Biotechnology Laboratory for Natural Products
The Biotechnology Laboratory for Natural Products was conceived to address the research and teaching of a growing field of interest. It recognizes the importance of natural products from plants, some of which are biologically active secondary products of metabolism which are often the valued components of economically important plants, from medicinal to colorant. It combines the basic sciences, like developmental anatomy, physiology and phytochemistry, with the tools of biotechnology and molecular biology in studying plants for its natural products. The broader scope of biodiversity and its conservation are also covered in its interest.
The laboratory set of equipment was built up through funded researches with the core for biotechnology provided by DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service). To date it holds BL2 inoculation chamber, rotary shaker, rotary evaporator with vacuum cooling unit, Soxhlet apparatus, lyophilizer, TLC apparatus (HP-TLC to arrive), compound (and stereo- to arrive) microscopes, refractometer, and related gadgets. Currently, the laboratory is headed by Dr. Lourdes B. Cardenas.
The laboratory had just finished a biotechnology project on improved material sourcing of an endangered medicinal plants. Currently, it is engaged in pharmacognosy of selected plant species included in the medicinal plants garden under project 1 of the DOST program “Philippine Biorepository Network for Medicinal Plants”. The garden is being established right in front of the laboratory.
Some of its researches and publications which reflect the scope it covers are:
Cardenas L.B., M.A.O. Cajano and N.O. Aguilar. 2000. Medicinal and Poisonous Plants of Mount Pulag, Benguet, Philippines. ISBN 971-
547-168-4. Los Banos: Museum of Natural History, UPLB. 25p.
* NAST Special Citation for Monograph 2002.
Cardenas L.B. 2007. Variations in Tissue Development and Secondary Product Elaboration of Hedychium coronarium K. in Floral Cultures Grown on Different Media. Gardens’ Bulletin Singapore 59 (1&2): 41-46.
Cardenas LB and MAO Cajano. 2016. Ecotypes and hypericin content of Hypericum pulogense Merrill. Sylvatrop. The Technical Journal of Philippine Ecosystems and Natural Resources 26 (1&2): 111-118
Rivera MP and LB Cardenas. 2017. Species delineation of Kaempferia galangal L. and Kaempferia pulchra L. in the Philippines using psbA-trnH and petA-psbL-psbJ. Journal of Nature Studies 16(2): 84-93.
Medina TJT and LB Cardenas. 2018. Induction of Anthocyanin Production in Established Callus Cultures of Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) Using Yeast Extract. Asian Journal of Biotechnology and Bioresource Technology 4(3): 1-8.
(Article by: Prof. Delos Angeles)
