Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry

Research interests

Laboratory Natural Product Chemistry has been a part of the Institute of Organic Chemistry since its opening in 1968. The lab was founded by the prominent Bulgarian chemists, Prof. I. Ognyanov, Prof. N. Mollov, Prof. N. Marekov. In 1977, it became a subdivision of the Centre of Phytochemistry, established within a joint project of the Bulgarian Government, UNDP and UNESCO. At present, the Lab is an active participant in the Southeast European Network on Phytochemistry and Chemistry of Natural Products for Green and Sustainable Growth” (SEE PhytoChemNet), created with the support of UNESCO.

Significant part of our research is dedicated to Bulgarian medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP), which are particularly diverse and numerous in our countr, and searching for possibilities to create innovative products based on MAP. Our interests are directed mainly to the families Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Scrofulariaceae, Fabaceae, Ranunculaceae, Papaveraceae, Solanaceae, Liliaceae, Zygophylaceae, Rosaceae, Apiaceae. Our research is focused on alkaloids, flavonoids and other phenolics, triterpenic saponins, sesquiterpene lactones, essential oils and other biologically active compounds. An important part of our effort is the work on standardization of Bulgarian medicinal plants and extracts thereof. Our aim is to develop modern reliable methods of qualitative and quantitative analysis of the active components for quality control. Also, we are on search for new biologically active compounds from unexplored biological subjects, such as Bulgarian endemic plants, mushrooms, propolis, etc. We are interested mainly in antibacterial, antiviral and antioxidant substances. In both directions we work in close collaboration with biologists and pharmacologists. We also collaborate with colleagues from different countries: Germany, Greece, Macedonia, Mongolia, Serbia, Spain, Turkey, Switzerland etc.

Our major projects at present are on endemic Bulgarian medicinal plant species, search for natural products active against bee pathogens, synthesis of biologically active chalcones.

LABORATORY MEMBERS

Head:

Prof. Dr. Milena Popova

02 9606 149

510

milena.popova@orgchm.bas.bg

Name	Room	Phone	Е-mail*
Prof. Milena Popova, PhD, Head	510	149	milena.popova
Prof. Antoaneta Trendafilova, PhD	518	144	Antoaneta.Trendafilova
Assoc. Prof. Boryana Trusheva, PhD	510	149	Boryana.Trusheva
Assoc. Prof. Kalina Alipieva, PhD	507	137	Kalina.Alipieva
Assoc. Prof. Kalina Danova, PhD	518	141	Kalina.Danova
Assoc. Prof. Tsvetelina Doncheva, PhD	503	194	Tsvetelina.Doncheva
Assist. Prof. Victoria Ivanova, PhD	518	144	Viktoria.Genova
Assist. Prof. Vanya Gerasimova, PhD	507	137	Vanya.Gerasimova
Assist. Prof Nadezhda Kostova, PhD	519	148	Nadezhda.Kostova
Assist. Prof. Ralitsa Istatkova, PhD	503	194	Ralitsa.Istatkova
Assist. Prof. Ralitsa Chimshirova, PhD	510	194	Ralitsa.Chimshirova
Slaveya Krustanova, assistant	507	137	Slaveya.Krustanova
Ivana Hristova, chemist	510	149	Ivana.Hristova
Associated members
Acad. Prof. DSc Vassya Bankova	510	149	Vassya.Bankova

Projects

Financing organization: Bulgarian National Science Fund (BNSF) Competition: Fundamental Research – 2025 Project title: Approaches to modulate bacterial virulence factors using polymeric nanocarriers loaded with plant metabolites (KP-06-H91/13) Period: 2025 – 2028 Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Antoaneta Trendafilova

Financing organization: BAS & Vietnam Academy of Sciences and Technologies Competition: International cooperation program – 2025 Project title: Phytochemical studies of Vietnamese medicinal plants producing isoquinoline alkaloids (IC-VT/02/2026–2027) Period: 2026 – 2027 Coordinator: Assist. Prof. Dr. Tsvetelina Doncheva

Financing organization: BAS & Vietnam Academy of Sciences and Technologies Competition: International cooperation program – 2025 Project title: Chemical composition and biological activity of essential oil plants from northern provinces of Vietnam and proposals for sustainable development Period: 2026 – 2027 Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Antoaneta Trendafilova

