From the Herb to the Pill

Tap water is offered at meetings in Helsinki organized by the Finnish Presidency. We can also drink tap water in Sofia without worries because its parameters meet all the European requirements, according to the research of the Laboratory for Development and Characterization of Pharmaceutical Forms and In Silico Design. The scientific equipment available in this lab can also identify the origins of a variety of foods and beverages, such as wine, meat, fruit and vegetables.

Strength from Medicinal Plants

Bulgaria is rich in herbs, and if we use our scientific potential, we can make revolutionary developments from them. Several of the specialized laboratories in Sofia Tech Park already have achievements in this direction. The lemon balm extract may serve as a natural preservative that can displace some of the E’s in food. With a new method developed here, the time of personal probiotics will come. There will also be a cure for diseases that are a scourge of humanity.

In recent years, there has been a revival in the use of natural medicinal herbs that improve the quality of life and have a preventive effect on various diseases. A significant portion of medicines are also based on medicinal plants. Such an example is galantamine (nivalin), with a healing effect against Polio (Poliomyelitis), which Prof. Dimitar Paskov insulated from a marsh snowdrop in the middle of the 1950s, says Prof. Vladimir Dimitrov, Head of the Laboratory for Extraction of Natural Products and Synthesis of Bioactive Compounds. With the help of scientists, Bulgarian healing and aromatic plants can give the push to many businesses. And indeed, here, by order of clients from abroad, products are made, which are unfamiliar on the market and confidential for now. The benefits of extracts of lemon balm and St. John’s wort are well-known, but Sofia Tech Park has already made the first in-depth study of their biological activity. This laboratory is an important unit in the project “From the Herb to the Pill” on prototyping of products through funding provided by Sofia Tech Park. “We do not just have the most up-to-date equipment, but we also can work with it. We can be very useful to the business,” says Dr. Angel Konakchiev, an expert at the laboratory. “In order to develop, small companies have to be encouraged to innovate and seek interaction with scientific units,” Prof. Dimitrov assures.

Interaction

The project how to turn a herb into an effective pill integrates the potential of three laboratories in Sofia Tech Park and utilizes the skills of its experts. The extraction laboratory provides extracts of lemon balm and the cell lines are tested in vitro for their cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity. In the In Vitro Laboratory is tested the antibacterial and antimicrobial activity against 5 pathogens. Another part of the project includes the cultivation in a bioreactor of a probiotic strain isolated by microbiologists from the University of Sofia. The biomass is lyophilized, and then, in the In Silico Laboratory, it is inserted into tablets and soluble drinks while maintaining the viability of the lactobacilli.

The Trichoderma Asperellum SL-45 mushroom has qualities useful in phytoprotection. That is why the In Vitro Laboratory team also cultivates this mushroom in waste waters from rose oil production. The resulting biomass from the cultivated mushroom can be used as a substance that prevents the development of other fungal pathogens on plants. In addition, this water is rich in phenols that can be extracted and incorporated into cosmetic products. “We can be helpful in optimizing the experimental set-up in various business areas, including pharmacy, cosmetics, phytoprotection,” says Dr. Tsvetelina Zagorcheva, an expert at the In Vitro Laboratory.

A Cure against Incurable Diseases

The enzyme Acetylcholinesterase is important for the impulse conduction in the central and peripheral nervous system. The medicinal effect on its functions plays a central role in the treatment of the Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, explains Dr. Iva Valkova, an expert at the Laboratory for the Development and Characterization of Pharmaceutical Forms and In Silico Design. Studies are made here that can lead to the discovery of a cure against the two currently incurable diseases. Studies are under way to help create new forms of medicine and to find ways to help with depression. In this laboratory, the equipment and expertise are at the highest level, and everyone who makes medicines, cosmetic products, foods, or nutritional supplements is welcome to make sure they are effective. Here, they can find solutions to many problems that hinder companies’ innovative activities.

Breakthrough in Healthcare

The Bioinfotech Bioinformatics Laboratory develops a specific method of reading DNA molecules that allows a quick “snapshot” of the entire environment from which the sample was taken. The method will allow for personalized probiotics to be prescribed. This scientific achievement is likely to emerge as a global breakthrough. The lab has also made great advancement in the project to quickly detect gluten in foods, which in some people causes an autoimmune reaction. The technology will be patented. “Its advantage is that the tests will be quick, but they may be much cheaper than anything that has been done so far,” says Dr. Boris Kirov from the Bioinformatics Laboratory. This lab is a link between molecular biology specialists and the transformation of scientific results into a working machine for clinics and industry. Dr. Kirov continues his work with iGEM, the team for competitive genetic engineering and synthetic biology. The new development of the students will be focused on the study of new antibiotic substances.

“Scientists are able to do miracles if someone gives them a specific task. Bulgarian entrepreneurs are shy about introducing new technologies, as well as reluctant to make risky investments in the development of innovations. That is why the state has to offer a way to fill in the missing link between science and business,” Dr. Kirov recommends.