VietNamNet Bridge - Ba Thị Cham, MA, a female scientist, has created 20 health care products, seven of which have been transferred to enterprises. All of them are synthesized from herbs.

Cham has created 20 healthcare products from herbs

The researcher at the Chemistry Institute of the Vietnam Academy of Science & Technology, decided to study herbs because she believes that it is better for people to use natural compounds than compounds from chemical synthesis. 

In the process of evolution, the human body produced suitable enzymes which can digest the active ingredients that exist in nature.

The first product Cham introduced was a slimming pill made of extracts from kinds of leaves. The product helps reduce body fat and weight.

“After having a baby, I got fatter. I used the slimming pill that I prepared and I lost 10 kilograms,” she said. “The medicine is made of herbs, so it is very safe to use when nursing my baby.”

However, her first product was created in 2000, when she was a postgraduate. It was product to treat diseases of the large intestine, and the technology was transferred for VND20 million. 

At that time, Cham did not think of popularizing the product. Now she plans to nanonize the product to increase the absorption efficiency of the active element when it is inserted into the body.

Cham examines and extracts herbs herself and makes medicine from thoroughly examined herbs. She often buys fresh herbs from people instead of dried products. Improper harvesting and preliminary processing will reduce the quality of herbs.

“I study each kind of plant very carefully to find the most suitable way of extracting. Extracting each kind of plant separately allows the elimination of impurities and toxins,” she said.

The active ingredients collected after the extraction process will undergo fermentation to increase or renew active ingredients, and then they will be nanonized.

When extracting cot khi cu (Polygonum cuspidatum) plant, she fermented the essence and collected Resveratrol, a very precious active element which can be found only in imported grapes, not in grapes grown in Vietnam.

Resveratrol is a substance used by scientists to prevent cancer, prevent cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and blood pressure, and to whiten skin thanks to its powerful antioxidant.

When studying Isoflavone, Cham discovered that the element is plentiful in soybean sprouts. This is a kind of phytohormon favored all over the world, especially in Japan. 

Japan has a low percentage of people suffering from breast and womb cancer as many Japanese use products from soybeans and fermented soybeans. Cham believes her technology will help promote the strength of isoflavone.

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Thanh Lich