An overview of the pharmacological properties and potential applications of natural monoterpenes.

Monoterpenes, the major components of essential oils, belong to the group of isoprenoids containing ten carbon atoms. Being widely distributed in the plant kingdom they are extensively used in cuisine and human health care products. Studies have shown that both natural monoterpenes and their synthetic derivatives are endowed with various pharmacological properties including antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer, antiarrhythmic, anti-aggregating, local anesthetic, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antihistaminic and anti-spasmodic activities.

Biotechnology and genetic engineering in the new drug development. Part III. Biocatalysis, metabolic engineering and molecular modelling.

Industrial biotechnology has been defined as the use and application of biotechnology for the sustainable processing and production of chemicals, materials and fuels. It makes use of biocatalysts such as microbial communities, whole-cell microorganisms or purified enzymes. In the review these processes are described.

Biotechnology and genetic engineering in the new drug development. Part II. Monoclonal antibodies, modern vaccines and gene therapy.

Monoclonal antibodies, modern vaccines and gene therapy have become a major field in modern biotechnology, especially in the area of human health and fascinating developments achieved in the past decades are impressive examples of an interdisciplinary interplay between medicine, biology and engineering. Among the classical products from cells one can find viral vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and interferons, as well as recombinant therapeutic proteins. Gene therapy opens up challenging new areas.

Biotechnology and genetic engineering in the new drug development. Part I. DNA technology and recombinant proteins.

Pharmaceutical biotechnology has a long tradition and is rooted in the last century, first exemplified by penicillin and streptomycin as low molecular weight biosynthetic compounds. Today, pharmaceutical biotechnology still has its fundamentals in fermentation and bioprocessing, but the paradigmatic change affected by biotechnology and pharmaceutical sciences has led to an updated definition. The biotechnology revolution redrew the research, development, production and even marketing processes of drugs.