Scholarship /
STUDY PLAN KGSP - ANTI AGING RESEARCH PROJECT [7]
Hi everyone.. I have finished my study plan, even though there are grammar mistakes everywhere. hahahaha
Please take a look
Statement of Purpose
Goal of study, title or subject of research, and detailed study planMaster's Degree within 3 years
My academic goal is to earn a master's degree in Pharmacy major. Primarily, I have a high interest in industrial pharmacy and pharmacognosy, but I also want to improve my clinical pharmacist. As I study this major, I may have the opportunity to specialize in a particular type of role, such as natural product research, new medicine development, and pharmaceutical formulation. This pharmacy major is related with my study background and my work experience, also could take me to my future goals.
I have interest in developing natural product because as I mentioned before, the world, especially talking about my own country, has a variety of plants and other natural resources that can be used as medicine or cosmeceutical. Many people also begin to switch for using natural medicines because of their side effects is more minimal than using synthetic drugs, as well as natural medicine has many benefits that are not confined to only cure one specific problem. I believe that this master's program can prepare me to have a specialty in the field of natural product research, especially about extraction and isolation of active compound in natural extracts, knowing activities of plant extract, analysis of natural's active compound, drug design, and pharmaceutical formulation. My undergraduate study on Pharmacy has provided me with a strong knowledge about the natural product drug research which can contribute in developing myself to reach my future goal in this master's program. I have completed learning on pharmacognosy, natural product technology, and botanical research, in which I got the highest score on those courses. In addition, I did research about natural product as my requirement to get the bachelor's degree. My research is about activities of lycopene in tomato water extract as natural antioxidant and anti UV-A and UV-B light on sunscreen product. With that linked experiences, I believe that the development of natural product as drug or cosmeceutical is essential, especially needed for improving the human health. For these reasons, I am committed to perform well during my graduate study.
Recently, natural product has been researched thoroughly for new drug development, primarily for its anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertension, and dyslipidemia activity. For taking this master's degree, I will focus on natural product research. The research will be about activity of natural product, especially I would like to use a bright-colored flower, such as
Clitoria ternatea, as the research object. Nowadays, interest in flower shows an increasing tendency due to their activity as antioxidants. I put my interest on bright-colored flower, such as, because beside the flower's active component, the pigment color on the flower would be benefit for making the appearance of the finished pharmaceutical product look more attractive.
Clitoria ternatea flower has been traditionally used in Asia for the treatment of various problems from the common disease like fever to the deadly ones such as diabetes, asthma, bronchitis, and antidote for snake bite or scorpion sting. Furthermore, it has a strong antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory properties. And some people believes that the antioxidants activity in
Clitoria ternateacould stimulate collagen and elastin synthesis helping to rejuvenate the skin, reduce wrinkles and other effects of aging skin. Therefore, there is need of study to investigate the potential anti-aging activity for
Clitoria ternatea.
Many people concern about skin aging, it is a complex evitable process of human life. Two important mechanism of skin aging are the breakdown of collagen and elastin. Therefore, the inhibition of elastase, which responsible in elastin breakdown, and MMP-1 (Matrix Metalloproteinase-1) enzymes, which responsible in collagen breakdown, could be potential to be cosmetic ingredients in combating skin aging and its anti-inflammatory effect due to their usefulness in preventing the loss of skin elasticity and sagging. However, to date, the inhibitory effect of
Clitoria ternatea on elastase and MMP-1 activity has not been demonstrated. The in-vivo test of anti-aging potential of the
Clitoria ternateaflower also hasn't been done before. If
Clitoria ternatea is proven to be an elastase and MMP-1 inhibitor, and the in-vivo test shows a good results, the extracts can be a potential ingredients for anti-aging. Therefore, the objective of this research is to assess the anti-aging potential of Clitoria ternatea flower using in-vitroŹ and in-vivo test. So I would like to give this research's title as 'In-vitro Elastin and Collagen Breakdown Inhibition and In-vivo Anti-aging Effects of Spray-dried Aqueous Extract of
Clitoria ternatea Flower'.
In this research, the dried
Clitoria ternateaflower would be extracted with water then the aqueous extract would be dried using a spray dryer. I prefer using this spray-dried method to keep the extract to its original color and that would give a nice color on the finished product. Furthermore, the spray dried extract is more durable than the condensed extract which easily contaminated by the microbes and have a brown-sticky texture that is not good for the finished product quality. The extract that has been obtained then will be tested for its activity on elastase and MMP-1. The elastase inhibition will be performed by using UV-Visible Spectrophotometer. The absorbance of the sample will be measured at 410 nm for detecting the release of of p-nitro aniline due to proteolysis of N-succinyl-(Ala) 3 -p-nitroanilide by human leukocyte elastase in the presence or absence of inhibitor. While the MMP-1 inhibition will be determined by using 96 well fluorescence microplate which is measured by hydrolyzing a collagen substrate to yield a fluorescent product. The fluorescence product will be measured at excitation maxima at 495 nm and emission maxima at 515 nm. For the in-vivo test, the extract will be formulated into a vanishing cream. Then by using around 20 volunteers whose ages were in between 30 and 40 years, the vanishing cream contain extract and the blank cream will be applied at volunteers below eye or cheek area. The aging parameters such as skin moisture, amount of wrinkle and its depth will be measured using skin analyzer.
I contend that this research will be valuable in the future considering that the issue of skin aging still hot in every country and people tend to use a product based on natural active ingredient. The findings of the research will highlight the
Clitoria ternatea flower as a skin-aging prevention. Furthermore,
Clitoria ternatea could be developed as wound healing agent as their mechanisms are same which work on elastase and MMP-1 inhibition. This scientific research could indicated that the
Clitoria ternatea can be potential candidates for anti-aging cosmetics as well as in other healthcare products where skin evaluation, irritation and eye shall be conducted in future for cosmeceutical application and to be included in cosmetics products.
In order to get the Master's Degree, I plan to finish it within 3 years. I would focus on learning Korean Language for the first year. While studying language, I would also prepare my research by communicate with the professor who major in my research's topic. I would discuss with the professor about the aim and the method of the research so that I could start to prepare making the proposal. And maybe I could join the professor's research project that related to my interest and make a publication papers. I would like to do it on the second semester. I would also collect and review journal that related to my research. After finishing the first year learning Korean language, for the next two years, I want to focus on strengthen my fundamental knowledge so that help me on the research. Besides learn the theory on class, I would like to finish my proposal and show it to my professor so I could start doing the real research at the laboratory. I also want to join some seminar related to my research area so that can add my knowledge. For the last semester, I would work hard to finish my thesis and getting my master's degree.