A study directed at using the extract of Wild Sage against the human immunodeficiency virus has gotten a grant of P5 million, an official of a science resource center in University of Immaculate Concepcion (UIC) said.
Ludivina M. Porticos, director of science resource center in UIC and also part of the Regional Health Research and Development Consortium (RHRDC) XI, said yesterday in Wednesdays @ Habi at Kape in Abreeza Mall that the proposal will be reviewed by the consortium.
The consortium’s technical panel, Porticos said, recommended that the research should be allocated with P5 million as it would need high performance liquid chromatograph, which would extract data from the component of a leaf extract.
“Initially, the study needed P500,000. It was the technical panel that recommended to use advanced equipment,” Porticos said. Once it would be considered, the study would also be proposed to the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development that would provide the grant.
The study was proposed by Nelyn Mae Cadotdot, analyst of science resource center of UIC, who was also among the mentees of the first mentorship program of Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and RHRDC XI.
Porticos said there was already a previous study that showed that the plant, sage, has an anti-HIV activity. “The proposed study (of Ms. Cadotdot) will determine how the wild sage would have an anti-HIV effect,” she said.
The DOST and RHRDX XI, meanwhile, is inviting researchers, faculties and medical doctors from the consortium’s member-institutions to join in the second mentorship program, which would start by July.
“The program includes training the mentees in technical writing and research methodology,” Porticos said. The program targeted to have 10 mentees for the second mentorship program.
