Dr. Angelique Nicolas Messi is a distinguished Cameroonian organic chemist and Senior Lecturer at the Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Yaoundé I. He also serves as the Head of the Department of Basic and Applied Fundamental Sciences at the State University of Ebolowa, where he teaches general and organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, thermodynamics, pharmacognosy, and research methodology. Dr. Messi earned his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Yaoundé I in 2018, focusing on the isolation, structural elucidation, and bioassay of biflavonoids from Ochna species. He expanded his expertise as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland under Prof. Christian G. Bochet (2020–2021) and through research visits to the University of Free State, South Africa (2015, 2023). His research centers on pharmaceutical and natural product chemistry, emphasizing drug discovery from natural sources, including biflavonoids, flavonoids, and synthetic analogs with neuroprotective, anticancer, antimalarial, and anti-HIV properties. A prolific researcher and mentor, Dr. Messi has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals such as Pharmaceutics, Molecular Neurobiology, Chemistry Africa, and Biochemical Systematics and Ecology. His scientific impact is reflected in 122 citations, an h-index of 5, and an i10-index of 4. Renowned for his expertise in chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques such as NMR, LC-MS, and HRESIMS, he has contributed significantly to the discovery of novel bioactive compounds. In recognition of his outstanding contributions, he was honored as the “Best Researcher in Organic Chemistry” in 2025 by the Research Chemistry Awards. Fluent in both French and English, Dr. Messi is an invited speaker at international conferences, a reviewer for leading scientific journals, and a strong advocate for green chemistry and sustainable drug development in Africa.
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Ndongo, J. T., Issa, M. E., Messi, A. N., Ngo Mbing, J., Cuendet, M., & Pegnyemb, D. E. (2015). Cytotoxic flavonoids and other constituents from the stem bark of Ochna schweinfurthiana. Natural Product Research, 29(17), 1684–1687.
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Messi, A. N., Ngo Mbing, J., Ndongo, J. T., Nyegue, M. A., Tchinda, A. T., Yemeda, F. L., & Pegnyemb, D. E. (2016). Phenolic compounds from the roots of Ochna schweinfurthiana and their antioxidant and antiplasmodial activities. Phytochemistry Letters, 17, 119–125.
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Djova, S. V., Nyegue, M. A., Messi, A. N., Afagnigni, A. D., & Etoa, F. X. (2019). Phytochemical study of aqueous extract of Ochna schweinfurthiana F. Hoffm powder bark and evaluation of their anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, and genotoxic activities. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2019, 8908343.
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Messi, A. N., Bonnet, S. L., Owona, B. A., Wilhelm, A., Kamto, E. L. D., Ndongo, J. T., & Pegnyemb, D. E. (2022). In vitro and in silico potential inhibitory effects of new biflavonoids from Ochna rhizomatosa on HIV-1 integrase and Plasmodium falciparum. Pharmaceutics, 14(8), 1701.
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Owona, B. A., Mary, A., Messi, A. N., Ravichandran, K. A., Mbing, J. N., & Pegnyemb, E. (2025). Biflavonoid methylchamaejasmin and Khaya grandifoliola extract inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome in THP-1 cell model of neuroinflammation. Molecular Neurobiology, 62(2), 1605–1619.