The distinction between natural products (NPs) and synthetic compounds (SCs) lies not in a binary of "safe versus toxic," but rather in their structural complexity, production methods, and interaction with biological systems.

Structural Complexity and Evolution Natural products are chemical substances produced by living organisms (plants, microbes, animals) that have evolved over millennia to interact with biological macromolecules. This evolutionary pressure has endowed NPs with unique structural diversity, high stereochemical complexity (chirality), and rigid three-dimensional architectures. In contrast, synthetic compounds, often designed for oral bioavailability and ease of synthesis, tend to be structurally "flatter" with fewer chiral centers. While NPs offer "privileg ...