An Interdisciplinary Experiment for Undergraduates: A Study of the Antifeedant Activity of Columbin on the Silkworm

• Ting Liu ^[1] ; Yun Liang ^[1] ; Yan Zhu ^[1] ; Lijun Zhang ^[1] ; Haibing Liao ^[1]
  1. [1] Guangxi Normal University

     Guangxi Normal University

     China

     
• Localización: Journal of chemical education, ISSN 0021-9584, Vol. 102, Nº 2, 2025, págs. 787-795
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Due to the time-intensive nature of isolation and purification, the low yield of pure compound, and the high costs associated with bioactivity evaluation in vitro and in vivo, comprehensive processes integrating natural product extraction, isolation, structure identification, and bioactivity evaluation in vivo are relatively rarely implemented in undergraduate chemistry laboratory curricula at present. Based on the teaching experience of the chromatography experimental course “Extraction and Determination of Columbin Content in Tinospora Radix” and the related research progress, we herein introduce a new interdisciplinary and comprehensive chemistry experiment, comprising a total of 20 lab sessions, each lasting 45 min. These experiments include the extraction of Columbin from Tinospora Radix, the identification of its chemical structure, and the evaluation of the antifeedant activity against the third instar silkworms. Students are actively engaged in the process of discovering active compounds from natural plants through this interdisciplinary experiment, providing them with hands-on laboratory experience in solving real-life food security challenges. The experiment adopts a multi-dimensional evaluation system including three dimensions of teacher evaluation, intragroup evaluation, and intergroup evaluation. This approach mitigates the limitation of relying on a single evaluation subject, ensures more objective evaluation results, and enhances the overall effectiveness of teaching activities. This experiment not only cultivates their comprehensive experimental “hard skills” in organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and chemical biology but also develops their “soft skills”, such as critical thinking, teamwork, and innovation. Finally, the implementation of the experiment is characterized by the easy availability of materials, low cost, and straightforward replication, making it well-suited for senior undergraduate students in chemistry-related majors across different educational levels.