The Laboratory of Ethnobotany and Ethnopharmacology (LEE) is focused on the study of chemistry and bioactivity of underutilized (neglected) crops of tropical and subtropical origin. Species used by native peoples in traditional folk medicinal systems are plants of special interest. Particular research activities involve ethnobotanical inventory studies, the evaluation of (ethno)pharmacological properties, and chemical and nutritional analyses of plant materials focused mainly on the identification and isolation of their bioactive components. Structure-activity relationship studies of bioactive compounds and the synthesis of their derivatives also form part of the expertise of LEE. The research and development activities of the laboratory include among its goals the production of pharmaceuticals (anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial drugs), food supplements (antioxidants and immunity boosters), food additives (natural preservatives and antioxidants), veterinary drugs and feed additives (substituents of antibiotic growth promoters) based on plant derived-compounds, their derivatives and standardized extracts.
