ARS | Publication request: Applying Combinatorial Chemistry and Biology to Food Research

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: June 2, 2004
Publication Date: December 1, 2004
Citation: Wong, D., Robertson, G.H. 2004. Applying combinatorial chemistry and biology to food research. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 52:7187-7198.

Technical Abstract: In the last decade combinatorial chemistry has become a major focus of research activity in the pharmaceutical industry for accelerating the development of novel therapeutic compounds. The same combinatorial strategies could be applied to a broad spectrum of areas in agricultural and food research, including food safety and nutrition, development of product ingredients, and processing and conversion of natural products. In contrast to 'rational design', the combinatorial approach relies on molecular diversity and high-throughput screening. The capability to explore structural and functional limits of a vast population of diverse chemical and biochemical molecules makes it possible to expedite the creation and isolation of compounds of desirable and useful properties. Several studies in recent years have demonstrated the utility of combinatorial methods for food research. The results of such activity could open up a large area of novel applications with potential benefits to the food industry. This article reviews the current techniques of combinatorial chemistry and their applications, with emphasis on examples in food science research.