various ailments.2 Sumerian clay tablet is known to be the earliest known written document that was used as a remedy for various illnesses.3 The importance of natural products as anticancer agents can be seen between the years 1981-2006,where about a hundred anticancer agents have been developed,of which,nine were pure natural products,eleven were derived from a natural product pharmacophore,eighteen were natural product mimics,and twenty five were natural product derivatives,4 thus making the natural sources as significant contributors to the health care system A few words below convey a subtle idea about the importance of natural products as medicines over the last 4000 years 2000 BC:Here,eat this root. 1000 AD:That root is heathen!Here,say this prayer. 1850 AD:That prayer is superstition!Here,drink this potion. 1935 AD:That potion is snake oil!Here,swallow this pill. 1975 AD:That pill is ineffective!Here,take this antibiotic. 2000 AD:That antibiotic is poison!Here,eat this root. -Anonymous 1.2.Characterization of natural products and bioactive compounds The characterization of natural products and bioactive compounds in the past decades has utilized spectroscopic techniques as well as chemical methods to determine the structures.The use of ultraviolet- visible and infrared spectrophotometry,nuclear magnetic resonance various ailments.2 Sumerian clay tablet is known to be the earliest known written document that was used as a remedy for various illnesses.3 The importance of natural products as anticancer agents can be seen between the years 1981-2006, where about a hundred anticancer agents have been developed, of which, nine were pure natural products, eleven were derived from a natural product pharmacophore, eighteen were natural product mimics, and twenty five were natural product derivatives,4 thus making the natural sources as significant contributors to the health care system. A few words below convey a subtle idea about the importance of natural products as medicines over the last 4000 years. 2000 BC: Here, eat this root. 1000 AD: That root is heathen! Here, say this prayer. 1850 AD: That prayer is superstition! Here, drink this potion. 1935 AD: That potion is snake oil! Here, swallow this pill. 1975 AD: That pill is ineffective! Here, take this antibiotic. 2000 AD: That antibiotic is poison! Here, eat this root. -Anonymous 1.2. Characterization of natural products and bioactive compounds The characterization of natural products and bioactive compounds in the past decades has utilized spectroscopic techniques as well as chemical methods to determine the structures. The use of ultraviolet￾visible and infrared spectrophotometry, nuclear magnetic resonance