1. ACEPRD FIVE YEAR WORK PLAN, (2020-2025)
Prof. J.C. Aguyi, Director ACEPRD, Jos
Prof. Taiwo E. Alemika, Deputy Director

2. Research workflow for the next five years
Plant selection
Extraction
Biomarker Isolation
Analytical Methods
Bioassays
Metabolomics
Toxicity Studies
Biopharmaceautics

3. Research workflow for the next five years
Bioactive Plant Research
Several indigenous species have been prioritised for the next five years
Species have been selected based on their traditional uses and commercialisation
Natural populations and cultivated materials will be sampled
The endemic nature of the selected species provides a competitive geographical advantage for this research to be undertaken

4. Research workflow for the next five years
Extraction
This step dictates the outcomes of the profiling and bioactivity
This will optimise in terms of efficiency, yield, bioactivity and chemical composition by using automated speed extractors
These extracts will be subjected to chemical fingerprinting techniques, bioactivity testing and chemometric modelling

5. Research workflow for the next five years
Biomarker Isolation:
Chemical standards are not commercially available for many selected plants
Phytoconstituents needs to be isolated using in-house preparative methods such as
Column chromatography
High speed countercurrent chromatography
GC-MS
Capillary Electrophoresis
Standardisation of these phytochemicals shall be made commercially available
Chemical identities and structure will be confirmed using started spectroscopic methods through existing collaboration

6. Research workflow for the next five years
Analytical Lab services
Quality of phytomedicine hinges on three crucial aspects: quality, safety and efficacy
Development quality control standards for several botanical raw materials and phytomedicine forms a fundamental component of proposed research
Latest technology shall be used
Semi-automated high performance thin layer chromatography(HPTLC)
Vibrational spectroscopy
GC-MS
Ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS)

7. Research workflow for the next five years
Toxicity studies
One of the biggest misconceptions that ‘herbal is safe’
There is urgent need to document potential deleterious effects of herbal medicine a largely neglected priority in local herbal medicine research
Use of Drosophilia have been extensively used for toxicity studies

8. Research workflow for the next five years
Biopharmaceutics
After oral intake of phytomedicine products, it should reach the site of action to be effective
Research on biopharmaceutical aspects towards developing effective commercialization of these products are lacking
Use of pre-clinical and clinical studies are needed to establish this
In vitro methods will be used to investigate the pharmacokinetics and herb-drug interactions of compounds.

10. Human Capital Development
Its envisaged that 100 Postgraduate students its expected for graduation in the next five years
Post doctoral fellows

11. Research outputs Publications – 35 Commercial production
Scabi-plus Soap, Scabi-Plus cream, Scabi-plus Shampoo
Anti-snake vaccine Covip

12. Ongoing Research activities
Antimicrobial and biofilm resistance
Galleria Mellonella Model for drug research
Courses
Maintaining of former courses at MSc and Ph.D. level
Short courses: Protein purification, vaccinology, mushroom cultivation, business plan preparation
Internship- Gauze, POCO, NIPRD,NAFDAC,Hospitals

13. BUDGET Activity Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Total Equipment
200,000
1,000,000
Fellowship-postdoctoral
50,000
250,000
Overhead
30,000
150,000
Consumables
105,000
525,000
Support and research assistants
Scholarships
500,0000
2,500,000
Seed grants
65,000
325,000
TOTAL
5,000,000

14. Sources of funds University Research grants
Laboratory services – water, Drosophila, bioassays, consultancy
Phyto products – Scabi plus, mushroom farm

15. Conclusion
ACEPRD has brought international opportunities to the University of Jos
The outcome include generating new knowledge, bringing indigenous knowledge to the fore of national health delivery
Its been of benefit to the society as a whole

16. THANK YOU