Section of Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Sciences
Coordinator
Location
Department of NEUROFARBA, Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Section
Campus Sesto, Building P5
Via Ugo Schiff 6
Sesto Fiorentino (FI) 50019, Italy
General Description of the Section
The Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Section of the NEUROFARBA Department carries out research, teaching, and technology transfer activities in the fields of pharmaceutical sciences and nutraceutical products. The establishment of the Section is primarily motivated by the homogeneous grouping of its members, all belonging to the scientific-disciplinary sectors CHEM-07/A (Medicinal Chemistry) and CHEM-07/B (Food Chemistry). This disciplinary coherence ensures a structured integration of pharmaceutical-chemical and nutraceutical expertise, fostering a synergistic and highly specialized scientific approach. The Section promotes translational research aimed at facilitating the transfer of knowledge to therapeutic and nutraceutical applications, including the study of molecular mechanisms underlying biological activity and the optimization of the physicochemical and biopharmaceutical properties of compounds. Activities are carried out in a multidisciplinary context and in collaboration with research institutions and industrial partners at national and international levels, with the goal of contributing to innovation in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical sectors and to the advanced training of students and PhD candidates.
Research Activity Areas
The activities of the Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Section are developed along integrated lines covering the entire pathway from molecular design to structural characterization, up to the valorization of natural biomolecules.
Drug Discovery and synthesis of bioactive molecules
Design and synthesis of new active molecules for the treatment of various diseases, with particular focus on neurodegenerative, inflammatory, metabolic, and oncological disorders.
The activities include:
- identification of lead compounds of natural or synthetic origin obtained from high throughput screening (HTS), fragment-based drug design (FBDD), or virtual screening (VS)
- structural optimization through medicinal chemistry strategies
- development of new chemical entities with improved pharmacological profiles
In silico studies and molecular modeling
Integrated use of computational tools to support rational compound design and to understand interactions between molecules and biological targets.
The activities include:
- molecular modeling, docking, and bioinformatics;
- structure–activity relationship analysis;
- development of predictive models of pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties (ADMET).
Crystallography and structural characterization
Determination and analysis of the three-dimensional structure of proteins using crystallographic techniques. This activity supports the structural validation of synthesized compounds and the understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying biological activity through protein–modulator complexes.
Bioactive peptides
Design and synthesis of peptides of pharmaceutical, immunological, and cosmeceutical interest, including the study of their structural and biological properties and the optimization of their stability and efficacy.
Nutraceuticals and natural biomolecules
Research focused on foods, medicinal plants, and supplements mainly of plant origin.
The activities include:
- identification and quantification of bioactive metabolites;
- development of advanced extraction and analytical methods (metabolomics);
- valorization of biomolecules from agri-food waste and plant cell cultures;
- preparation of characterized extracts for pharmacological and medical studies.
Last update
17.03.2026