Prof. Po-Wei Tsai  

Electrochemical Characteristics of Rheum Species for Antiviral Drug Development

 Po-Wei Tsai

Department of Food Science, National Taiwan Ocean University

Research on Chinese medicinal herbs has become increasingly popular for discovering effective antiviral drugs, bridging traditional Chinese medicine and modern pharmacology. Chinese rhubarb (Rheum species), belonging to the Polygonaceae family, is traditionally used to treat digestive issues and holds potential as a "natural medicine." This study evaluated the chemical profile and bioactivities of three Rheum species—R. officinale (RO), R. palmatum (RP), and R. tanguticum (RT)—through phytochemical screening, antioxidant activity assays, HPLC analysis, and MFCs for bioenergy production. Notably, RT-acetone extract contained the highest phytochemical constituents and exhibited the strongest DPPH scavenging activity and FRAP values. RO-water extract demonstrated superior bioenergy-stimulating capabilities (1.84-fold power amplification), with rhein identified as an efficient electron-shuttling agent. Vinegar-processed RP water extract showed the highest bioenergy and antioxidant activity, while ethanol extracts were toxic to MFCs despite higher phenolic content. Molecular docking analysis revealed that Rheum metabolites exhibit antiviral activities against SARS-CoV-2 and Flaviviridae viruses. This study highlights the potential of Rheum species as renewable materials for bioprocess engineering and provides a novel protocol for prescreening medicinal herbs for antiviral drug development.

Curriculum Vitae

Po-Wei Tsai, PhD

Associate Professor

Department of Food Science, National Taiwan Ocean University

powei@mail.ntou.edu.tw

Dr. Po-Wei Tsai is an associate professor who joined the Department of Food Science at National Taiwan Ocean University (NTOU), Taiwan, in February 2024. Prior to joining NTOU, he served as an associate professor in the Department of Medical Science Industries at Chang Jung Christian University, Taiwan (September 2016–January 2023). He received his Ph.D. in Chemistry, specializing in Natural Products Chemistry, from Mapúa University in 2012. Subsequently, Dr. Tsai worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University (2012–2015), under the guidance of Professor Ching-Chiung Wang. During his postdoctoral tenure, he gained extensive experimental knowledge, particularly in the processing methods of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the isolation of active compounds from TCM, and the evaluation of their pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-osteoarthritis, and anticancer properties.

Education

Ph.D. Chemistry, Mapúa University, Philippines (2009/04-2012/10)

Work Experience

l   Chair, Department of Medical Science Industries, Chang Jung Christian University, 2022/08-2024/01

l   Section Chief, Research and Academic Cooperation, Chang Jung Christian University, 2021/10-2022/07

l   Associate Professor, Department of Medical Science Industries, Chang Jung Christian University, 2020/08-2024/01

l   Chief, Extracurricular Activities Division, Chang Jung Christian University, 2019/02-2021/09

l   Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Science Industries, Chang Jung Christian University, 2017/08-2020/07

l   Assistant Professor, Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Chang Jung Christian University, 2016/09-2017/07

l   Executive Secretary, B.S. Program in Medical Sciences Industry, Chang Jung Christian University, 2016/09-2017/07

l   Assistant Professor, Fortune Institute of Technology, 2015/08-2016/07

l   Postdoctoral fellow, School of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University 2012/10-2015/07