Profile of Prof. Festus Basden Chideu Okoye
Professor Festus Basden Chiedu Okoye is a Pharmacist and professor of Natural Product Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery. He is the leader of the Natural Product Drug Discovery Unit at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The studies the applications of various state-of-the-art chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques for the isolation, purification and structure elucidation of small molecular secondary metabolites from medicinal plants and associated endophytic fungi, which serve as lead bioactive agents for immuno-inflammatory, cancer and infectious diseases. The lab also incorporates biotechnology approach for the isolation and modulation of endophytic fungi of medicinal plant origin for improved production of novel bioactive molecules. The results from these studies provide scientific evidence for the folkloric use of African medicinal plants in the management of endemic diseases and also as sources of novel therapeutic drug molecules. The lab has produced over 16 PhD students in Natural Product Drug Discovery and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and currently has 3 postdoctoral researchers and 8 PhD students working on different areas of Natural Product Drug Discovery.
Prof FBC Okoye’s research focuses mainly on discovery of small molecule bioactive compounds for optimization into novel therapeutic agents for the management of immune disorders, cancer and infectious diseases. He has 89 publication in Scopus (with H-index of 19) and over 150 articles (with Google scholar index of 28). He has collaborated with renowned scientist locally and internationally. Currently he is working on the formulation of flavonoid rich fractions from selected medicinal plants as medicines for Covid-19. He has also recently extended his research frontier to the application of big data analytics in the design of efficient and effective end to end supply chain of health commodities.
Prof FBC Okoye is a Fellow of Alexander von Humboldt Foundation; Fellow of Nigerian Young Academy and a member of Royal Society of Chemistry. He is a technical Consultant to Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) on Phytochemistry. In 2014 he won the African Union-The World Academy of Science (AU-TWAS) National Young Scientist of the Year (Life and Earth Science Category). He served as the immediate past dean of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the winner of the maiden edition of the Dean of the Year 2022 award. Currently, he is the Coordinator of Grants and Development Office, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
In his spare time he loves attending to Catfishes in his backyard fish pond.
Some Recent Publications
1. Eze PM, Liu Y, Simons VE, Ebada SS, Kurtán T, Király SB, Esimone CO, Okoye FBC, Proksch P, Kalscheuer R. 2023. Two new metabolites from a marine derived fungus Penicillum ochronchloron. Phytochem. Letters, 55:101-104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytol.2023.04.004.
2. Ajaegbu EE, Eboka CJ, Okoye FBC, Proksch P. 2023. Cytotoxic effect and antioxidant activity of pterocarpans from Millettia aboensis root. Natural Product Research, 37(5):829-834. https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2022.2089984.
3. Ofokansi MN, Isiogugu ON, Peter IE, Agbo MM, Okoye FBC, Akah PA. 2023. Glycosides isolated from leaf extract of Phyllanthus muellerianus (Kuntze) Excell (Phyllanthaceae) Upregulated Cell-mediated innate immunity. https://doi.org/10.55262/fabadeczacilik.1083066.
4. Nwobodo DC, Okezie UM, Okoye FBC, Esimone CO. 2022. UV-mediated enhancement of antibacterial secondary metabolites in endophytic lasidiplodia theobromae. Notulae Scientia Biologicae, 14(4): 11284. https://doi.org/10.15835/nsb14411284.
5. Fasinu PS, Okoye FBC, Abiodun OO, Kamdem RST and Ogbole OO. 2022. Editorial: Fungal Bioactive Metabolites of Pharmacological Relevance. Front. Pharmacol. 13:912068. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.912068
6. Chukwudulue UM, Attah AF, Okoye FBC. 2022. Linking phytochemistry to traditional uses and pharmacology of an underexplored genus – Psydrax: a review. Phytochemistry Review. Published online: 04 January, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11101-021-09798-6.
7. Mbagwu IS, Akah PA, AjaghakuDL , Ike JC, Okoye FBC (2022): Newboulasides A and B, two new caffeic acid glycosides from Newbouldialaevis with α-amylase inhibitory activity. Natural Product Research, 36 (3), 726-734. https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2020.1799362.
8. Chigozie VU, Okezie MU, Ajaegbu EE, Okoye FBC, Esimone CO. (2021). Bioactivities and HPLC analysis of secondary metabolites of a morphologically identified endophytic Aspergillus fungus isolated from Mangifera indica, Natural Product Research 36 (22), 5884-5888. https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2021.2021517.
Felix Ahamefule Chibuzo Onyegbule (BSc Chemistry, MSc Pharm. Chemistry, PhD Pharm. Analysis), a Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry.
[Expertise] Felix Onyegbule is a chemist, a pharmaceutical scientist, with expertise in natural product research, pharmaceutical analysis, herbal drug evaluation and quality control and medicinal plant profiling, among others.
[Research] Felix Onyegbule research focused on drug analytical method development; medicinal plant profiling for antimalarial, antioxidant and antimicrobial potential; herbal drug evaluation and quality control. He has over 60 research publications in Google Scholar, with H-index of 11 and I-index of 13. He has 10 publications in Scopus, with H-index of 2.
