Issa, Reem A. CV
Reem Adnan Issa, Ph.D
Assistant Professor of natural products chemistry,
Applied Science University, College of Pharmacy
Amman, Jordan,
Tel: 00962-796096194
E-mail: r_issa@asu.edu.jo
Education
2006-2010: Ph.D, Department of Chemistry and WHRI, University of Warwick,
Coventry, UK
Major: Enzymatic desulaftion, extraction, qualitative and quantitative analysis of the
secondary plant metabolites “glucosinolates” using HPLC/ UV-MS/MS analysis.
Minor: Quantitative trait locus mapping to investigate any linkage between genetic factors
and expression of glucosinolates in double haploids mapping population.
Research supervisors: Dr. Guy Barker, Dr. Andrew Marsh, Dr. Paul Taylor and Suzan Slade,
University of Warwick, UK
Title of the Ph.D. thesis: “Identification of glucosinolate profile in Brassica oleracea for
Quantitative Trait Locus mapping”
2003-2005:M.Sc. Pharmaceutics (very good), Faculty of pharmacy, University of Jordan,
Amman, Jordan
Research supervisors: Prof.Fatima Afifi and Dr. Bassam Amro.
Title of the M.Sc. Thesis: "Studing the skin whitening effect of Arbutus andrachne
L. extract"
1998 -2003, B.Sc. Pharmacy (excellent), Faculty of pharmacy, Applied Science
University, Amman, Jordan
Research Interests
Dr. Reem Issa main interested is in natural products chemistry, specifically secondary plants
metabolites, and their qualitative and quantitative measurements in different biological
masses, in addition to the evaluation of plant extracts efficiency to inhibit enzymatic reactions
in invitro studies, for different pharmaceutical applications.
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Issa, Reem A. CV
Also, she is interested in their biosynthetic pathway and their evolutionary origin from
primary metabolites. In addition; she is coupling different metabolomic techniques with
advanced bioinformatics techniques that will enable the determination of key points
controlling metabolites synthesis and allocations of these factors positions at their genomes,
in aim to optimize metabolites profile for the production of vegetable crops with specific
biological activity; such as functional food, natural bio-fumigants, and for other economical
and medical applications.
Special skill
• Chemistry Drawing
• Expert in optimizing enzymatic reactions for preparation of biological samples
• Expert in chromatographic techniques for qualitative and quantitative analysis using HPLC/
UV-ESI/MS-MS
• Expert in verification of analytical methods using specific laboratory protocols developed for
cretin proposes and documentation of evidence that the method has been appropriately validated
according with standard methods developed by organizations such as the ECC and in accordance
with the official guidelines and regulations for validating standard methods for quality control
studies, or quantification analysis relative to standard material
• Expert in Map QTL and Cartographer QTL mapping programs using CIM and IM analysis, for
quantitative trait loci
•Expert in comparative genomics analysis at two levels; genetic and physical mapping
•Fluent in English and Arabic
Scientific training at the University of Warwick, UK, 2006-2009
• Structural application of spectroscopy
• Structure elucidation by means of NMR and MS
• Advanced multi-nuclear NMR spectroscopy
• Chromatography (HPLC, GC,…)
• Genetics, genomics and bioinformatics
• Biological chemistry
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Issa, Reem A. CV
Training Seminars and conferences attended
• Studying the Skin whitening effect of Arbutus andrachne L. Extract, the 3rd international
conference of the Royal medical services and the Royal College of physicians of London,
Amman, Jordan, 2006
• Department team building and developing course, University of Warwick, UK, 2006
• CAP Training (introduction to teaching in higher education for postgraduate), University of
Warwick, UK, 2007
• Supporting engineering and physical sciences students: A workshop for demonstrators,
University of Manchester, UK, 2007
• Extraction, qualitative and quantitative identification of desulfated glucosinolate content
in Brassica leave extracts, the 2nd glucosinolate conference, taking the field into the next
decade, Denmark, 2009
• The annual postgraduate’s symposium in chemistry at the Department of Chemistry,
University of Warwick, UK, 2007-2009
• The annual postgraduate’s symposium at Warwick HRI, University of Warwick, UK, 20072009
• Identifying novel Quantitative Trait Locus affecting glucosinolates biosynthesis in
Brassica oleracea, the 11th Eurasia conference on chemical sciences, the Dead Sea,
Jordan, 2010
• Workshop of writing papers and proposals, during the11th Eurasia conference on
chemical sciences, the Dead Sea, Jordan, 2010
 3rd international conference on drug discovery and therapy. February, 2011, Dubai, UAE
Publications
• R. A. Issa, F. U. Afifi and B. I. Amro. Studying the anti-tyrosinase effect of Arbutus
andrachne L. Extracts. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2008, 30, 271–276.
Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Jordan, Queen Rania Street, 11942 Amman, Jordan
Accepted 23 January 2008
• Future publication in progress:
R. Issa, G. Barker, A. Marsh, S. Slade and P. Taylor. Journal of phytochemistry. An
optimized method for glucosinolate profiling in leaves of Brassica oleracea to enable
plant line selection. Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4
7AL, UK
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Issa, Reem A. CV
Projects
• Studying the Skin whitening effect of Arbutus andrachne L. Extract.
