From the lime tree to the patent
In 2019, an inventive activity took place at the University of Münster's PharmaCampus, resulting in a new development that did not correspond to the state of the art at the time – and was therefore fundamentally patentable. Prof. Dr. Martina Düfer and her then doctoral student Dr. Alexander Hake from the Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medical Chemistry, as well as Prof. Dr. Andreas Hensel and his former doctoral student Dr. Nico Symma from the Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology and Phytochemistry, had discovered six novel alkaloids from lime blossoms and their effects on the human organism. “Sometimes chance helps,” says Martina Düfer with a laugh. The alkaloids inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which increases the amount of active acetylcholine. “This neurotransmitter acts as a motor for memory, cognitive stress resistance, and mental flexibility,” explains Andreas Hensel. The discovery makes it possible to influence mental and emotional stress.
wissen|leben Nr. 8, 10. Dezember 2025