Mr. Tran Duy Chien, a freshman of the Faculty of Pharmacy, achieved an outstanding accomplishment by winning the First Prize in the Chemistry category at the National Science and Engineering Fair 2019 with his project entitled:

“Investigation of the Chemical Composition and Evaluation of the Antioxidant and α-Amylase Inhibitory Activities of Ethyl Acetate Fractions from Sterculia foetida Leaves.”

In recognition of this remarkable achievement, Tran Duy Chien was granted direct admission to Ton Duc Thang University in the 2019 enrollment season and received a 100% tuition scholarship for the 2019–2020 academic year.

The research project originated from practical observations in Vinh Hao Commune, Tuy Phong District, where Sterculia foetida L. (Malvaceae) is widely cultivated for the production of gum tragacanth-like exudates used in local specialty beverages. While the gum has been extensively utilized, the chemical composition and biological activities of S. foetida leaves had not yet been investigated or reported in Vietnam.

Motivated by this research gap, students Tran Duy Chien and Nguyen Thi Thanh Dung conducted a study on S. foetida leaves under the supervision of Mr. Pham Dinh Thuong, Vice Head of the Chemistry Department at Duc Linh High School.

According to Chien, the research team devoted significant time and effort to the project. Beginning in October 2017, fresh leaves were collected locally and botanically identified by Dr. Dang Van Son from the Institute of Tropical Biology, Ho Chi Minh City. The leaves were extracted and fractionated using normal-phase silica gel column chromatography, yielding five ethyl acetate fractions.

From Fraction 4, which exhibited the strongest α-amylase inhibitory activity, two compounds designated SFE07 and SFE08 were isolated and structurally characterized using NMR and HR-MS spectroscopy. The results identified SFE07 as fraxetin and SFE08 as aesculin. Notably, this was the first report of these two compounds being isolated from Sterculia foetida.

The project's findings earned the team the First Prize at the National Science and Engineering Fair for Secondary School Students (2018–2019) and qualified them for the national selection round for participation in the International Science and Engineering Fair.

Mr. Pham Dinh Thuong commented:

"The project not only contributes to understanding the chemical composition of Sterculia foetida leaves and evaluating their potential antioxidant and antidiabetic properties, but also provides high school students with valuable training in scientific research techniques, including maceration, liquid-liquid extraction, column chromatography, and the use of advanced spectroscopic methods such as HR-MS and NMR for structural elucidation. More importantly, it helps foster students’ passion for chemistry and scientific research."

In recognition of these achievements, the People's Committee of Binh Thuan Province awarded Certificates of Merit to Tran Duy Chien, Nguyen Thi Thanh Dung, and Mr. Pham Dinh Thuong for their outstanding performance at the National Science and Engineering Fair for Secondary School Students 2018–2019.

Source: Binh Thuan Online Newspaper