[Accolades] Carnegie research fellowship (grant) on Natural Product Chemistry/ Anti-diabetes drug candidate research and characterization; OAU Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Travel Grant Award for the 3rd Stakeholders Meeting and High Level Forum of African Network for Drugs and Diagnostics Innovation, Nairobi, Kenya. Travel Grant Award for the 8th International Conference of African Materials Research Society (AMRS), Accra, Ghana.
[Family and Hobby] Felix Onyegbule is happily married to Judith and both are blessed with three children, two boys and one girl. At his spare time, Felix Onyegbule likes watching football.
[Recent Publications] CO Ogbue, FA Onyegbule, CO Ezugwu, IHM Nchekwube, AA Ajaghaku. Immunostimulatory and Immunorestorative Effects of Leaf Extract and Fractions of Musanga cecropioides on Immunocompetent and Experimentally Induced Immunocompromised Mice. Clinical Complementary Medicine and Pharmacology, 2022; 100075.
Ebere C Ifejirika, Eze E Ajaegbu, Chioma I Ibe, Felix A Onyegbule, Obidike C Ezugwu, Antioxidant and antimicrobial evaluation of the methanol leaf extract and fractions of Dacryodes klaineana pierre (burseraceae), Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Ethiopia, 2022; 36 (1): 85-94
IP Onyeka, FA Onyegbule, CO Ezugwu, CU Ibe. Phytochemical, acute toxicity and nutrient composition of Mallotus oppositifolius, Journal of Bioprocessing and Biotechniques 2021; 11 (6), 396.
Onyegbule FA, Nwankwo OL, Okoye FBC. Standardization and Antimalarial Evaluation of Crude Methanol and Endophytic Fungi extracts of Azadirachta indica Leaves, Natural Products Chemistry & Research, 2021; 9 (08) 412.
Immaculeta C. Umeyor, Chukwuebuka E. Umeyor, Cyril O. Ogbue, Felix A. Onyegbule, Festus B.C. Okoye Evaluation of the Organ Microscopy, Chemical Composition and Anti-inflammatory Potentials of Methanolic Leaf Extract and Fractions of Diaphananthe bidens. Asian Plant Research Journal, 2021, 8(1): 16-28.
Amara A. Ajaghakua, Daniel L. Ajaghakub, Felix A. Onyegbule, Festus Basden C. Okoye. Estrogenic and safety evaluation of root extract of Millettia aboensis as a potential plant derived alternative for hormone replacement therapy. South African Journal of Botany, 140 (2021) 123-134
Bruce S.O, Onyegbule F.A., Ezugwu C.O; Nweke I.D, Okoye C.R, Nwafor F.I. Chemical composition, hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity of the crude extract and fractions of the leaves of Fadogia cienkowskii Schweinf (Rubiaceae). Trop. J. Nat. Prod. Res., April 2021; 5(4):720-731
Amara A. Ajaghaku, Daniel L. Ajaghaku, Felix A. Onyegbule, Festus Basden C. Okoye. Suppression of IL-6 mediated NFB signaling pathway as possible osteoprotective mechanism of Milletia aboensis. Phytomedicine Plus, 2020; 1(1): 1-11
Ifeanyi P. Onyeka, Sunday P. Bako, Mohammed M. Suleiman, Felix A. Onyegbule, Ugonna C. Morikwe and Cyril O. Ogbue. Antiulcer effects of methanol extract of Euphorbia hirta and honey combination in rats,” BioMed. Research International, Vol. 2020, Article ID 6827504, 8 pages, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/6827504
Felix A. Onyegbule, Chidinma J. Ezenwa, Stella O. Bruce, Blessing O. Umeokoli. Standardization, chemical composition and antipyretic evaluation of the methanol leaf extract and fractions of Chrysophyllum albidum (Sapotaceae). Trop. J. Nat. Prod. Res., May 2020; 4(6):216-222.
FA Onyegbule, CI Okoye, CR Chukwunwejim, BO Umeokoli, PM Eze. Evaluation of Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory and Antimicrobial Activities of the Leaf Extracts of Luffa cylindrica, Journal of Health Sciences, 2018; 8 (2), 101-109
Zhen Liu, Felix Onyegbule, Festus Okoye, Blessing Umeokoli, Hao Wang, Rainer Kalscheuer, Dr. W.E.G. Mueller, Rudolf Hartmann, Peter Proksch New amide and dioxopiperazine derivatives from leaves of Breynia nivosa. Fitoterapia, 122 (2017) 16–19 (E-pub ahead of print, 19th August, 2017)
Umeokoli B.O., Onyegbule F.A., Obi C. Kampferol-3–0-glucopyranoside identified as the major Anti-oxidant glycoside from the Red kidney Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) seed commonly consumed in Eastern Nigeria. Planta Medica International Open 4 (S 01), Tu-PO-02
Onyegbule F.A., Anyama K.K., Anasi H., Umeokoli B. O., Eze P. M., and Okafor U.G. Quality assessment of six liquid herbal preparations marketed in Anambra State, Nigeria. African Journal of Pharmaceutical Research and Development, 2017; Vol. 9 No.1; pp. 96-101 (2017)
Anwuchaepe A.U, Onyegbule F.A., Ajaghaku D.L., Nwafor F.I. and Okoye F.B.C. Evaluation of the in vivo antioxidant, toxicological evaluations and HPLC profiling leaf extract and fractions of Crescentia cujete. Asian Pacific Journal of Health Sciences, 2017; 4(3):27-35