Our group tries to find the origin of the solution to many problems by studying the secondary metabolites of plants from different points of view and emphasizing three lines of work such as human pharmacology (antiviral studies), agricultural-type problems, and their use at industrial, anticancer, and cytotoxic level but emphasizing the search for antiparasitics (Leishmanicides, Trypanocides, and Antimalarials). Some of these bioactive molecules have been derivatized, and their accessibility has been made possible by organic synthesis.
Research Lines and/or Areas
Phytoalexins resistance and susceptibility in plants against pathogens.
Insecticides and acaricides.
Pharmacologically active substances.
Structure and synthesis.
Valuation of natural products.
Biodiversity and natural products. Search for antiparasitics.
Natural colorants.
Drug stability and recognition of raw materials of pharmachemical use.
Search and development of a Leishmanicidal formulation. It corresponds to a sum of projects whose results turned into a patent and a product in canine trials.
Chemical byproducts of the forest. We intend to analyze the effect of substances and extracts of sawdust in various applications through this project. Molecules with high antiparasitic potential, nematicides, antibiotics, and tick control acaricides have been found.
Search for chemical regulators. A new approach to the control of resistant bacteria has been studied, as well as to generate information regarding the formation of cyanobacterial blooms.
Synthesis of xantone analogues: Potential antiparasitic agents. A library of new compounds with high antiparasitic potential was generated.
Key Research Findings
The results found by the group have been translated into a colorant on the market developed by a local company (PAT. US 9, 890,286B2) and a leishmanicidal product currently developed and applied to cure canines (WO2014167517A3). Likewise, with the company Agro Sustainable Solutions (Spain), a non-biocidal product was developed to protect banana crops against Black Sigatoka (Patent ES2400218B1) and another one against Coffee Rust (Patent EP 2 772 133 A1).
All these results have also been materialized in more than one hundred articles in indexed journals, 26 doctoral theses, more than 30 master's degrees, and more than 50 bachelor’s degree dissertations, covering areas ranging from Chemistry to Pharmacy, Engineering, Biology, Agronomy, and even Anthropology.
Services and/or Products Portfolio
Expert advice in the search and study of bioactive substances of biodiversity.
Development of purification methods and identification of bioactive molecules.
Identification and quantification of molecules by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR 300MHz) and High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (QToF).
