PharmDr. Rudolf Vrabec, Ph.D.

Research focus

• isolation and analysis of alkaloids from plants (extraction, TLC, column chromatography, HPLC, GC/MS)

• docking studies and molecular dynamics of biologically active isolated alkaloids or their semisynthetic derivatives

• in vitro biological activities of isolated alkaloids (neurodegenerative diseases, cytotoxicity, …)

• Application of computational deep learning techniques for the recognition of plant microscopic images

Education

• 2017-2022 PharmDr. and Ph.D. in Pharmacognosy and Nutraceuticals at Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Doctoral Thesis: Alkaloids from Vinca minor L. and their biological activity

• 2012-2017 Master's degree from Pharmacy at Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Thesis: Antioxidant activity of explant cultures of Hypericum perforatum

• 2006–2012 Grammar school of Božena Němcová in Hradec Králové

Research fellowship

• 2021/2022 Erasmus+ 3-months internship on Martin-Luther University, Halle, Germany, supervisor: prof. Wolfgang Sippl

Teaching activities

• since 2022 tutor/advisor/opponent of several diploma thesis at Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University

• since 2021 teaching microscopy laboratory exercise from subject Pharmacognosy I at Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical botany
• since 2017 teaching physico-chemical laboratory exercise from subject Pharmacognosy I and II at Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical botany

Current position

• Assistant professor (AP2) at Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical botany
• Junior Researcher on project OncoPharm (reg. No. CZ.02.01.01/00/23_021/0008442)    
• Creator of study materials for project Geen Deal (reg. No. NPO_UK_MSMT-2114/2024-4)

Publications

Original papers

2024

KŘOUSTKOVÁ, J., KOHELOVÁ, E., MUTHNÁ, D., KUNEŠ, J., HAVELEK, R., VRABEC, R., MALANÍK, M., SUCHÁNKOVÁ, D., CHLEBEK, J., JENČO, J., KOSTURKO, Š., CAHLÍKOVÁ, L. (2024). Undescribed   Amaryllidaceae alkaloids from Zephyranthes citrina and their cytotoxicity. J. Nat. Prod. 87, 2317-2326 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jnatprod.4c00825

2023

HRADISKÁ BREITEROVÁ, K., RITOMSKÁ, A., FONTINHA, D., KŘOUSTKOVÁ, J., SUCHÁNKOVÁ, D., HOŠŤÁLKOVÁ, A., ŠAFRATOVÁ, M., KOHELOVÁ, E., PEŘINOVÁ, R., VRABEC, R., FRANCISCO, D., PRUDÊNCIO, M., CAHLÍKOVÁ, L. Derivatives of Amaryllidaceae alkaloid ambelline as selective inhibitors of hepatic stage of Plasmodium berghei infection in vitro. Pharmaceutics 15, 1007 (2023). https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15031007

VRABEC, R., BLUNDEN, G., CAHLÍKOVÁ, L. Natural alkaloids as multi-target compounds towards factors implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 24, 4399 (2023). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24054399

2022

ŠAFRATOVÁ, M., KŘOUSTKOVÁ, J., MAAFI, N., SUCHÁNKOVÁ, D., VRABEC, R., CHLEBEK, J., KUNEŠ, J., OPLETAL, L., BUCAR, F., CAHLÍKOVÁ, L. Amaryllidaceae alkaloids from Clivia miniata (Lindl.) Bosse (Amaryllidaceae): isolation, structural elucidation, and biological activity. Plants 11, 3034 (2022). https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11223034

WIJAYA, V., JANĎOUREK, O., KŘOUSTKOVÁ, J., HRADISKÁ-BREITEROVÁ, K., KORÁBEČNÝ, J., SOBOLOVÁ, K., KOHELOVÁ, E., HOŠŤÁLKOVÁ, A., KONEČNÁ, K., ŠAFRATOVÁ, M., VRABEC, R., KUNEŠ, J., OPLETAL, L., CHLEBEK, J., CAHLÍKOVÁ, L. Alkaloids of Dicranostigma franchetianum (Papaveraceae) and Berberine Derivatives as a New Class of Antimycobacterial Agents. Biomolecules 12, 844 (2022). https://doi.org/10.3390/biom12060844