Financing organization: BAS & Serbian Academy of Sciences Competition: EBR project – 2025 Project title: Natural products and their semi-synthetic derivatives as cholinesterase inhibitors Period: 2026 – 2028 Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Antoaneta Trendafilova

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Financing organization: Bulgarian National Science Fund (BNSF) Competition: Fundamental Research – 2023 Project title: Comprehensive study of the genus Scrophularia (Scrophulariaceae) in Bulgarian flora – phytochemistry, biosystematics, and anti-obesogenic activity (KP-06-H79/6) Period: 2023 – 2027 Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kalina Alipieva

Financing organization: COST European Cooperation in Science and Technology Competition: June 2019 Project title: An integrated approach to endangered plant conservation in the 21st century Period: 15.10.2019 – 14.10.2023 Coordinator: Dr. Ziva Fiser; Kalina Danova – Management Board Member Project number or acronym: COST Action CA18201 Official page

Financing organization: BAS & Vietnam Academy of Sciences and Technologies Competition: Academic exchange program – 2020 Project title: Phytochemical study and biological activity of plant species of the genus Pandanus from Vietnam Period: 2020 – 2022 Coordinator: Assist. Prof. Dr. Tsvetelina Doncheva

Financing organization: BAS & Serbian Academy of Sciences Competition: Academic exchange program – 2020 Project title: Phytochemical study of secondary metabolites from plants and fungi, as well as their biotransformed products Period: 2020 – 2022 Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Antoaneta Trendafilova

Financing organization: BAS & Vietnam Academy of Sciences and Technologies Competition: Academic exchange program – 2020 Project title: Vietnamese propolis and its plant sources – potential for discovering new biologically active substances Period: 2020 – 2021 Coordinator: Prof. Vassya Bankova, DSc

Financing organization: BAS & Egyptian Academy of Sciences Competition: Academic exchange program – 2019 Project title: Introduction of plant species of the genus Lamiaceae for prostate treatment and biotechnological improvement of biologically active substances Period: 2019 – 2021 Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kalina Danova

Financing organization: Bulgarian National Science Fund (BNSF) Competition: Fundamental Research – 2019 Project title: Modeling accumulation of secondary metabolites by targeting morphogenesis in vitro: obtaining plant components with potential anticancer activity from Mursal tea, White wormwood, and St. John’s Wort species Period: 2019 – 2022 Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kalina Danova

Financing organization: BAS & Czech Academy of Sciences Competition: Interacademic exchange program – 2017 Project title: Development and characterization of in vitro systems for extraction of volatile and non-volatile biologically active substances by regulation of endogenous phytohormonal balance in White wormwood Period: 2017 – 2019 Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kalina Danova

Financing organization: BAS & Serbian Academy of Sciences Competition: Academic exchange program – 2017 Project title: Secondary metabolites in wild and cultivated plants with potential biological activity Period: 2017 – 2019 Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Antoaneta Trendafilova

Financing organization: BAS & Mongolian Academy of Sciences Competition: Academic exchange program – 2017 Project title: Alkaloid profile and biological activity of plant species from Mongolia Period: 2017 – 2019 Coordinator: Assist. Prof. Dr. Tsvetelina Doncheva

Financing organization: Bulgarian National Science Fund (BNSF) Competition: Priority Area Funding – 2017 Project title: Metabolic profile and genetic variability of Thymus species in Bulgaria – scientific basis of phytotherapy and potential for pharmacy Period: 2017 – 2020 Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kalina Alipieva

Financing organization: Bulgarian National Science Fund (BNSF) Competition: Priority Area Funding – 2017 Project title: Green approaches for utilization of green wealth – natural deep eutectic solvents for extraction of biologically active substances from natural objects Period: 2017 – 2019 Coordinator: Prof. Vassya Bankova, DSc

Financing organization: Bulgarian National Science Fund (BNSF) Competition: Fundamental Research – 2016 Project title: Phytochemical and biological study of species of the genus Inula (Asteraceae) from the Bulgarian flora – new sources of biologically active substances Period: 2016 – 2019 Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Antoaneta Trendafilova

Financing organization: Bulgarian National Science Fund (BNSF) Competition: Priority Area Funding – 2014 Project title: A rational platform for the sustainable production of pharmaceutically relevant molecules from plants and their in vitro cultures Period: 2014 – 2017 Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Milena Popova