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Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences |
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Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences |
The plant tissue culture laboratory is engaged in research aimed at improving plant raw materials using various approaches such as elicitation and precursor feeding for enhancement of secondary metabolites in plant tissue cultures (organ, callus, and hairy root culture), improvement of secondary metabolites yields after post-harvesting, development of extraction process using green solvent. The researchers also study plant gene biosynthesis pathway in order to study the mechanism of secondary metabolites enhancement. The in vitro study in cell line is also of interest to investigate biological activities of improved plant raw materials. Moreover, the researchers of Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory are engaged in the production of monoclonal and recombinant antibodies against plant secondary metabolites in order to develop immunoassays (such as ELISA and immunochromatographic strip) for determination of bioactive markers.
The research in the laboratory of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sakda Daduang is focused on study of venom proteins and enzymes from venomous arthropods including scorpions, centipedes, wasps and ants. The proteins such as hyaluronidase, phospholipase and heteroscorpine-1 (HS-1) proteins are investigated by cloning and expression techniques for further application to medical, pharmaceutical and industrial purposes. Hyaluronidase is used as a ligand in hyaluronic acid (HA) purification column and as a detector in HA detection kit. HS-1 is modified to improve anti-microbial activity. The immunomodulatory properties of the natural products are also of interest. The in vivo and in vitro studies have been conducted to assess immune cell proliferation in edible bird’s nest as well as genes expression and cytokines production. Moreover, HA serum derived from chicken comb is extensively studied to find its application as a moisturizing product.
CRD-HHP is a center of social wisdoms and research development related to herbal health products to strengthen Thai economic competitiveness in the global herbal health products market. CRD-HHP provides the laboratory service on the quality control and biological activity screening to support the development of natural product in order to meet the market standards and the requirements of pharmacopoeia. CRD-HHP also provides the consultation service for the herbal product formulation development, quality improvement and community’s rules on Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).
