Woodchip-to-Pharmaceuticals: Sustainable Drug Production

Date:24 Oct 2019

Country: Germany

Application

• Sustainable drug production: Utilizes lignin from woodchips to create pharmaceutical compounds with minimal waste and without hazardous solvents.
• Antibacterial and anticancer agents: Develops benzazepine derivatives with promising biological activity for medical applications.

Description

Researchers have developed a process to convert renewable woodchips into pharmaceutically relevant compounds using lignin, a component of wood. By exploiting the natural chemical structure of lignin, they can create drug candidates in just two or three steps with water as the only waste product. The process eliminates the need for hazardous solvents and waste generation typically found in pharmaceutical manufacturing. The resulting benzazepine derivatives show promising antibacterial and anticancer activity.

 

Pathway Description:

The process involves using lignin, a by-product of wood, as a starting material to produce pharmaceutical compounds. Catalytic methods are employed to convert lignin-derived monomers into benzazepine derivatives in just two or three steps. The process uses non-toxic, recyclable, and biodegradable solvents, eliminating the need for hazardous chemicals. Water is the only waste product, making it an environmentally friendly and efficient method for drug synthesis.