Application of carbohydrates in approved small molecule drugs: A review.

Carbohydrates are an important energy source and play numerous key roles in all living organisms. Carbohydrates chemistry involved in diagnosis and treatment of diseases has been attracting increasing attention. Carbohydrates could be one of the major focuses of new drug discovery. Currently, however, carbohydrate-containing drugs account for only a small percentage of all drugs in clinical use, which does not match the important roles of carbohydrates in the organism. In other words, carbohydrates are a relatively untapped source of new drugs and therefore may offer exciting novel therapeutic opportunities. Here, we presented an overview of the application of carbohydrates in approved small molecule drugs and emphasized and evaluated the roles of carbohydrates in those drugs. The potential development direction of carbohydrate-containing drugs was presented after summarizing the advantages and challenges of carbohydrates in the development of new drugs.