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.

Selected Papers:

Schwarzinger J, Adelsberger S, Ortmayr K, Stellnberger SL, Tahir A, Hädrich G, Pichler V, Rollinger JM, Grienke U, Dailey LA. Biopharmaceutical profiling of anti-infective sanggenons from Morus alba root bark for inhalation administration. Int. J. Pharm. X 2024, 100272, doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpx.2024.100272.

Wasilewicz A, Bojkova D, Beniddir MA, Cinatl J Jr, Rabenau HF, Grienke U, Rollinger JM, Kirchweger B. Molecular networking unveils anti-SARS-CoV-2 constituents from traditionally used remedies. J. Ethnopharmacol. 2024 Jan 30;319(Pt 2):117206. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.117206.

Zwirchmayr J, Cruz CD, Grienke U, Tammela P, Rollinger JM. Biochemometry Identifies Ostruthin as Pluripotent Antimicrobial and Anthelmintic Agent from Masterwort, iScience 2023, 26, 107523, September 15, 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107523

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 2022; 96: 153895. 10.1016/j.phymed.2021.153895

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

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

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