Editorial

There is no doubt that Nature still provides us with a vast amount of useful molecules. The question is more likely “How will we find them for purposes serving mankind?” (and animals, although not in focus of this current issue). Natural product drug discovery has its challenges, mostly due to the special properties of the components involved in the starting material. To guide and inspire scientists for the topic, this Special Issue of Planta Medica on „Bioassays and Models, Guidelines and Recommendations for Testing“ concerning natural products was conceived. The articles also include some very practical approaches for scientists to identify some of the pitfalls when working with natural products.