The research group deals with the isolation, structural elucidation, and biological activity of secondary metabolites of plants, especially alkaloids. Plants are selected for phytochemical research based on previous screening studies, including the study of biological activity (cholinesterase inhibition, cytotoxicity, antimicrobial activity, etc.) and analysis of extracts (GC/MS, HPLC/MS) to identify the constituents. On the basis of the results of these studies, plants are selected for the isolation of the secondary metabolites in pure form. The isolated compounds have been tested for various biological activities related to the potential therapy of neurodegenerative and anti-invasive diseases. Substances isolated in sufficient quantities are used to prepare derivatives to expand the portfolio of tested substances. Structures of compounds that have interesting biological activity but are present in plant material in low concentrations are used as lead structures for the synthesis of compounds whose structures are based on these substances.
News
- Congratulations on the successful defenses of the doctoral dissertations of MSc. Negar Maafi ("Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids of Montanine type and Their Derivatives as Potential Drugs") and Mgr. Zuzana Lomozová ("Interaction of Natural Phenolic Substances with Biogenic Metals"), which took place on 14th April. We wish them many more success in the academic position!
- A traditional informal Christmas meeting of all members of the group was held in the bulding of the Botanical garden of medicinal plants of Faculty of Pharmacy on 16th December. The meeting was joined with celebration of 40th birtday of Assoc. Prof. Jakub Chlebek. Congratulations, we wish you all the best!
Descending from left to right: Prof. Lucie Cahlíková (the head of the group), Dr. Jesus García Díaz (postdoc), Dr. Daniela Suchánková, Petra Němcová (laboratoty technician), Štefan Kosturko, MSc. (Ph.D. student), Negar Maafi, MSc. (Ph.D. student), Filip Pidaný, MSc. (Ph.D. student), Assoc. Prof. Tomáš Siatka, Prof. Lubomír Opletal, Dr. Kateřina Hradiská-Breiterová, Dr. Rudolf Vrabec, Dr. Marcela Šafratová, Assoc. Prof. Lenka Tmějová, Assoc. Prof. Jakub Chlebek, Ing. Eliška (laboratoty technician), and Assoc. Prof. Jiřina Spilková. Other members of the group, such as Dr. Anna Hošťálková (maternity leave), Dr. Abdullah Al Mamun (postdoc), Ing. Rozálie Peřinová (Ph.D. student), Viriyanata Vijaya, MSc. (Ph.D. student), and Ondřej Pleskot, MSc. (Ph.D. student) were not present.