1. Functions
- Advise the Institute's leaders on the development orientation and the work plan in the field of Biotechnology
- Carry out scientific research in the assigned professional field.
2. Tasks
Development of health-care products from Vietnamese herbs:
- Discover bioactive natural constituents and develop health- care products from Vietnamese herbs including:
+ Medicinal materials
+ Products: drugs; functional foods, dietary supplements and beverages; cosmetics; veterinary foods and medicine.
- Modernize traditional Vietnamese remedies (traditional formulation) for enhancement of drug quality and efficiency
- Improve and develop technical solutions in manufacturing herbal products, including extraction, purification, manufacturing process, and quality standard.
3. Research departments of the Department of Biotechnology
4. R&D Direction
4.1. VKIST R&D Focus
- Upgrade the extraction process with high output of active compounds
- Upgrade the efficiency and quality standard of final products
+ Higher content of active compound
+ Higher effects; less toxic
+ Lower cost
- Develop traditional remedies into modern form:
- More convenient for use; storage; distribution
- Better effects
- Higher quality standard
4.2. VKIST way of R&D on Herbal Products
- Stay on market-needs
- Focus on downstream
- Focus on engineering development
- Open-innovation
- Global networking and cooperation
5. R&D Orientation
Division of Biotechnology has been implementing up to now, including 01 protocol project, 06 ministerial-level projects, 01 grassroots-level project, and 01 KIST sub-project.
1. The grassroots-level project
- The Biotechnology Division is surveying and search for medicinal plants in Vietnam that are potential to develop health-care products.
2. KIST sub-project
- The research team of Biotechnology Division analyzed carotenoids in different ripening stages of Vietnamese Gac fruit and developing extraction, preservation and storage methods for the medicinal product.
3. Ministerial-level projects
- Identification of anti-inflammatory active constituents in Vietnamese hythiem (Seigesbeckia orientalis L.) for improvement of manufacturing extraction process and quality standards of products containing hythiem;
- Development of a technical process with upgraded productivity for extraction and purification of curcuminoids from turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) and identification of the origin of natural curcuminoids;
- Development of a product for the prevention of diarrhea syndrome in pig from the animal feed Premixhad;
- Development of technical extraction process for standardized extract with high saponin content from pennywort (Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. – Apiaceae) and skin-care products.
- Identification of active constituents and development of technical extraction process for high active principles extract from Day thia canh [Gymnema sylvestre (Retz.) R. Br. ex Schult.] and improve the Diabetna product quality and efficiency.
- Evaluation of inhibitory effects on the bacteria Helicobacter pylori of the herbs from the Vietnamese traditional remedy, including kho sam cho la, khoi tia, and bo cong anh and development of a hard capsule product for anti-peptic ulcer diseases.
4. Protocol Project
- Screening Vietnamese Polyscias species for their biological activities and identifying their active constituents.
