The Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises in Science and Technology supports AltSU chemists’ project on the production of plant substances with antiviral activity

According to the results of the regional stages of the competition “U.M.N.I.K.”, the project of 4-year student of the Institute of Chemistry and Chemical and Pharmaceutical Technologies of Altai State University Dmitry Karpitsky “Development of the technology for the integrated use of plant materials obtained by biotechnology methods” under scientific direction of Head of the Biotechnology Department of the South Siberian Botanical Garden of Altai State University, Associate Professor of the Department of Organic Chemistry, Chemical and Chemical Physics, Lyudmila  Tikhomirova, received a grant support in the amount of 500 thousand rubles.

Dmitry Karpitsky’s project offers biotechnology for the production of plant materials with a given content of biologically active substances and its comprehensive non-waste processing.

“Our project proposes the development of a new technology for the production of plant materials of Siberian Iris, as well as the integrated processing of the obtained raw materials, which includes the production of essential oils for cosmetology, the production of alcohol and water extracts, and individual substances with antiviral activity. Grist obtained as a result of extraction will be processed into an organic plant growth stimulator, which is used to grow plant materials. Application and implementation of the results will help to obtain and use high-quality renewable medicinal raw materials without destroying natural resources and minimizing production waste” explains the author of the project.

“The new challenges associated with the pandemic of the coronavirus infection COVID-19 caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 pose the challenge for mankind of developing means of preventing and combating viral infection. Creating a vaccine is a complex and lengthy procedure. Developed personal hygiene products based on medicinal plant materials with broad-spectrum antiviral activity could become a barrier to infection while the vaccine is being created" says Lyudmila. Tikhomirova, the project supervisor. "Employees of the Biotechnology Department of the South Siberian Botanical Garden jointly with the Department of Organic Chemistry are developing biotechnologies for obtaining medicinal plant materials. One of the promising species is Siberian iris (Iris sibirica L.), which synthesizes xanthon glycoside mangiferin with antiviral activity. The project "Development of technology for the integrated use of plant materials obtained by biotechnological methods" is aimed at developing an effective way to obtain scarce types of medicinal plants that produce essential oils and polyphenolic compounds by tissue culture coupled with aeroponic growing, as well as obtaining substances with antibacterial and antiviral activity on their basis, which will make an important contribution to the development of pharmaceutical technology for the production of herbal antiseptics".

“The victory in this competition can hardly be called random, because it is a lot of work for both the participant and the supervisor. We would like to note that last year Dmitry was actively involved in the university’s start-up movement, passed competitive selection and became a resident of the Russian-Chinese business incubator, got the opportunity to present the project during an internship in China. Dmitry also participated in competitions of startup projects, which allowed him to very well prepare the presentation for offline protection. He has to work for two years, and then he will have the opportunity to get financing under the START program” summed up Director of the Center for the Development of Technological Entrepreneurship, Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property Management Olga Vysotskaya.