Chirality and Drug Activity

Certain biological ‘receptors’ are known to generate disease conditions in the animal/human body. Small molecules, determined by the nature of their groups and shape in three dimensions, fit into the cavities of these receptors and deactivate them, thereby acting as ‘drugs’. Several factors, such as pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, metabolism, toxicology and clinical trials, play a crucial role in evaluating any drug. Drugs may be chiral, achiral or racemic in nature. These may be obtained either by extraction from a natural source or by semi-synthetic or synthetic methods.