Research

Scientific Research at Mahidol Univesity

I conducted research on the antifungal properties of Snake Jasmine at the Chanarat Lab (Laboratory of Molecular Medical Mycology) under the supervision and guidance of Associate Professor Sittinan Chanarat, the Chairman of the Biochemistry Department at the Faculty of Science, Mahidol University.

Solvent extraction of Snake Jasmine

Leaves and roots of Snake Jasmine were collected from the Rammasak Herb Farm in Ang Thong, underwent a thermal drying process and were ground into a fine powder. The powder was dissolved in a 75% ethanol and 25% glycerol solvent and left on a rotary shaker machine for 3 days.

Leaf extract, Root extract, Leaf + Root extract

The final herb extracts were obtained by filtering the solution to be used in the subsequent stages: HPLC analysis, testing on fungi and assessment of virulence factors.

HPLC analysis

High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis conducted under isocratic conditions indicated presence of the active compound rhinacanthin-C in the extracts.

Testing the inhibitory activity of Snake Jasmine extract on fungal growth

Performing a serial dilution to obtain varying extract concentrations for the spot assay

The spot assay was chosen to evaluate the antifungal activity of the Snake Jasmine extract on three fungal species: S. cerevisiae, C. neoformans, and C. auris. The fungal cultures were dot-spotted onto the YPD plates containing the diluted extracts.

The spot assay revealed a clear inhibitory effect of the extract on the growth of all three fungal species.

Increasing extract concentrations resulted in a more pronounced inhibition of fungal growth, particularly in S. Cerevisae and C. neoformans, validating Snake Jasmine’s potential as an antifungal agent.

Development of the Snake Jasmine Cream