Bioactive compounds

Bioactive compounds are substances that possess biological activity and elicit a physiological effect upon interacting with a living organism. They encompass a vast and diverse array of molecules, including phytochemicals (such as polyphenols and alkaloids), vitamins, minerals, and bioactive peptides (NIH, 2023). While these compounds are frequently studied for their health-promoting properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects, the term itself does not refer to a specific therapeutic target like a receptor or enzyme. Instead, bioactive compounds act as ligands or modulators that interact with various biological targets to influence cellular pathways (PubMed, 2021). Due to their broad classification, they are integral to both nutrition and pharmacology, often serving as lead structures in the development of new pharmaceutical agents. However, in the context of drug-target interaction databases, 'Bioactive compounds' is considered an overly generic category representing a group of ligands rather than a single identifiable molecular target.

Other names

Biologically active substancesNutraceuticalsPhytochemicalsNatural productsFunctional food components

Mechanisms are highly variable and include direct scavenging of reactive oxygen species, competitive inhibition of enzymes, and agonism or antagonism of nuclear and cell-surface receptors (Nature, 2020).