Dr. Naglaa Ashmawy, Assistant Professor in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Department at Gulf Medical University, recently represented the College of Pharmacy at the prestigious ISE-APSS2024 International Congress held from October 23-26 in Cape Town, South Africa. The congress, hosted by the University of Pretoria at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, united scientists from anthropology, pharmacy, pharmacology, ethnobotany, and phytochemistry to advance understanding of traditional and natural medicines. Dr. Naglaa also contributed as a scientific committee member of the congress, reflecting her expertise and commitment to this critical research field.
A joint meeting of the 23rd International Congress of the International Society for Ethnopharmacology and the 2nd International Congress of the African Phytomedicine Scientific Society, the event’s theme was “The Footprint of Ethnopharmacology in Drug Discovery.” It fostered collaborations among institutions globally, promoting new technologies and enhancing research on medicinal plants, particularly across Africa. The congress featured 95 oral presentations, 26 keynote speakers, and 5 plenary speakers from countries including South Africa, the USA, Italy, Austria, Germany, Brazil, Switzerland, Panama, and Taiwan.
Dr. Naglaa delivered an oral presentation titled “Isolation, Identification, and Quantification of Bioactive Compounds,” showcasing her research on medicinal plants. Her talk covered methodologies and advancements in extracting, purifying, and analyzing bioactive compounds, essential for drug discovery and functional food development. She highlighted isolation techniques, spectroscopic methods, mass spectrometry, and the use of chemometric analysis to interpret complex metabolomic datasets. Her research, encompassing plants from the UAE, Egypt, Sudan, and Morocco, illustrated the potential of bioactive compounds in drug development, personalized medicine, and biomaterial engineering.
Dr. Naglaa’s participation at the ISE-APSS2024 Congress exemplifies the College of Pharmacy’s commitment to research excellence, contributing to the broader goals of sustainable development and innovation in pharmaceutical sciences.