Prescription: Issue No. 4 (April 2024)

Natural products account for 60% of the total market, making them a major source of drug discovery. Some of these are sourced from the cultivation of microorganisms. This approach started with Fleming’ s serendipitous discovery of penicillin from the filamentous fungus, Penicillium notatum in 1929. His findings have raised the intensive investigation of nature as a source of novel bioactive agents. The broad chemical diversity of natural products, in addition to their strong correlation to biological functionality, is the justification for the necessity to constantly nurture natural products in today’ s discovery efforts.
Fermentation is broadly defined as the biochemical changes in organic substances carried out by enzymes produced by microorganisms or other living cells. For thousands of years, traditional biological processes have been used. Early civilizations keenly observed the decay of trees, the decomposition of deceased organisms, and the spoilage of food, leading to the development of innovative methods for producing a diverse array of fermented products. This includes the age-old techniques employed in creating bread, wine, beer, vinegar, cheese, pickles, and other fermented products. The history of the use of fermentation for the fulfilment of human needs can be traced back to approximately 10, 000 B.C., during a time the underlying mechanism of fermentation remained largely unknown. However, around 4, 000 B.C., the ancient Egyptians made a significant breakthrough by discovering the role of carbon dioxide, which is generated by brewer’ s yeast, in bread leavening.