Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Title: Elucidation of Biological Activity of Cyclic Peptides Isolated from Flax Seed Summary of Proposal for Public Release Exploration of natural products for their beneficial biological properties is probably one of the most actively pursued goals in both academia and the pharmaceutical industry. Recently, considerable attention has been focused on pharmacological properties of cyclic peptides, a group of natural compounds produced by fungi, bacteria, plants, and animals. Flax seeds contain several cyclic peptides generally called ""cyclolinopeptides"". We have isolated and characterized the basic physico-chemical properties of many cyclolinopeptides. Based on structural analysis (theoretical and empirical) of the molecular characteristics of cyclolinopeptides, and on preliminary trials in vitro, we have identified several putative features indicative of beneficial biological activity and possible application in both human and animal health. The investigation of therapeutic potential of cyclolinopeptides is fundamentally important, as these compounds possess many attributes consistent with desirable biological activity. We propose to initiate a research project centered on the detailed investigation of putative properties of flax derived cyclic peptides towards controlling bacterial, fungal, and parasitic pathogens, as well as enzyme inhibitors. The proposed project is a natural extension of ongoing research in the area of natural products chemistry and in the area focused on microbial infections in animals. This project builds on significant multidisciplinary scientific expertise and experience of several labs. This research has significant strategic, academic, and industrial value. Canada is a major global producer of flax, and discovery of flax derived compounds with beneficial biological activity would have tremendous impact on the Canadian flax industry.