Phytochemistry & Biodiscovery

The enormous structural diversity of secondary metabolites from plants, fungi, microorganisms, and marine sources provides an indispensable resource for new bioactive substances and lead structures from numerous classes of compounds. In the process of early drug discovery guided by rationalized approaches natural products are investigated for their bioactivity (e.g. on cellular systems, see “Molecular Targets” group, or by our phenotypic screening platform using Caenorhabditis elegans; foto). Our research mainly focuses on the identification of novel drug leads against communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Examples:

Doering K, Langeder J, Tahir A, Grienke U, Duwe S, Rollinger JM, Schmidtke M (2022): Insights into the direct anti-influenza virus mode of action of Rhodiola rosea. Phytomedicine; 96: 153895. 10.1016/j.phymed.2021.153895

Lammel C, Zwirchmayr J, Seigner J, Rollinger JM, De Martin R (2020): Peucedanum ostruthium inhibits E-selectin and VCAM-1 expression in endothelial cells through interference with NF-κB signaling. Biomolecules; 10: 1215. 10.3390/biom10091215

Mittermair E, Schueffl H, Heffeter P, Krenn L, Marian B (2020): Destabilization of FoxM1 and inhibition of topoisomerase I contribute to cytotoxicity of prenylated xanthones isolated from Metaxya rostrata. Planta Medica; 86: 1073-1079. 10.1055/a-1097-8722

Mittermair E, Kaehlig H, Tahir A, Rindler S, Hudec X, Schue H, Heffeter P, Marian B, Krenn L (2020): Methylated xanthones from the rootlets of Metaxya rostrata display cytotoxic activity in colorectal cancer cells. Molecules; 25: 4449. 10.3390/molecules25194449

Mittermair E, Krenn L, Marian B (2019): Prenylated xanthones from Metaxya rostrata suppress FoxM1 and induce active cell death by distinct mechanisms. Phytomedicine; 60: 152912. 10.1016/j.phymed.2019.152912

Grienke U, Zwirchmayr J, Peintner U, Urban E, Zehl M, Schmidtke M, Rollinger JM (2019): Lanostane triterpenes from Gloeophyllum odoratum and their anti-influenza effects. Planta Medica; 85: 195-202. 10.1055/a-0690-9236