The research activities of the Department of Plant Biochemistry and Physiology and Molecular Plant Biology (Prof. Dr. Sonja Gadzovska Simic and Prof. Dr. Oliver Tusevski) are primarily focused on the production of bioactive secondary metabolites in various plant in vitro cultures through the application of different biotechnological strategies.
The fundamental research includes the standardization of micropropagation protocols for a wide range of plant species, whereby successful organogenesis and regeneration have been achieved in numerous medicinal, aromatic, agricultural, fruit, and woody plants under controlled and aseptic in vitro conditions. The scientific work is further directed towards examining the effects of elicitation and genetic transformation on the production of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, naphthodianthrones (hypericins), acylphloroglucinols (hyperforins), and xanthones in transgenic cultures of St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum L.). Current research projects are also concerned with assessing the regenerative potential of different varieties of cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.), as well as the influence of biotic and abiotic elicitors on the production of cannabinoids and terpenoids in plant in vitro cultures.
Phytochemical investigations of plant extracts comprise analyses of secondary metabolite contents, antioxidant status, production of oxidative stress markers, scavenging capacity for reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, and activities of antioxidant enzymes. Тhe studies of particular significance address the in vitro biological activity of plant extracts through their inhibitory potential against target enzymes associated with neurodegeneration (acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, and tyrosinase), depression (monoamine oxidase A), diabetes (α-amylase and α-glucosidase), and obesity (pancreatic lipase and cholesterol esterase). These research activities are combined with in silico molecular analyses, including molecular modelling and docking studies, which enable the identification and selection of specific bioactive metabolites with a high potential to establish relevant interactions with amino acid residues located in the active sites of these enzymes.
The research outcomes of the Department of Plant Biochemistry and Physiology and Molecular Plant Biology have considerable applied significance, particularly in the commercial production of phytopreparations, flavoring agents, and dietary supplements intended for the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries.