Programs
Core Program (2017-2027)
RATIONALE:
Natural products (NPs) are essential to human existence because they have provided food, shelter and health care (in the form of pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements and nutraceuticals) to man. Moreover, natural products are also being utilized as cosmeceuticals, biopesticides, solar cells, biofuels and functional materials. Indeed, natural products could not only provide life but they also make lives worthwhile.
Natural products and their derivatives have been the most common traditional source of drugs. At present, there are high global demands for new drugs against a variety of existing diseases and the threat of new diseases.
The rising incidence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, cancer and other debilitating illnesses coupled with the high cost of healthcare are driving consumer adoption of preventive healthcare therapeutics such as herbal supplements and remedies. Aging population, failing household incomes and reduced insurance coverage are exerting pressure on the need to curtail medical expenses. These have benefited sales of affordable herbal supplements. The global herbal supplements market is forecasted to witness growth in the coming years with increasing demand for natural and herbal products. For 2017 alone, Gobal Industry Analysts has forecasted the global herbal supplement and remedy industry to exceed $105 billion.
The global nutraceuticals market is predicted to register rapid growth in the years to come due to consumers' increasingly inclination towards healthy and nutritional food. The current consumer trend is to be preventive rather than react to the health issues, which involve huge healthcare costs in developed countries. There is a shift in the consumer preference from synthetic ingredients to natural and organic ingredients. The consumer’s view of nutritional products as the key to managing health has been driving the global nutraceutical industry. According to Mordor Intelligence, a market analyst group, the global nutraceutical market was valued at around USD 205.39 billion in 2016 and is expected to reach around USD 294.79 billion by 2022.
Research innovations with the help of advances in technologies like nanotechnology, plant stem cell technology, and the emergence of new active ingredients are significantly aiding in the growth of the global cosmeceuticals market. With the health and wellness trend gaining traction across the globe, cosmeceutical products that are integrated with medicinal and therapeutic solutions are in demand. The primary ingredients used in the manufacture of cosmeceuticals are botanicals, antioxidants, proteins, peptides, among others with antioxidants clocking maximum revenue. With people worldwide becoming increasingly consciousness about their looks, the global cosmeceuticals market is primed for robust growth in the upcoming years. The rising number of middle aged people, a burgeoning urban population, and a fast-paced life are predicted to further drive demand in the market. A key trend noticed in the global Cosmeceuticals market is the emergence and popularity of natural and organic products.
With the increase in demand for organic food, food security for the growing population, control of pests which have gained resistance to chemical pesticides, along with the limited agricultural land available in the world, and rise in crop loss due to pests and diseases, the use of biopesticides has seen market growth. The global biopesticides market was estimated to be valued at USD 3.36 Billion in 2016 and projected to reach USD 8.82 Billion by 2022.
On the other hand, with the increasing global energy demands to supply the energy requirements for continuous industrialization and inclusive economic growth, alternative source of energy is indispensible. Biofuels have emerged as one the possible alternative source of energy to fossil fuels that might help the population’s energy needs in an environmentally sustainable way. Biofuels are considered to provide a single solution to three of the most important challenges of modern life, which include: worries over energy security; an interest in economic development, both in the developed world and developing countries, including the creation or sustaining of jobs in agriculture; and the need to mitigate climate change and achieve lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These challenges and the attempts of policy makers and other stakeholders to address them have contributed to a rapid adoption of biofuels technology. The global biofuels market was valued at $168.18 billion in 2016 and is projected to reach $246.52 billion by 2024.Another remarkable application of natural products is the utilization of natural dyes extracted from plants for converting solar energy into electricity. Utilization of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) can be a good route towards the development of renewable and clean energy.
Development of functional materials utilizing raw ingredients from natural products can provide comfortable life to modern society based on the progress of science and technologies. The development of new functional materials with novel functions has always depended on the progress of science and technologies. Such materials include metals, semiconductors, insulators, ultrafine particles and novel materials.
The Philippines, particularly Mindanao, is a biodiversity hotspot and is largely unexplored in terms of its terrestrial and marine resources which can be rich sources of natural products for various applications. Moreover, the Philippine herbal industry is still in its early developmental stage and its potential has not been fully exploited.
Government support/funding for natural products research (especially for drug discovery and development) are robust. Natural products research figures prominently in the Research and Development Agenda of the government for 2017-2022 in the areas of Health, the National Integrated Basic Research Agenda (NIBRA), Agriculture and Industry Sectors. Under the NIBRA of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP), natural products research is involved in Food and Nutrition Security, Health Sufficiency and Clean Energy. Meanwhile, two of the priority R & D areas under the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) are Drug Discovery and Development as well as Nutrition and Food Safety. Food and Nutrition Security is also a banner program of the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD).
In consideration of the above-mentioned reasons, and in line with PRISM’s vision and mandate, coupled with its goal of having a unifying theme for all the research groups where the groups can converge and devote 50% of their research efforts, the PRISM Council has chosen as its core program the Discovery, Development and Delivery (D3) of Natural Products categorized as pharmaceuticals, herbal or dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, biopesticides, functional materials, solar cells and biofuels. The Pharmaceuticals, utilized as either therapeuticals or medicines, are drugs containing active pure isolated compounds from natural sources for treatment of various diseases. Herbal or Dietary Supplements are whole plant/ plant part extracts for maintenance of health. Nutraceuticalsare food containing supplement(s) from natural sources that deliver specific health benefit including prevention or treatment of diseases. Cosmeceuticals are cosmetic products (skincare, haircare, make-up, perfumes, toiletries, oral cosmetics) containing biologically active ingredients. Biopesticides (bioinsecticides, biofungicides, bioherbicides, and bionematicides are certain types of pesticides derived from such natural materials as animals, plants and bacteria, and certain minerals. Biofuels are fuels produced directly or indirectly from organic material (biomass) – including plant materials and animal wastes. Natural Dyes extracted from plants for dye-sensitized solar cells. Functional materials cover different material classes ranging from semiconductors over polymers and molecular crystals to nanoparticles possessing special electrical, optical and magnetic properties.
