# Extracting Value from Marine and Microbial Natural Product Artifacts and Chemical Reactivity

## TL;DR

This paper explores how reactive natural products from marine and microbial sources can transform into valuable chemical artifacts during extraction, offering new opportunities for drug discovery.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a novel perspective on chemical artifacts as indicators of unique chemical spaces with enhanced properties for drug development.

## Key findings

- Chemical artifacts from marine and microbial natural products can indicate unique and valuable chemical spaces.
- Factors like solvents, heat, pH, and oxidation influence artifact formation.
- Understanding and controlling artifact formation can aid in developing new marine bioproducts.

## Abstract

Natural products are and continue to be a remarkable resource, rich in structural diversity, and endowed with valuable chemical and biological properties that have advanced both science and society. Some natural products, especially those from marine organisms, are chemically reactive, and during extraction and handling can partially or totally transform into artifacts. All too often overlooked or mischaracterised as natural products, artifacts can be invaluable indicators of a uniquely evolved and primed chemical space, with enhanced chemical and biological properties highly prized for drug discovery. To demonstrate this potential, we review a wide selection of marine and microbial case studies, revealing the factors that initiate artifact formation (e.g., solvents, heat, pH, light and air oxidation) and commenting on the mechanisms behind artifact formation. We conclude with reflections on how to recognise and control artifact formation, and how to exploit knowledge of artifacts as a window into unique regions of natural product chemical space—to better inform the development of future marine bioproducts.