Dr Solomon Habtemariam
Job title
Principal Lecturer, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Department
Pharmaceutical, Chemical & Environmental Sciences
Qualifications
BSc, MSc, PhD, PGDip, MS, FRSM
Dr Solomon Habtemariam is a leading expert on drug discovery researches from natural sources. By using ethno-botanical information and bioassay-guided isolation studies, Dr Habtemariam's research has identified several classes of bioactive compounds. His in-house bioassay screens and expertise areas include:
- Targeting inflammatory cytokines and adhesion molecules by natural products.
- Search for anti-microbial agents: antileishmanial, antibacterial and antifungal agents.
- Identification of potential anti-cancer and immunomodulatory compounds.
- Search for anticachexic agents from natural sources.
- Modulation of reactive oxygen species in health and disease. Of particular interest are neurodegenerative diseases: principally Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
- Identification of antidiabetic agents from plant sources.
- Search of potential natural products that promote weight loss.
Hand-in-hand with the above-mentioned pharmacological assays, Dr Habtemariam uses chromatographic and spectroscopic analysis methods for standardising herbal products, i.e. he provides the scientific bases of traditional medicines through both chemical and pharmacological assays.
Publications
Habtemariam, S. (2010) Applying new science for old medicines: targeting leukocyte-endothelial adhesions by antiiflammatory herbal drugs. Natural Product Communications, 5, pp. 1329–36.
Habtemariam, S., and Dagne, E. (2009) Prooxidant action of knipholone anthrone: Copper dependent reactive oxygen species generation and DNA damage. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 47, pp. 1490–94.
Habtemariam, S. (2008) Activity-guided Isolation and Identification of antioxidant components from ethanolic extract of peltiphyllum peltatum (Torr.) Engl. Natural Product Communications, 3, pp. 1321–24.
Habtemariam, S. (2007) Antioxidant activity of Knipholone anthrone. Food Chemistry, 102, pp. 1042–47.
