Project's information

Project's title Researching into the natural compounds with regards to produce a virrus-preventive product
Project’s code VAST 04.05/18-19
Research hosting institution Institute of Natural Products Chemistry
Project leader’s name Assoc.Prof. Pham Thi Hong Minh
Project duration 01/01/2022 - 31/12/2023
Project’s budget 2000 million VND
Classify Grade B
Goal and objectives of the project

The main objective of this project aims to screen for the natural compounds with regards to produce a virus-preventive product.
i) Pilot-scale producing of a natural product capable of preventing Corona virus;
ii) In vivo assessment of the acute and semi-chronic toxicity of the product.
Main results
- Screened and evaluated the activity of purified compounds on enzyme targets (ACE-2 and Mpro) that play an important role in the infection and development of viruses, i.e., SARS-CoV-2 in combining virtual screening using molecular interaction simulation techniques and in vitro experiments. Thereby identifying potential active ingredients as a scientific basis for laboratory-scale extraction research and pilot-scale production of virus-preventive product.
- As the result, two active compounds ent-1α-acetoxy-7,14α-dihydroxykaur-16-en-15-one and β-amyrin hexanoate had been extracted and used for production of Kaurane_AV containing plant extracts of Cronton tonkinensis and Camellia chrysantha that contain the above active ingredients (with addition of curcumin, Andrographis paniculata extract, and berberine) that could be used to support virus prevention.
Novelty and actuality and scientific meaningfulness of the results

The activity of some natural compounds on targeted enzyme (ACE-2 and Mpro) related to infection and development of viruses, e.g., SARS-CoV-2. Natural product containing plant extracts and active ingredients that could be used in virus prevention.
Products of the project

- Scientific papers in referred journals (list): 
1) “Characterizing the ligand-binding affinity toward SARS-CoV-2 Mpro via physics- and knowledgebased approaches”. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2022, 24, 29266 (Q1); 
2) “Machine learning combines atomistic simulations to predict SARS‑CoV‑2 Mpro inhibitors from natural compounds”. Molecular Diversity, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11030-023-10601-1 (Q2)
3) “Lignans and some other non-alkaloid compounds from the stem bark of Zanthoxylum rhetsa and their biological activities”. Journal of Chemical Research, DOI: 10.1177/17475198231185704 (Q3).
4) A new benzophenanthridine alkaloid from stem bark of Zanthoxylum rhetsa and its biological activities. Natural Product Research (Accepted 12/2023) (Q2).
5) “Triterpenoids from the leaves of Camellia chrysantha growing in Quang Ninh (Vietnam) and their activities on main protease (Mpro) and ACE2” Vietnam J. Chem., 2023, 61(S3), 140-147 (Scopus).
- Patents (list): 01 patent, application accepted No. 66317/QD-SHTT, 05/09/2023 by the National Office of Intellectual Property.
- Technological products (describe in details: technical characteristics, place): 
+ Virus-preventive product (with Main protease/MPro inhibitory effect, ingredients meeting Facility Standards), stored at the INPC
+ 02 Active ingredients that have the effect of preventing Coronavirus (pure substances, 170 mg and 50 mg respectively, accompanied by their NMR/MS spectra and structure evidence of virus inhibitory activity), stored at the INPC.
 + Report of in vitro activity assessment of tested samples with molecular targets. 
+ Report of acute toxicity and semi-chronic toxicity of the product. + Extraction process to create pilot-scale products.
Research region
Could be used in prevention of Corona virus.
Images of project
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