Research activities
This institute specializes in isolating and identifying new biologically active substances from plant material.
Main research areas
- isolation and identification of new biologically active substances from plant material
- production and biotransformation capabilities of tissue and suspension cultures of higher plants
- determination of biological activity of natural substances by in vitro methods
- testing the ability of selected natural substances to influence the activity of selected enzymes (acetylcholinesterase, tyrosinase, urease, cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase), antioxidant activity
- other bioactivities (anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, cytotoxic) are tested in collaboration with other faculty departments or other forms of cooperation
Other topics
The focus of the institute is mainly on phenolic compounds from various plant sources, with the main interest focused on prenylated or geranylated flavonoids and isoflavonoids.
The Institute also deals with the isolation of benzofurans, lignans, stilbenes and substances of triteprenoid and diterpenoid nature. Suitable methods and procedures are used to isolate natural substances from plant extracts (column chromatography, flash chromatography, preparative HPLC), spectral methods (UV, IR, MS, CD, NMR) are used to determine their structure.
This institute cooperates on Czech as well as international projects
Employees of the Institute of Natural Medicines participate as researchers or co-investigators in the projects of the GACR, e.g. in cooperation with the Czech University of Agriculture and the Institute of Experimental Botany of the CAS.
There is also very good professional cooperation in the field of analysis of spectral characteristics of natural substances with the University of Chemical Technology and the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS.
Foreign cooperation is developed especially with the University of Padua (Italy) and Ankara University (Turkey).