Pharmacognosy

Description
In addition to the possibility to discover new drug candidates for drug development, bioactive natural products have potential as pharmacological tools, intermediates, or templates for synthesis of drugs. As a multidisciplinary division we conduct extensive national and international research collaborations in e.g. clinical pharmacology, marine chemical ecology, systematic botany and structural biology.
Our research represents a modernization and renewal of a venerable proven science, Pharmacognosy. With today's increased interest for environmental aspects, green chemistry, and a sustainable use of natural products, this renewal could have a strategic position in bridging chemistry and biology.
The ongoing projects are focused on chemistry and biology of ultra stable proteins, methods of selection and target-finding, antifouling and antibacterial molecules from marine organisms (sponges, nemertines), anti-inflammatory and antitumor activity of natural products.
Publications
Part of Plants, 2025
- DOI for Interpopulational Variation in Cyclotide Production in Heavy-Metal-Treated Pseudometallophyte (Viola tricolor L.)
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The involvement of cyclotides in the heavy metal tolerance of Viola spp.
Part of Scientific Reports, 2024
- DOI for The involvement of cyclotides in the heavy metal tolerance of Viola spp.
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Part of Toxins, 2024
- DOI for Peptide toxins from the Antarctica: The Nemertean Predator and Scavenger Parborlasia corrugatus (McIntosh, 1876)
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Kalata B1 Enhances Temozolomide Toxicity to Glioblastoma Cells
Part of Biomedicines, 2024
- DOI for Kalata B1 Enhances Temozolomide Toxicity to Glioblastoma Cells
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Part of PLOS ONE, 2024
- DOI for Screening for antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of Sri Lankan marine sponges through microfractionation: Isolation of bromopyrrole alkaloids from Stylissa massa
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Part of Journal of Natural Products, p. 52-65, 2023
- DOI for Screening for Cyclotides in Sri Lankan Medicinal Plants: Discovery, Characterization, and Bioactivity Screening of Cyclotides from Geophila repens
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Part of Fitoterapia, 2023
- DOI for Antibacterial eremophilane sesquiterpenoids from Xylaria feejeensis, an endophytic fungi of the medicinal plant Geophila repens
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On the structures of the penduflorines from Tabernaemontana penduliflora
Part of Fitoterapia, 2023
- DOI for On the structures of the penduflorines from Tabernaemontana penduliflora
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Part of ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, p. 24186-24196, 2023
Part of ACS Omega, p. 37116-37127, 2023
- DOI for Anti-inflammatory and Antiphytopathogenic Fungal Activity of 2,3-seco-Tirucallane Triterpenoids Meliadubins A and B from Melia dubia Cav. Barks with ChemGPS-NP and In Silico Prediction
- Download full text (pdf) of Anti-inflammatory and Antiphytopathogenic Fungal Activity of 2,3-seco-Tirucallane Triterpenoids Meliadubins A and B from Melia dubia Cav. Barks with ChemGPS-NP and In Silico Prediction
A Synthetic Cyclized Antimicrobial Peptide with Potent Effects against Drug-Resistant Skin Pathogens
Part of ACS - Infectious Diseases, p. 1056-1063, 2023
- DOI for A Synthetic Cyclized Antimicrobial Peptide with Potent Effects against Drug-Resistant Skin Pathogens
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Part of Journal of Natural Products, p. 566-573, 2023
- DOI for Exploring the limits of cyanobactin macrocyclase PatGmac: Cyclization of PawS-derived peptide sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1 and cyclotide kalata B1
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Epitopes displayed in a cyclic peptide scaffold bind SARS-CoV-2 antibodies
Part of ChemBioChem, 2023
- DOI for Epitopes displayed in a cyclic peptide scaffold bind SARS-CoV-2 antibodies
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Differential Blood-Brain Barrier Transport and Cell Uptake of Cyclic Peptides In Vivo and In Vitro
Part of Pharmaceutics, 2023
- DOI for Differential Blood-Brain Barrier Transport and Cell Uptake of Cyclic Peptides In Vivo and In Vitro
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Transforming Cross-Linked Cyclic Dimers of KR-12 into Stable and Potent Antimicrobial Drug Leads
Part of Biomedicines, 2023
- DOI for Transforming Cross-Linked Cyclic Dimers of KR-12 into Stable and Potent Antimicrobial Drug Leads
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Part of Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences (CMLS), 2022
- DOI for A stable cyclized antimicrobial peptide derived from LL-37 with host immunomodulatory effects and activity against uropathogens
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Part of Journal of Natural Products, p. 215-224, 2022
- DOI for Spatial Distribution and Stability of Cholinesterase Inhibitory Protoberberine Alkaloids from Papaver setiferum
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Part of PLOS ONE, 2022
- DOI for In vitro and in silico evaluation of Ononis isoflavonoids as molecules targeting the central nervous system
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The involvement of cyclotides in mutual interactions of violets and the two-spotted spider mite
Part of Scientific Reports, 2022
- DOI for The involvement of cyclotides in mutual interactions of violets and the two-spotted spider mite
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Part of Pharmaceutics, 2022
- DOI for Stability Study of Alpinia galanga Constituents and Investigation of Their Membrane Permeability by ChemGPS-NP and the Parallel Artificial Membrane Permeability Assay
