Pharm.D Negar Maafi, Ph.D.

Education

• 2007-2014 (General Doctorate Degree in Pharmacy), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy.
• 2018-2023 Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, (Doctoral degree), Thesis: Amaryllidaceae alkaloids of montanine type and their derivatives as potential drugs

Current Position

• Assistant professor at Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical botany

Research Fellowship

• 1st November 2020- 30th March 2021: ERASMUS internship in Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Halle, Germany.
• February 2024: San Jorge University, Department of Health sciences, Phyto-Pharm Group, Zaragoza, Sapin. Scholarship by Fond Mobility UK

Research Focus

• Isolation of biologically active plant constituents – mostly alkaloids
• Preparation of semi-synthetic derivatives of natural products, targeting antimycobacterial, antibacterial and anti-neurodegenerative disease activities.
• Screening biological activity (MAO-A and in-vivo acute toxicity and beta-amyloid toxicity model, C. elegans)

Teaching

• Pharmaceutical Botany I and II (ENG)
• Pharmacognosy (practicals) (ENG)
• Natural Drugs I (ENG)

Publication

Original Papers

2026

TIMBILLA, A.A., PIDANY, F., KOHELOVA, E., KROUSTKOVA, J., KRALOVEC, K., RATAJ, J., CECKOVA, M., MAAFI, N., LOPEZ, V., LANGA, C.M., KOSTURKO, S., JENCO, J., MUTHNA, D., KOUTOVA, D., REZACOVA, M., CAHLIKOVA, L., CHLEBEK, J., HAVELEK, R.: Harmine derivatives as anticancer agents endowed with potent and selective antileukemia activity: synthesis, biological evaluation, proapoptopic and genotoxic activity. Arch. Pharm. 359, e70197 (2026).  https://doi.org/10.1002/ardp.70197

2023

KOUTOVÁ, D., MAAFI, N., MUTHNÁ, D., KRÁLOVEC, K., KROUSTKOVA, J., PIDANY, F., TIMBILLA, A., CERMAKOVA, E., CAHLIKOVA, L., REZACOVA, M., HAVELEK, R.: Antiproliferative activity and apoptosis-inducing mechanism of Amaryllidaceae alkaloid montanine on A549 and MOLT-4 human cancer cells. Biomed. Pharmacother. 166, 115295 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115295

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

2021

MAAFI, N., AL MAMUN, A., JANĎOUREK, O., MAŘÍKOVA, J., BREITEROVÁ, K., DIEPOLTOVÁ, A., KONEČNÁ, K., HOŠŤÁLKOVÁ, A., HULCOVÁ, D., KUNEŠ, J., KOHELOVÁ, E., KOUTOVÁ, D., ŠAFRATOVÁ, M., NOVÁKOVÁ, L., CAHLÍKOVÁ, L.: Semisynthetic derivatives of selected Amaryllidaceae alkaloids as a new class of antimycobacterial agents. Molecules 26, 6023 (2021). https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26196023

MAAFI, N., PIDANY, F., MARIKOVA, J., KORABECNY, J., HULCOVA, D., KUCERA, T., SCHMIDT, M., AL SHAMMARI, L., SPULAK, M., CATAPANO, M.C., MECAVA, M., PRCHALD, L., KUNES, J., JANOUSEK, J., KOHELOVA, E., JENCO, J., NOVAKOVA, L., CAHLIKOVA, L.: Derivatives of montanine-type alkaloids and their implication for the treatment of Alzheimer´s disease: Synthesis, biological activity and in silico study. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Let. 51, 128374 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmcl.2021.128374

AL MAMUN, A., PIDANY, F., HULCOVA, D., MARIKOVA, J., KUCERA, T., SCHMIDT, M., CATAPANO, M.C., HRABINOVA, M., JUN, D., MUCKOVA, L., KUNES, J., JANOUSEK, J., ANDRYS R., NOVAKOVA, L., PERINOVA, R., MAAFI, N., SOUKUP, O., KORABECNY, J., CAHLIKOVA, L.: Amaryllidaceae alkaloids of norbelladine-type as inspiration for development of highly selective butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors: Synthesis, biological activity evaluation, and docking studies. In. J. Mol. Sci. 22, 8308 (2021).  https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22158308

2020

PEŘINOVÁ, R., MAAFI, M., KORÁBEČNÝ, J., KOHELOVÁ, E., DE SIMONE, A., AL MAMMUN, A., HULCOVÁ, D.,MARKOVÁ, J., KUČERA, T., JUN, D., ŠAFRATOVÁ, M., MAŘÍKOVÁ, J., ANDRISANO, V., JENČO, J., KUNEŠ, J., MARTINEZ, A., NOVÁKOVÁ, L., CAHLÍKOVÁ, L.: Functionalized aromatic esters of the Amaryllidaceae alkaloid haemanthamine and their in vitro and in silico biological activity connected to Alzheimer´s disease. Bioorg. Chem. 100, 103928 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.103928

KOUTOVA, D., MAAFI, M., HAVELEK, R., OPLETAL, L., BLUNDEN, G., ŘEZÁČOVÁ, M., CAHLÍKOVÁ, L.: Chemical and Biological Aspects of Montanine-Type Alkaloids Isolated from Plants of the Amaryllidaceae Family. Molecules 25, 2337 (2020). https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25102337

2015

KAHKESHANI, N., HADJIAKHOONDI, A., MAAFI, N., KHANAVI, M. Standardization of a galactogogue herbal mixture based on its total phenol and flavonol contents and antioxidant activity. Res. J. Pharmacogn. 2, 35-39, (2015). https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.1072.1881&rep=rep1&type=pdf

2014

KHOSRAVI DEHAGHI, N., OSTAD, S. N., MAAFI, N., PEDRAM, S., AJANI, Y., HADJIAKHOONDI, A., KHANAVI, M.. Cytotoxic activity of the essential oil of Salvia verticillata L. Res. J. Pharmacogn. 1, 27-33, (2014). http://www.rjpharmacognosy.ir/article_5775_57b33c5f440c03ea7ca26a0d3488d251.pdf

Reviews

2021

CAHLIKOVA, L., VRABEC, R., PIDANY, F., PERINOVA, R., MAAFI, N., AL MAMUN, A., RITOMSKA, 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). https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26175240