VRABEC, R., MAŘÍKOVÁ, J., LOČÁREK, M., KORÁBEČNÝ, J., HULCOVÁ, D., HOŠŤÁLKOVÁ, A., KUNEŠ, J., CHLEBEK, J., KUČERA, T., HRABINOVÁ, M., JUN, D., SOUKUP, O., ANDRISANO, V., JENČO, J., ŠAFRATOVÁ, M., NOVÁKOVÁ, L., OPLETAL, L., CAHLÍKOVÁ, L. Monoterpene indole alkaloids from Vinca minor L. (Apocynaceae): identification of new structural scaffold for treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Phytochemistry 194, 113017 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2021.113017

VRABEC, R., VOKURKOVÁ, D., TŮMOVÁ, L., CHEEL, J. Ex-vivo Immune-stimulating Activity of Scutellaria baicalensis and Its Major Flavonoids on Human Immune Cells. Rec. Nat. Prod. 16, 188-193 (2022). http://doi.org/10.25135/rnp.264.21.02.1976

Reviews

2024

TIMBILLA, A. A., VRABEC, R., HAVELEK, R., ŘEZÁČOVÁ, M., CHLEBEK, J., BLUNDEN, G., CAHLÍKOVÁ, L. The anticancer properties of harmine and its derivatives. Phytochem. Rev. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11101-024-09978-0

ŠAFRATOVÁ, M., VRABEC, R., BLUNDEN, G., CAHLÍKOVÁ, L. KŘOUSTKOVÁ, J. Specialized metabolites of the genus Zephyranthes Herb.: a critical review on taxonomy and phytochemistry. Phytochem. Rev. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11101-024-09931-1

2021

CAHLÍKOVÁ, L., VRABEC, R., PIDANÝ, F., PEŘINOVÁ, R., MAAFI, N., AL MAMUN, A., RITOMSKÁ, A., WIJAYA, V., BLUNDEN, G. Recent Progress on Biological Activity of Amaryllidaceae and Further Isoquinoline Alkaloids in Connection with Alzheimer’s Disease. Molecules 26, 5240 (2021). http://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26175240

Conferences

2024

PSE Trends in Natural Products 2024 Young Scientists' Meeting in Brno, Czech Republic, Poster: Vincarubine: Unraveling a cytotoxic mechanism against cancer cells.

2023

13^th Postgradual and Postdoc conference in Hradec Králové, Short oral presentation: Cytotoxic alkaloids from Vinca minor L.

2022

70^th International Congress and Annual Meeting of the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research (GA) in Thessaloniki, Greece, Poster: Isolation and biological activity of alkaloids from Vinca minor L. related to Alzheimer’s disease

Workshop: Recent Progress in Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry in Hradec Králové, Short oral presentation: Biological study of indole alkaloid from Vinca minor L. with anti-alzheimer´s potential.

12^th Postgradual and 10th Postdoc conference in Hradec Králové, Short oral presentation: Alkaloids of Vinca minor L. – Identification of new anti-Alzheimer’s structural scaffold.

2021

49^th Conference synthesis and analysis of drugs in Hradec Králove, Czech republic, Short online presentation: Indole alkaloid from Vinca minor L. with promising activity against Alzheimer's disease,

11^th Postgradual and 9th Postdoc conference in Hradec Králové, Short online presentation: Indole alkaloids from Vinca minor L. and their biological activity.

2020                     

10^th Postgradual and 8th Postdoc conference in HradecnKrálové, Short oral presentation: Isolation of alkaloids from Vinca minor L. and their inhibitory activity on human cholinesterases.

2019

48^th Conference synthesis and analysis of drugs in Bratislava, Slovak republic, Poster: Inhibition activity of alkaloids from Vinca minor L. against human cholinesterases.

9^th Postgradual and 7th Postdoc conference in Hradec Králové, Short oral presentation: Immunomodulation activity of Scutellaria baicalensis and Azorella compacta.

2018

23^rd Seminar – Current issues in the cultivation of medicinal, aromatic, and spicy plants in Olomouc, Czech republic, Poster: Immunomodulation activity of Scutellaria baicalensis and Azorella compacta.