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Part of PLANTS, 2022
- DOI for The Influence of Plant Stress Hormones and Biotic Elicitors on Cyclotide Production in Viola uliginosa Cell Suspension Cultures
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Where traditional Chinese medicine meets Western medicine in the prevention of rheumatoid arthritis
Part of Journal of Internal Medicine, p. 745-763, 2022
- DOI for Where traditional Chinese medicine meets Western medicine in the prevention of rheumatoid arthritis
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Cyclotide host-defense tailored for species and environments in violets from the Canary Islands
Part of Scientific Reports, 2021
- DOI for Cyclotide host-defense tailored for species and environments in violets from the Canary Islands
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Part of PLOS ONE, 2021
- DOI for Survival and growth of saprotrophic and mycorrhizal fungi in recalcitrant amine, amide and ammonium containing media
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Part of Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, p. 11856-11866, 2021
Functional characterization of the nemertide alpha family of peptide toxins
Part of Journal of Natural Products, p. 2121-2128, 2021
Barrettides: A Peptide Family Specifically Produced by the Deep-Sea Sponge Geodia barretti
Part of Journal of Natural Products, p. 3138-3146, 2021
- DOI for Barrettides: A Peptide Family Specifically Produced by the Deep-Sea Sponge Geodia barretti
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Part of Phytochemistry, 2021
- DOI for Tropical vibes from Sri Lanka - cyclotides from Viola betonicifolia by transcriptome and mass spectrometry analysis
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Antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of Evernia prunastri extracts and their isolates
Part of World Journal of Microbiology & Biotechnology, 2021
- DOI for Antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of Evernia prunastri extracts and their isolates
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Part of RSC CHEMICAL BIOLOGY, p. 1682-1691, 2021
- DOI for Solution NMR and racemic crystallography provide insights into a novel structural class of cyclic plant peptides
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Exploring natural products-based cancer therapeutics derived from egyptian flora
Part of Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2021
Part of Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2021
- DOI for Kaempferia galanga L.: Progresses in Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Ethnomedicinal Uses
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Editorial: Natural Antimicrobial Peptides: Hope for New Antibiotic Lead Molecules
Part of Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2021
- DOI for Editorial: Natural Antimicrobial Peptides: Hope for New Antibiotic Lead Molecules
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Part of Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports, 2021
- DOI for Antioxidant properties and phenolic profiling by UPLC-QTOF-MS of Ajwah, Safawy and Sukkari cultivars of date palm
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Recent insights into chemical and pharmacological studies of bee bread
Part of Trends in Food Science & Technology, p. 300-316, 2020
Sulfadiazine Masquerading as a Natural Product from Scilla madeirensis (Scilloideae)
Part of Journal of Natural Products, p. 1305-1308, 2020
- DOI for Sulfadiazine Masquerading as a Natural Product from Scilla madeirensis (Scilloideae)
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Part of Journal of Systematics and Evolution, p. 103-117, 2020
The life cycle of cyclotides: biosynthesis and turnover in plant cells
Part of Plant Cell Reports, p. 1359-1367, 2020
- DOI for The life cycle of cyclotides: biosynthesis and turnover in plant cells
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Part of Phytochemistry Letters, p. 6-11, 2020
Part of Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2020
- DOI for Screening for bioactive secondary metabolites in Sri Lankan medicinal plants by microfractionation and targeted isolation of antimicrobial flavonoids from Derris scandens
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Part of Molecules, 2020
- DOI for Evaluating Antimycobacterial Screening Schemes Using Chemical Global Positioning System-Natural Product Analysis
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Part of Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2020
- DOI for Ethnobotany and Antimicrobial Peptides From Plants of the Solanaceae Family: An Update and Future Prospects
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Part of Frontiers in Microbiology, 2020
- DOI for Backbone Cyclization and Dimerization of LL-37-Derived Peptides Enhance Antimicrobial Activity and Proteolytic Stability
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Marine Natural Products: A Source of Novel Anticancer Drugs
Part of Marine Drugs, 2019
- DOI for Marine Natural Products: A Source of Novel Anticancer Drugs
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Part of Toxins, 2019
Part of Journal of Natural Products, p. 798-812, 2019
Part of Frontiers in Plant Science, 2018
- DOI for How Does the Sweet Violet (Viola odorata L.) Fight Pathogens and Pests - Cyclotides as a Comprehensive Plant Host Defense System
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Briaviolides K-N, New Briarane-Type Diterpenoids from Cultured Octocoral Briareum violaceum
Part of Marine Drugs, 2018
- DOI for Briaviolides K-N, New Briarane-Type Diterpenoids from Cultured Octocoral Briareum violaceum
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Part of Arthritis & Rheumatology, 2018
Part of ACS Chemical Biology, p. 1525-1535, 2018