Executive Director

Background

Following my doctoral studies at University of Oxford, U.K. on structural evaluations of the phase II drug metabolizing enzyme, arylamine N-acetytransferase with Professor Edith Sim, and post-doctoral research at University of Leicester with Professor Gordon Roberts on NMR examinations of ligands binding to phase I cytochromes P450 (CYP) enzymes, I commenced research at the Natural Products Institute at UWI Mona, in 2002.  

Continuing on my interest in drug metabolizing enzymes, my research group in Jamaica, has been evaluating potential for and avoiding drug-herb interactions. Starting with community assessments on prevalence of self-medicating habits with herbs and concomitant administrations of prescription medicines, we assess commonly used medicinal teas and decoctions using in-vitro CYP assays.  The most potent of these are now poised for clinical evaluations. 

Bio-prospecting Jamaican natural products for cancer and chemoprevention is another active project in my lab.  In collaboration with several colleagues from the Department of Chemistry at UWI, we screen endemic plants, marine organisms, and fungal metabolites (extracts and single ingredients) for their selective ability to impact viability of cancerous and normal cells.  Evaluations of selective and potent inhibition of human CYP1 enzymes, allow us to understand how isolated natural products may be able to interfere in the process of carcinogenesis. 

We continue to expand our capacity for bioprospecting, and as such have recently embarked on the search natural products that may be useful in overcoming resistance by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to commonly used insecticides, particularly by inhibiting mosquito metabolizing enzymes.  

Work from my group has been recognized by several prizes and honours: Principal’s Research Award for Most Outstanding Research Publication in the Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI (2016 and 2014), International Society for the Study of Xenobiotics (best poster, 2015), Principal’s Research Award for Most Outstanding Researcher in the Faculty of Science and Technology, UWI (2015); International Society for the development of natural products (best poster, 2014, 2012, 2006 and 2002) and Caribbean health research council (best presentation, 2011).  

My work has been funded through the years by the National Health Fund (Jamaica), Seeding Labs (USA), Forestry Conservative Fund (Jamaica), International Foundation for Science (Sweden), Caribbean Public Health Agency via National Cancer Institute (USA), Super Plus food stores (Jamaica) and the University of the West Indies Mona.   

Select Journal Publications

1. Morrison I, Zhang J, Lin Z, Murray J, Porter R, Langat M, Sandgrove N, Barker J, Zhang G and Delgoda R, “Potential chemopreventive, anticancer and anti‐inflammatory properties of a refined artocarpin‐rich wood extract of Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. “, Scientific Reports, 2021,11, 6864,
2. Wauchope S, Roy M, Irvine W, Morrison I, Brantley E, Gossell-Williams M, Timme-Laragy A and Delgoda R, “Dibenzyl trisul de binds to and competitively inhibits the cytochrome P450 1A1 active site without impacting the expression of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor”, Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 2021, 419, 115502,
3. Foster F, Oyenihi O, Rademan S, Erhabor J, Matsabisa M, Barker J, Langat M, Kendal-Smith A, Asemota H, Delgoda R, “Selective cytotoxic and anti-metastatic activity in DU-145 prostate cancer cells induced by Annona muricata L bark extract and phytochemical, annonacin” BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 2020, 10, 22
4. Wooten J, Mavingire N, Araújo CA, Aja J, Wauchope S, Delgoda R, Brantley E., “Dibenzyl trisulfide induces caspase-independent death and lysosomal membrane permeabilization of triple-negative breast cancer cells”, Fitoterapia. 2022 Apr 27:105203. doi: 10.1016/j.fitote.2022.105203. Online ahead of print.PMID: 354895824)
5. Nwokocha CR, Gordon A, Palacios J, Paredes A, Cifuentes F, Francis S, Watson J, Delgoda R, Nwokocha M, Alexander-Lindo R, Thompson R, Minott-Kates D, Yakubu MA., “Hypotensive and antihypertensive effects of an aqueous extract from Guinep fruit (Melicoccus bijugatus Jacq) in rats”, Sci Rep, 2020 Oct 29;10(1):18623. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-75607-3.
6. Vandebroek, I , Pieroni, A, Stepp, A, Hanazaki, N, Ladio, A, Romeu Alves, R, Picking, D, Delgoda, R, Maroyi, A, van Andel, T, Quave, C, Paniagua-Zambrana, N, Bussmann, R, Odonne, G, Abbasi, A, Albuquerque, U, Baker, J, Kutz, S, Timsina, S, Shigeta, M, Oliveira, T, Hurrell, J, Arenas, P, Puentes, J, Hugé, J, Yeşil, Y, Jean Pierre, L, Olango, T , Dahdough-Guebas, F,. “Reshaping the future of ethnobiology research after the Covid-19 pandemic”, Nature Plants, Nat Plants. 2020 Jul;6(7):723-730.
7. Picking D, Delgoda R and Vandebroek I, “Traditional knowledge systems and the role of traditional medicine in Jamaica”, CAB Reviews, 2019, 14, 045
8. McNeil, M. J., Porter, R. B., Rainford, L., Dunbar, O., Francis, S., Laurieri, N., & Delgoda, R. “Chemical composition and biological activities of the essential oil from Cleome rutidosperma DC.” Fitoterapia, 2018 129, 191-197 .
9. Picking D, Shah I, Barker J, Iltaf S, Porter R, Naughton D, Delgoda R, Inhibition of cytochrome P450 activities by extracts of Hyptis verticillata Jacq.: assessment for potential herb-drug interactions, Molecules, 2018 Feb 15;23(2). pii: E430. doi: 10.3390/molecules23020430. 
10. Campbell TF, McKenzie J, Murray J, Delgoda R, Bowen-Forbes C, Rubus rosifolius varieties as antioxidant and potential chemopreventive agents. Journal of Functional Foods. 2017, Volume 37, Pages 49-57; doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2017.07.040.
11. Foster K, Younger N, Aiken W, Brady-West D, Delgoda R, Reliance on medicinal plant therapy among cancer patients in Jamaica. Cancer Causes Control. 2017 Jul 15. doi: 10.1007/s10552-017-0924-9.