Natural products: the contribution of research developed by a university in Sinop, Brazil

Abstract

Bioactive compounds present in plants, microorganisms, and animals are the subject of scientific research, mainly focusing on the discovery of novel pharmacologically active molecules for application in human and veterinary medicine, as well as agriculture. Brazil is the country with the greatest biodiversity globally, accounting for 15–20% of global diversity. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to carry out a bibliographic survey on studies involving natural compounds conducted by staff of the Federal University of Mato Grosso, Sinop campus. The review included scientific articles published in specialized journals by the staff from the moment they were hired, according to information in their Lattes Curriculum. During the survey period, the campus had 314 staff, and 311 scientific articles were published. Among the 311 articles, 122 studies met the inclusion criteria and were selected for this literature review. According to the findings, UFMT – Sinop has contributed to research in the field of natural products, carrying out studies on the biological effects of compounds present in extracts obtained from plants, microorganisms, and animal secretions.

Keywords

• natural products
• biological effect
• bioprospecting