MP491/6-Undergraduate Research Project Proposal 1. Title ... - UCSI

insoluble in water, with a melting point higher than 192ºC and optical absorption
maximum of 452 nm.
In the proposed project, few experiments may be conducted to estimate the
antioxidant activity of lawsone and comparison studies may also be studied with natural
antioxidant vitamins like Vitamin C and E. The developed electrochemical methods may
be further extended to determine the antioxidant activity and purity of lawsone in henna
leaves and on selected henna herbal products. To make use of current electrochemical
analytical techniques like potentiometry, the antioxidant activity may be determined
precisely with reference compounds.
11. Title: Design and synthesis of stilbene derivative(s) with potential anti-cancer activity
Supervisor(s)
Main: Dr. Thet Thet Htar
Co- : Dr. Gabriel Akowuah
Prof. Dr. Jean-Frèdèric Faizal Weber Abdullah (UiTM)
Objective(s)
1. To design and synthesize stilbene derivative(s) with potential anti-cancer activity
Abstract
It has been great interest in the study of stilbene derivatives for their biological
activities such as antileukemic, anti-cancer activity i . Stilbene itself is not a natural
product although naturally occurring stilbenoid compounds such as
polyhydroxystilbenes and their glucosides have been is present in grape vine, Southeast
Asian Timber trees. For instance, naturally hydroxylated stilbene, resveratrol
(figure 1) is well known for heart protecting activity, platelet antiaggregating
capability, herpes simplex viruses inhibition, cancer chemopreventive activity and
anti-oxidative activity ii .
HO
OH
OH
Figure 1. Resveratrol
Resveratrol is indeed the biosynthetic precursor of most oligostibenoids (e.g
viniferins) and is classified as phytoalexins. Consequence, resveratrol and its
analogues present minute amounts in plants as it occurs during the stress situation
of the pant. Therefore, other alternative sources of supply on stilbene derivatives
through retrosynthesis have been interested. Furthermore, resveratrol has been
shown to induce apoptosis in different cancer cell lines.
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