BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Borneo Bulletin/Asia News Network): Researchers from the Institute for Biodiversity and Environmental Research (IBER) and the Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) Faculty of Science, and SingHealth Duke-NUS Institute of Biodiversity Medicine (BD-MED), in a world’s first, fully mapped the genome of the sultanate’s national flower bunga simpur (dillenia suffruticosa) and found potential therapeutic properties, encompassing anti-cancer capabilities.
The findings were shared during a press conference yesterday on the bunga simpur genome project chaired by UBD Vice-Chancellor Dr Hazri Kifle with the project’s researchers.
“The findings were presented to Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah who is also the Chancellor of Universiti Brunei Darussalam during the 35th Universiti Brunei Darussalam convocation ceremony on Monday,” Dr Hazri said.
UBD Principal Investigator for the project Dr Hajah Norhayati Ahmad from IBER said, “Simpur bini stands out in Brunei’s secondary forests for its large penni-veined leaves, bright yellow flowers, and pink star-shaped ‘fruits’. This species is significant in Bruneian culture and the regional forest ecosystem.
“Traditionally, the plant’s robust leaves have been used to ferment culinary staples, such as rice to create tapai and soybeans to create tempeh.
“Beyond their culinary uses, the leaves have long been a natural remedy in the local populace, for healing minor cuts, reducing inflammation, and providing relief from itching.”
She added, “Researchers extracted DNA from bunga simpur and using advanced genomic sequencing technologies and data analytics, the complete DNA map, or genome, was pieced together and found to contain 34,195 genes – 1.5 times more than the human genome.“
