Chemoecology and natural products RG

The mission of the group is to investigate the chemodiversity and biological activities of the Bulgarian flora and to support the sustainable utilization of natural products. The group initiated a bank of extracts from plants, algae and microorganisms for acceleration of the discovery of new bioactive molecules from the Bulgarian flora. 

Research priorities

• Chemoecology of Amaryllidaceae alkaloids, tropane alkaloids, terpenes, flavonoids and fenolic acids (plant–plant, plant–herbivore and plant–microbial interactions).

• Metabolomics and chemotaxonomy.

Laboratories

Chemical Analysis 

Applied Biotechnology

Staff

Prof. Strahil Berkov, PhD (RG Leader)

Assoc. Prof. Milena Nikolova, PhD 

Borislav Georgiev, biologist

Marina Dimitrova, chemist

Rumen Denev (PhD Student)

Gabriela Haist (PhD Student) 

International collaborations

Dr Hibert Huaylla, University of Moquegua, Illo, Peru

Selected publications

2023

Nikolova M, Aneva I, Zhelev B, Berkov S (2023). Analysis of exudate compounds of Thymus species. Plant Biosystems. https://doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2023.2293034

Berkov S, Denev R, Sidjimova B, Zarev Y, Shkondrov A, Torras-Claveria L, Viladomat F, Bastida J (2023). Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry of some homolycorine-type Amaryllidaceae alkaloids. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 32, 12. https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.9506

Haist G, Sidjimova B, Vladimirov V, Georgieva L, Nikolova M, Bastida J, Berkov S (2023). Morphological, cariological, and phytochemical studies of diploid and autotetraploid Hippeastrum papilio plants. Planta, 27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-023-04084-5

Angelova V, Georgiev B, Pencheva T, Pajeva I, Rangelov M, Todorova N, Zheleva-Dimitrova D, Kalcheva-Yovkova E, Valkova IV, Vassilev N, Mihaylova R, Stefanova D, Petrov B, Voynikov Y, Tzankova V (2023). Design, Synthesis, In Silico Studies and In Vitro Evaluation of New Indole- and/or Donepezil-like Hybrids as Multitarget-Directed Agents for Alzheimer’s Disease. Pharmaceuticals, 16, 9, 1194. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16091194

Nikolova M, Aneva I, Zhelev P, Semerdjieva I, Zheljazkov V, Vladimirov V, Stoyanov S, Berkov S, Yankova-Tsvetkova E (2023). Metabolic profiles, genetic diversity and genome size of Bulgarian population of Alkanna tinctoria. Plants, 12, 1, 111. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12010111

Nikolova M, Lyubenova A, Yankova-Tsvetkova E, Georgiev B, Berkov S, Aneva I, Trendafilova A (2023). Artemisia santonicum L. and Artemisia lerchiana Web. Essential Oils and Exudates as Sources of Compounds with Pesticidal Action. Plants, 12, 19, 3491. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12193491

Pechlivanova D, Grozdanov P, Sabit Z, Bakalov D, Stoynev A, Berkov S (2023). Ameliorative Effects of Alkaloids from Narcissus cv. Hawera: Behavioral Changes Following Acute and Accelerated Chronic Restraint Stress. Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia, 33, 1309-1314. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43450-023-00464-w

Rodríguez-Escobar ML, Tallini LR, Lisa-Molina J, Berkov S, Viladomat F, Meerow A, Bastida J, Torras-Claveria L (2023). Chemical and Biological Aspects of Different Species of the Genus Clinanthus Herb. (Amaryllidaceae) from South America. Molecules, 28, 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28145408

Takov D, Barta M, Nikolova M, Doychev D, Toshova T, Ostoich P, Pilarska D (2023). Insecticidal activity of three plant extracts against adult Ips typographus L. under laboratory conditions. Baltic Journal of Coleopterology, 23, 2, 139-158. http://dx.doi.org/10.59893/bjc.23(2).001

