1.

Which locally available or endemic flora or fauna would you be interested to

study? What specific activity or natural product would you like to explore? (5
pts)
- I would like to study the potential of Mimosa pudica, locally known as
Makahiya, as a biopreservative for food. Makahiya is a locally available
common weed in the Philippines, particularly in my area. It is commonly
found on open, moist, waste places, open grasslands and open thickets,
at low and medium altitudes in settled areas, such as empty lots, or
sometimes even street cracks. Makahiya plant extract has strong
antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus
subtilis and contains phytochemicals like alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins,
and triterpenes, so it poses a great potential to be used as a
biopreservative. Biopreservation extends the shelf life of food products
by using natural ingredients. In order to prevent the growth of spoilage
microorganisms in foods, the antimicrobials can be applied directly into
the food formulation, coated on its surface, or incorporated into
packaging materials. Many studies have been conducted regarding the
antimicrobial property of Makahiya and the use of antimicrobial
metabolites in making biopreservatives. However, there have been
minimal studies focusing on the potential of Makahiya as a
biopreservative for food with its strong antimicrobial activity against a
wide range of food-borne pathogens; thus, I want to explore more on
that topic.

2. In which step of the drug discovery process do you think you can play best
with your strengths? Which step do you think will be your weakness? What
skills do you need to develop to overcome this? (5 pts)
- Among the various steps in the drug discovery process, I believe I am
best suited to conduct basic research on disease and its causes. I
believe that the research experience, knowledge, and skills that I have
gained during my years in Pisay, particularly at the grade levels where
there were research subjects, are critical in carrying out this initial step
in the drug discovery process. As for my weakness in drug discovery, I
believe it is the performance of biological and toxicological tests, as I am
aware that my knowledge and experience with actual laboratory tests
are still lacking. To overcome this, I need to devote more time to
observing and learning specific laboratory activities so that I can
practice more and eventually improve my skills and knowledge.