13 January 2004	Tuesday	20 Ziqa'ad 1424

KARACHI, Jan 12: Over 35 lectures, including three plenary lectures, were delivered on the third day of the 9th International Symposium on Natural Product Chemistry on Monday.

Italian professor Daniele Passarella stressed upon the need of developing anti-cancer agents with fewer side effects and improved activities against various classes of tumours. He said treatment with some approved cancer drugs of natural origin also resulted in a number of undesired side effects.

While deliberating on "Nature as source and inspiration for the synthesis of new anti-cancer drugs", he shared information about his research on hybrid molecules with new binding affinity. We had synthesised and investigated in cyto-toxicity and tubulin binding assays the toxoid-colchicinoid conjugates, he added.

Dr M Iqbal Choudhary, the acting director of HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, said that programmes of systematic drug development from natural sources were now based on the knowledge-based selection of plants, use of bioassay-screening techniques and working in a truly interdisciplinary environment. He also discussed some recently-discovered new enzymes inhibitors and anti-oxidants.

He said that free radicals played important role in the pathogenisis of several disease, including cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and in the degenerative process associated with aging and neurodegenrative diseases.

He noted that some of the diseases, caused by free radicals, could be managed by enhancing anti-oxidant defence systems. The discovery of new enzymes inhibitors and antioxidant compounds from medicinal plants would surely help overcome the cancer agents, he hoped.

Dr Rokeya Begum of Birdem, Dhaka, stated that diabetes had proved a devastating disease, while the World Health Organization had also warned of a diabetes epidemic in Asia. She informed the participants about mechanism of action of Oral Hypoglycemic Fraction from plant extracts, which was being evolved at Birdem in collaboration with Chemistry department of Dhaka University.

She said that active anti-diabetic extracts from different common plants were subjected to modern techniques for drug research to elucidate the mechanism involving pancreatic perfusion.

Among others, Dr M Khalid Khan, Prof Pierre Vogel, Prof Tamito Hayashi, Prof Ichiya Ninomiya, Prof Philipe Taupin, Prof Hasnah M Sirat and Prof Barnard Boro presented their research works during different plenary sessions.

The Symposium, being jointly organized by the Pakistan Academy of Science, HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry and Dr Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, would conclude on Tuesday. In the meantime, a segment of the symposium was held at the Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology on Monday night.

The federal minister for Science and Technology, Dr Attaur Rahman, and Prof Daniel Traficante of University of Rhode Island, USA, delivered lectures on the occasion.

Dr Atta, who is also the director of HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, highlighted different measures taken for improving the affairs of education and science sectors during his office in the government.

He said that knowledge had now become the main driving force of world economies and hence the basis of socio-economic development. Counting the benefits of science and technology, he observed that Biotechnology, Information Technology, Material Sciences and Pharmaceuticals were now considered as magic of science. He said that government created a world class IT infrastructure within 24 months, which was a big achievement.

Prof Daniel delivered an absorbing lecture on a new technique, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, and its application in Chemistry research. He appreciated the quality of HEJ institute research work and Prof Attaur's contribution in the field of NMR Spectroscopy.

The Chancellor of SSUET, Z A Nizami, presented welcome address and hoped that deliberations made during the four-day natural chemistry symposium would go a long way in enhancing the quality of research in the region.

Delegates from different countries were also taken around various departments of the engineering universities. After dinner, a cultural programme was also held.