2022

Berkov S, Georgieva L, Sidjimova B, Bastida J (2022). Evaluation of Hippeastrum papilio (Ravenna) Van Scheepen potencial as a new industrial source of galanthamine. Industrial Crops & Products, 178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2022.114619

Atanasova M, Dimitrov I, Ivanov S, Georgiev B, Berkov S, Zheleva-Dimitrova D, Doytchinova I (2022). Virtual Screening and Hit Selection of Natural Compounds as Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors. Molecules, 27, 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27103139

Krasteva G, Berkov S, Pavlov A, Georgiev V (2022). Metabolite Profiling of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis. In Vitro Cultures with Different Levels of Differentiation. Molecules, 27, 24. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27248906

Tallini LR, Osorio EH, Berkov S, Torras-Claveria L, Rodríguez-Escobar ML, Viladomat F, Meerow AW, Bastida J (2022). Chemical Survey of Three Species of the Genus Rauhia Traub (Amaryllidaceae). Plants, 11, 24. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11243549

2021

Berkov S, Atanasova M, Georgiev B, Bastida J, Doytchinova I (2021). The Amaryllidaceae alkaloids: an untapped source of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Phytochemistry Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11101-021-09790-0

Berkov S, Pechlivanova D, Denev R, Nikolova M, Georgieva L, Sidjimova B, Bakalov D, Tafradjiiska R, Stoynev A, Momekov G, Bastida J (2021). GC-MS analysis of Amaryllidaceae and Sceletium-type alkaloids in bioactive fractions from Narcissus cv. Hawera. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 35, 14. https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.9116

Berkov S, Torras-Claveria S, Viladomat F, Suárez S, Bastida J (2021). GC-MS of some lycorine-type Amaryllidaceae alkaloids. Journal of Mass Spectrometry, 56, 3. https://doi.org/10.1002/jms.4704

Berkov S, Georgieva L, Sidjimova B, Nikolova M, Stanilova M, Bastida J (2021). In vitro propagation and biosynthesis of Sceletium-type alkaloids in Narcissus pallidulus and Narcissus cv. Hawera. South African Journal of Botany, 136, 190-194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2020.07.036

Stavrakov G, Philipova I, Lukarski A, Atanasova M, Georgiev B, Atanasova T, Konstantinov S, Doytchinova I, Muñoz-Torrero D (2021). Discovery of a Novel Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor by Fragment-Based Design and Virtual Screening. Molecules, 26, 7, 2058. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26072058

Barra IMM, dos Reis AS, Miyagawa HK, Berkov S, Santos AS (2021). Systematic investigation and lipidomic profiles composition characterization in leaves of five Amaryllidaceae species by HRGC-MS technique. South African Journal of Botany, 142, 25-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2021.06.007

Torras-Claveria S, Berkov S, Viladomat F, Bastida J (2021). QToF exact mass and ESI fragmentation of bioactive Amaryllidaceae alkaloids. South African Journal of Botany, 136, 81-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2020.03.024

2020

Berkov S, Osorio E, Viladomat F, Bastida J (2020). Chemodiversity, Chemotaxonomy and Chemoecology of Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids. The Alkaloids, Chemistry and Biology, 83, Chapter 2, Elsevier, 113-185. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.alkal.2019.10.002

Nikolova M, Dobreva A, Berkov S (2020). Wastes after distillation of Helichrysum italicum – biological active compounds and free radical scavenging activity. Acta Biologica Szegediensis, 64, 2, 233-237. http://dx.doi.org/10.14232/abs.2020.2.233-237

2019

Nikolova M, Aneva I, Zhelev P, Berkov S (2019). GC-MS Based Metabolite Profiling and Antioxidant Activity of Balkan and Bulgarian Endemic Plants. Agriculture conspectus scientificus, 84, 1, 59-65.

Ivanov I, Berkov S, Pavlov A (2019). In sito galanthamine extraction during the cultivation of Leucojum aestivum L. shoot culture in two-phase bubble column cultivation system. Engineering in Life Sciences, 19, 12, 1000-1005. https://doi.org/10.1002/elsc.201900106