After the isolation and structural identification of active plant constituents, organic chemists may recreate them by total synthesis in the laboratory The natural chemical could be also used as the starting material in the creation of slightly different chemical structures through molecular manipulation. The new structures, termed semisynthetic drugs.• After the isolation and structural identification of active plant constituents, organic chemists may recreate them by total synthesis in the laboratory. • The natural chemical could be also used as the starting material in the creation of slightly different chemical structures through molecular manipulation. The new structures, termed semisynthetic drugs