Natural Products Laboratory
NPL LABORATORY
Natural Products Laboratory
NPL is dedicated to advancing phytochemical research for characterizing bioactive compounds from medicinal plants, unlocking their potential for therapeutics, nutraceuticals, and sustainable biomaterials. The key focus areas of lab are extraction techniques, structural elucidation with advanced spectroscopy (IR, UV, GC-MS, NMR and MS), and applications in nutraceuticals, herbal medicine and drug discovery.
- Medicinal plants
- Aromatic plants
- Isolation and spectroscopic characterization
- Ethnomedicine
- Nutraceuticals
- Antibiotics
- Biopesticide
LEADERSHIP
Laboratory In-charge
Dr. Sabina Shrestha, Associate Professor and Coordinator, Forest Biomaterials
Science and Engineering Program
Email: sabina.shrestha@mbust.edu.np
INFRASTRUCTURE
Major Instruments
Rotary vacuum evaporator
IR spectrophotometer
Freeze dryer
Soxhlet extractor
Laboratory setup at Natural Products Laboratory (NPL)
Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) facility in NPL
RESEARCH OUTPUT
Completed Research in the Natural Products Laboratory
Harnessing Natural Products-Based Food Colorants from Selected Edible Plants of Chitlang
Principal Investigator: Dr. Sabina Shrestha
Researchers: Mr. Atmaz Kumar Shrestha, Mr. Nawaraj Pandey
Date of initiation: July 2025
Funded by: Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), Government of Nepal.
Construction of Molecular Docking Calculations Ready Ligand Database
Principal Investigator: Dr. Jhashanath Adhikari Subin
Researchers: Dr. Sabina Shrestha (Co-I)
Date of initiation: July 2025
Funded by: Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), Government of Nepal.
RESEARCH PIPELINE
Ongoing Research in Natural Products Laboratory
Healthcare Innovation from Native Mushrooms of Nepal to Combat Microbial Infections and Biofilms
Principal Investigator: Dr. Bhushan Shrestha
Researchers: Dr. Sabina Shrestha (Co-I), Dr. Shin-Yee Fung (Co-I), Dr. Jhashanath Adhikari Subin (Co-I), Mr. Atmaz Kumar Shrestha
Date of initiation: 2026
Funded by: Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), Government of Nepal.
Sustainable Management of Mushroom Diseases Using Plant Based Antifungals (Co-I)
Principal Investigator: Dr. Anupama Shrestha
Researchers: Dr. Sabina Shrestha (Co-I), Baistha Acharya (Co-I)
Date of initiation: 2026
Funded by: Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), Government of Nepal.
Students Involved in Research
-
Nawaraj Pandey - Prinsepia utilis oil
(nawaraj.pandey@mbust.edu.np) -
Srijana Dangi - Cinnamomum glaucescens and Salvia rosmarinus essential oil
(srijana.dangi@mbust.edu.np) -
Sanju Sah - Ginger phytochemicals
(sanju.sah@mbust.edu.np) -
Uttam Syangtan - Medicinal plants phytochemicals
(uttam.syangtan@mbust.edu.np)
Our Collaborators
Larke Himal Jadibuti Udhyog Pvt. Ltd.
Mushroom Laboratory, Organic Agriculture Laboratory, MBUST
Plant Protection Biological Control Laboratory, MBUST