Natural Product Synthesis of Traditional Samoan Medicine

1. Total synthesis of biologically relevant natural products for its global mass production 

To preserve the history of traditional medicine we can isolate natural products to expand scientific knowledge. Such scientific advancements have the potential to discover novel medicine that can treat antiviral, anticancer, and antibacterial diseases. The continuous emergence of biological diseases have an impact globally. Total synthesis constructs novel chemical pathways to achieve complex molecules with biological activity. Scientific investment in natural product synthesis will enhance the compatibility of science and traditional Samoan medicine. 

2. Preservation of the lands resources 

Traditional Samoan medicine can be explored for its biological activity without consumption of the lands resources. Elders in Samoa rely on the islands natural resources to heal the ill and injured. For many generation the people were dependent on the medicinal properties found in various plants and trees. Preservation of the lands resources is vital as the future is unpredictable with climate change and economical factors prevailing uncertain outcomes. 

3. Investigate traditional medicine to seek scientific advancements for the development of Samoan education 

Samoa suffered a major measles outbreaks in 2019 that resulted in 5,707 confirmed cases leading to 83 deaths. This tragedy would have been prevented if Samoans were vaccinated. The mistrust and miscommunication between the scientific community and Samoan people was a significant factor. The education system in Samoa is always seeking to improve its knowledge and connect its culture within the curriculum. Young adolescents learn the medicinal benefits of its land through elders growing up, however the scientific background of these vital plants and trees remain beyond the bounds of the educational curriculum.  The knowledge I seek to obtain from natural product synthesis will unravel the mysteries of traditional Samoan medicine connecting the natives to the scientific world. 

Natural product total synthesis can overcome scarcity of natural resources, isolation of biologically active compounds, construction of complex molecules, and define unknown modes of action/biological activity.  

Traditional Samoan medicine can be explored for its biological activity without consumption of the lands resources. We can design a pathway through organic synthesis to construct natural products that are found in Samoan plants. The biological properties of these natural products can be enhanced by designing analogs to maximize potency. 

Simple molecular building blocks will be utilized to formulate natural products and extract the medicinal properties that generations of Samoan islanders have relied upon for years. We can analyze the complexity of the natural products to investigate its biological activity for the treatment of diseases. 

This solution will connect scientific knowledge to generations of traditional medicine the Samoan people have carried on within our traditional culture. Through organic synthesis these natural products can be formulated without impacting the lands resources and studied to impact medicine globally. 

Preservation of the lands resources is vital to small islands as the main attraction for its economical stability is tourism and agricultural export. Designing synthetic molecules within the laboratory will sustain the islands resources. We are protecting Samoan nature by efficiently and cost effectively synthesizing biologically relevant natural products. 

By designing organic synthetic pathways to reproduce these molecules found in the land bearings its possible to connect the traditional medicinal values of the land to scientific knowledge. Total synthesis of natural products can inspire young adolescents to pursue a scientific education. Expanding upon the biological activity of traditional medicine can enlighten Samoan youth of its underlying value, yielding applicable knowledge to generations of history.

Discovery of potent analogs can broaden the global scope of medicinal science. These potent analogs have the potential to eradicate local and global diseases. Natural product synthesis of undiscovered molecules grant us the opportunity to meet the worlds medicinal demand.  

As a young adolescent growing up in Samoa, I observed the healing properties of plants and trees as elders would heal the ill and injured. The scientific properties of these traditions were never fully explained. I seek to unravel the knowledge that our people have carried on for generations and build upon the scientific advancements. My team and I are well equipped to tackle this problem as our research laboratory specializes in the total synthesis of natural products. 

These natural products can be synthesized across the world in large scale, without diminishing the natural resources of Samoa and conserving the communities medicinal traditions. 

Samoa's economy relies on tourism and agricultural exports. With this solution we are preventing the uptake in the lands medicinal resources as their abundance over time is unpredictable. This solution targets less uptake of natural resources and utilizes the technology of organic synthesis to reproduce the medicinal natural products that the land provides. This can build upon the knowledge of traditional medicine through a scientific stand point. 

We are seeking financial support for chemical materials and equipment. The building blocks of organic chemistry are time consuming and require different chemical materials and tools to construct the natural products. 

Novelty, discovery, and complexity distinguish this solution from other pathways.

We can connect traditional Samoan medicine to scientific properties building upon the cultures knowledge. The natural products found in the land can be explored for its biological activity as well as other analogs that could impact medicine around the world. We expect this project to not only enhance the education of the Samoan islanders but also enlighten the world of its lands history. The medicinal properties of these synthesized natural products have the capability to impact the scientific community with analogs potentially more potent against viral and bacterial infections.  

The significant medicinal properties found within traditional Samoan medicine can be expanded upon and utilized world wide. These natural products within one year can be developed and synthesized efficiently. The next five years would be invested in synthesizing analogs to investigate their biological potency.

Each step of the project will be quantified through proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance (HNMR and CNMR) as well as other analytical methods such as infrared spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, mass spectroscopy and other complex analytical instrumentations and methods.  

Preservation of Samoan natural resources is expected as total synthesis utilizes organic synthesis to investigate biological potency of natural products. 

Organic synthesis is built upon the knowledge of reactions to produce building blocks towards the complex molecule. Within the laboratory we are exploring the molecules that traditional Samoan medicine has identified as biologically active and isolating them through total synthesis. To identify the structures conformation we utilize proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance (HNMR and CNMR), infrared spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, mass spectroscopy and other analytical scopes. Every pathway utilized to synthesize natural products proceed through unique and complex reactions.

With this solution we seek to build upon the knowledge of traditional Samoan medicine with a scientific insight; to include the people of Samoa in the advancements of medicinal chemistry. 

Natural product total synthesis of traditional Samoan medicine provides novel discoveries towards scarce medicinal resources, isolation of active molecules, and optimization of complex structures. 

Through chemistry innovation we are able to produce natural products without the uptake of the lands resources. We are preserving the land resources, connecting scientific knowledge to traditional medicine, and conserving the history of the land by isolating these natural products. 

Through grants we will be able to invest in the future of natural product total synthesis.