Research group Natural Substances and Chemical Interactions

Welcome

Natural substances play major roles as molecule signals as well as molecules involved in defence mechanisms during intra- and interspecific interactions. Chemical interactions are of great interest in different fundamental and applied fields, i.e., biodiversity, plants and mushrooms as resources for human health and nutrition, impacts of plants and mushrooms on human health (poisoning, toxins), chemical ecology (polyphenols, volatile organic compounds), bioactive molecules… Our research involves in finding bioactive natural compounds from macrofungi/mushrooms and plants (extraction process, purification of extracts, identification of primary and secondary metabolites, assays; chemical and biological screening of plant and mushroom materials; histolocalisation in planta).

Our current research is based on the fields of agriculture, the environment and health, and responds to the three major societal challenges: Protect, Nourish, Health Care.

To respond to the issues, in connection with Protect, Nourish, Health Care, the members of the research group Natural Substances and Chemical Interactions are associated to various programmes as:

- Protect human health by studying the diversity of deadly or toxic macrofungi following clinical cases, and macrofungi presenting molecules with a high potential for cell toxicity (work in progress; publication in preparation).

- Assess climate-induced long-term changes in Mediterranean fungal diversity (publications submitted and under review).

- Study the biodiversity of macrofungi (Ascomycota and Basidiomycota) through their mycochemical profiles in order to evaluate their molecules of interest on different biological models.

- Enhance the biodiversity of Mediterranean plants, in particular Lamiaceae, Asteraceae, Plantagineae, by optimizing the processes for extracting and purifying molecules of interest from these plants for antioxidant properties, prevention and treatment of loss of muscle mass (Patents 2018-1, 2018-2, 2020).

For this, the research group Natural Substances and Chemical Interactions developed knowledge and know-how in the following areas of expertise:

1. Knowledge of plant and fungi kingdoms (morphological, microscopic and environmental characters; pharmacological properties using various assays; mushroom poisoning characterisation) and bacteria (biosynthetic pathways, bacterial communities associated with pollen);
2. Analytical tools (Thin Layer Chromatography, High Performance Liquid Chromatography, Gas Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry…) and structural elucidation (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) of natural substances (volatile organic compounds, polyphenols, bioactive molecules…) involved in chemical interactions and human heath;

• Biological tests for various pharmacological activities using chemical tools and different cell lines

1. Histochemical analyses, microscopy and microspectrofluorometry carried out on various natural substrates after biotic and abiotic stresses.

Know-how of Research team: Natural Substances and Chemical Interactions

Biodiversity in Botany and Mycology: Health Care Biodiversity Interface (Françoise Fons, Sylvie Morel, Sylvie Rapior)

• Identification of plants and higher fungi using morphological, microscopic and environmental characters.
• Identification of edible and toxic morphological related mushroom species in order to prevent poisonings.

Phytochemistry and Biological activities: Biology Chemistry Interface (Françoise Fons, Sylvie Morel, Sylvie Rapior, Manon Vitou)

• Extraction process, purification of extracts and identification of primary and secondary metabolites by Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), Column Chromatography (CC), High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)
• Chemical and biological screening of plant and mushroom materials

Histology, histochemistry and microspectrofluorometry: Interface Biodiversity Chemical Ecology (Philippe La Fisca, Sylvie Morel, Manon Vitou)

• Anatomical cross-sections from various plant materials (Histology).
• Localisation and identification, in each plant tissue, of the major chemical classes for the bioproducted natural substances (Histochemistry).
• UV spectra of the chemical mediators (Microspectrofluorometry).

Keywords: Bioactive molecules - Chromatography - Higher fungi - Histochemistry – Microspectrofluorometry - Mushrooms - Phytochemistry - Natural Substances - Phytochemistry - Plants and stress

Contacts

Laboratoire de Botanique, Phytochimie et Mycologie (Université de Montpellier)

*Laboratory of Botany, Phytochemistry and Mycology (Univ Montpellier)

**Research Team: Natural Substances and Chemical Interactions (UMR 5175 CEFE)

Faculté de Pharmacie, Faculty of Pharmacy,

15 av. Charles Flahault, C.S. 14491, F-34093 Montpellier cedex 5

• Françoise FONS      Full Professor

Executive Director of the Laboratory* and the Research team

( : 00 33 (0)4 11 75 96 60

@: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

• Sylvie RAPIOR      Full Professor

( : 00 33 (0)4 11 75 96 55

@: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

• Sylvie MOREL      Associate Professor

( : 00 33 (0)4 11 75 96 57

@: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

• Manon VITOU      Technician Phytochemistry

( : 00 33 (0)4 11 75 96 61

@: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

• Philippe LA FISCA      Technical Assistant Histochemistry

( : 00 33 (0)4 11 75 96 62

@: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.