Research Projects

Transition metal-catalyzed reactions enable the preparation of structurally diverse molecules essential for modern pharmaceuticals and natural products. Natural products and drugs based on them are the foundation of the modern pharma industry. Ginkgolide A (GA), a bioactive natural product, is an antagonist of platelet-activating factor (PAF), a phospholipid associated with inflammatory and immunological disorders, neurological problems, and cardiovascular disease. Recent chemoinformatic analysis confirms that GA can binding with the PLpro enzyme and potentially inhibit other Mpro enzymes of the novel sARs-CoV-2 virus. Ginkgolide A improves hemodynamics and perfusion without affecting blood pressure and heart rate and has protective properties against cardiac diseases. The singh research group at IIT-K is renowned for their innovative work on the discovery of new synthetic methods for the synthesis of complex oxygenated compounds and their application to relevant natural products. The project aims to develop a shorter synthetic route for enantioselective total synthesis of ginkgolide A and demonstrate its biological relevance by developing potent ligands for the domain of PLpro, a protein associated with the sARs-CoV-2 virus responsible for COVID-19.