Dr. Kalyan Munshi will deliver a presentation entitled “Triterpenoid-Based Natural Products for Antiviral Prodrugs.”

The talk will explore triterpenoids, showcasing their potential as novel antiviral drug precursors and their pivotal role in recent advancements in natural product chemistry and pharmaceutical properties, including their application in anti-cancer and anti-HIV research.

Dr. Munshi will also discuss synthetic methodologies, scale-up methods, and innovative approaches in developing triterpenoid-based bioactive compounds and their potential agricultural applications, highlighting their significance in economic growth.

Title:             Triterpenoid-Based Natural Products for Antiviral Prodrugs

Speaker:         Dr. Kalyan Munshi

Date:               Friday, Oct. 20, 2023

Time:              12:00 p.m. – 12:50 p.m.

Venue:         Ag Mechanics, Room 102

Abstract

In the last 3 decades, research and developments of natural products chemistry revealed remarkable
Biological Activity of Triterpenoids. Recent studies on their biological and pharmaceutical properties
identified them as a new class of potential anti-cancer and anti-HIV agents with a novel mechanism
of antiviral action. Ongoing clinical tests of some novel triterpenoids already indicated the
perspectives of these natural products as antiviral drug precursors and created a platform for new
antiviral drug discovery.

These facts stimulated parallel technology developments for natural products extraction, processing;
producing triterpenoid-based bioactive compounds in multi-kilogram level; strategic design and
synthesis, and selective derivatization of triterpenoids for antiviral libraries.

In my presentation, a brief survey on my research efforts in this challenging direction will be done.
New synthetic methodologies, scale-up method developments for some potential antiviral natural
compounds will be discussed. Newly synthesized several bioactive nitrogen-containing triterpenoids
will be reported.

An approach for preparing antibacterial triterpenoid-containing polymeric materials
and feasibility of their application in agriculture will be reviewed. An illustration of strategic design
for Triterpene-based biologically active molecules will be demonstrated. The natural resources of
Triterpenes, their extraction, composition determination, and importance in economic growth will
also be presented.