Seminar on medicinal plants – source of drug

The Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) has closely cooperated with Chungnam National University of the Republic of Korea in scientific research and training in the field of natural products chemistry. During this cooperation, scientists from the Institute of Marine Biochemistry, the Institute of Natural Products Chemistry, the Institute of Chemistry under VAST, and researchers from the University of Pharmacy and Chungnam National University of the Republic of Korea discovered many new products which have high biological activity in Vietnam’s system of diversified plants and animals to serve the demand of the pharmaceutical industry. So far, scientists from VAST and Chungnam University found over 200 new products. The results of more than 100 research projects have been published in prestigious international journals. To broaden access to these achievements and promote cooperation between the two sides, the Institute of Marine Biochemistry under VAST cooperated with the University of Pharmacy under Chungnam National University of the Republic of Korea to organize a seminar entitled “Medicinal plants – source of drug” from February 16th to 18th 2012. The three-day seminar drew the participation of 100 representatives, including 16 scientists from the Republic of Korea and 84 scientists from Vietnam (VAST, the Military Medical University and the Institute for Testing). Photo 1: Head of the Department for International Cooperation under VAST and the two co-chairmen made a speech to inaugurate the seminar. At the seminar, participants heard and discussed 12 scientific reports by scientists from Chungnam National University of the Republic of Korea and VAST about research results of extracting products, with some effect of preventing and treating diseases such as cancer, hepatitis, articulation degeneration and congenital malformation, from Vietnamese plants in the branches of Mallotus, Coptis, Goniothalamus, Ficus, Pseuderanthemum and Curcuma. The seminar was an opportunity for young Vietnamese and Korean scientists to discuss relevant fields and propose solutions to new and global problems. Photo 2: Taking a photo