Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry
Kunio TAKAHASHI, Ph.D., Professor
Kiyotaka KOYAMA, Ph.D., Associate professor
Kaoru TAKATORI (nee KINOSHITA), Ph.D., Assistant Professor
In the laboratory of pharmacognosy and phytochemistry, we are studying natural products chemistry.
We are investigating the possibility of producing drugs from natural products on the basis of organic chemistry, using two main methods.
The first method is to find biologically active substances from natural resources.
We are searching for natural inhibitors of angiogenesis, which plays an important role in the growth and progression of cancer, from the metabolites of marine micro-organisms, mushrooms and plants.
We are studying cactus saponins to find the possibility of new biological activities.
We are developing culture methods for lichen mycobionts to produce biological active substances and new effective compounds.
The second method is to develop new derivatives of the biological active natural products–the development of anti-influenza virus drugs.
We are trying to synthesize new glycosides of phytochemicals by coupling sialic acid from animal resources as a sugar moiety.
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