S., & Alam, M. (2021). Secondary metabolites and their biological activity from medicinal plants. Phytochemistry Reviews, 20(6), 1321–1340.

Sari, D., Putri, R., & Dewi, N. (2021). Aktivitas antioksidan senyawa flavonoid dari tanaman herbal. Jurnal Kimia Farmasi, 14(1), 23–30.

Thomford, N. E., Senthebane, D. A., Rowe, A., et al. (2024). Natural products for drug discovery: Plant metabolites and their therapeutic potential. Metabolites, 14(2), 113.

Wijaya, A., Lestari, F., & Rahman, M. (2022). Antibacterial activity of plant extracts against pathogenic bacteria. International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 14(3), 45–52.

Zhu, Y., & Zhong, L. (2022). Structural Modification of Flavonoids and Their Biological Activities. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry Research.