To evaluate the anti-Tyrosinase activity of A. andrachne different extract types and the
determination of their potential use in formulation of a dosage form to be applied on the skin
for skin lightening effect to treat skin hyper-pigmentation disorders
• Identification of glucosinolate profile in Brassica oleracea for Quantitative Trait
Locus mapping.
Glucosinolates are a group of secondary plant metabolites, which have been shown to play
important roles in human health and nutrition as anti-cancer compounds. In this project we
developed a HPLC/ UV-MS/MS based methodology for identifying and quantifying these
compounds in their desulfated form within Brassica leaf material. The reproducibility of the
desulfation reaction was improved for robust enzymatic reaction of sulfatase. This
methodology was then used to identify Quantitative Trait Loci for individual glucosinolates
and for key points in their biosynthesis. This information can be applied to other Brassica
species for breeding vegetable crops with modified glucosinolate profiles for the production
of vegetable crops of nutritional healthy value and for other agricultural applications.
Professional Experience
• Assistant Professor of natural products chemistry, Applied Science University, College of
Pharmacy, Amman, Jordan, 2010 -present
• Teaching phytochemistry I and pharmacognosy for pharmacy students at Applied
Science University, College of Pharmacy, Amman, Jordan, 2010-present
• Demonstrating introductory practical and organic chemistry labs for first and second year
undergraduate students at the Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry,
UK, 2007-2008
• Senior Pharmacist at Pharmacy-1 International Company, Amman, Jordan, 2003-2006
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Issa, Reem A. CV
Master Abstract
This study was carried out to assess the possible anti-tyrosinase activity of Arbutus andrachne
L. extract, and to evaluate the obtained results in accordance with the inhibitor standards,
using dopachroma method described by Morisaki and Ozaki (1996), with some modifications.
Three different inhibitor standards were selected for the present study, namely: Arbutin,
Hydroquinone and Kojic acid. A. andrachne stems were extracted using five different
solvents: chloroform, butanol, ethanol, methanol and water. The concentration required by
each inhibitor to inhibit 50% of the enzyme activity (IC50) was measured for the standard and
for each plant extract. The obtained results showed that methanolic extract is the most potent
one, with lowest IC50 value, compared to other extracts.
The important secondary metabolites of A. andrachne, namely arbutin and hydroquinone as
well as other constituent such as -sitosterol and ursolic acid were identified by TLC and
hydroquinone was isolated by preparative TLC.
For the formulation of a cream with whitening effect, the methanolic plant extract was
selected and two different oil in water emulsions were formulated, one is anionic emulsion,
the other is non-ionic emulsion. The obtained results of accelerated stability study showed
that the anionic emulsion is more suitable to be used in the formulation of skin whitening
cream containing this extract.
PhD Abstract
Glucosinolates are a group of secondary plant metabolites, which have been shown to play
important roles in human health and nutrition. Identification of novel genes or regulators of
expression are important for optimising the glucosinolate composition of Brassica crops.
This project aimed to develop a HPLC based methodology for quantifying these compounds
within Brassica leaf material and to use this to map Quantitative Trait Loci for individual
glucosinolates within Brassica oleracea mapping populations. Glucosinolates were analysed
using an optimized HPLC-UV method developed in this study for complete separation of
desulfated glucosinolates with high resolution for quantification measurements. The
reproducibility of the desulfation reaction was improved for robust enzymatic reaction of
sulfatase. A data dependent MS and MS/MS methodology was developed to confidently
identify seven glucosinolates in the 89 AGDH plant lines distributed between aliphatic and
indolic glucosinolate, with different combinations from the parental plants A12DHd and
GDDH33. For the quantitative measurements of glucosinolates, an optimized level of
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Issa, Reem A. CV
glucotropaeolin was used as an internal standard (IS1). In addition, we have demonstrated the
first use of a second internal standard (IS2) to significantly improve the reproducibility of the
quantitative measurements. Aliphatic glucosinolates were predominant over indolic
glucosinolates, where progoitrin has the highest abundance.
This methodology was then used to identify Quantitative Trait Loci for individual
glucosinolates and for key points in their biosynthesis. A major gene effect was found near
the top of B. oleracea LG9 associated with aliphatic glucosinolate synthesis. In addition other
Quantitative Trait Loci were identified which corresponded with previous work by other
groups and to which individual gene function could be attributed.
A number of novel Quantitative Trait Loci were also found which control the synthesis of
glucosinolates distributed on the nine chromosomes of C genome. A combination of the
quantitative data and genetic analysis of glucosinolate profiles was used to infer the existence
of factors at distinct loci and associated these with specific steps in the biosynthesis pathway
of glucosinolates in B. oleracea. The assignment of genes or gene regulator functions to
Quantitative Trait Loci identified in this study was consistent with known positions of
Brassica candidate genes and collinear regions of the Arabidopsis genome. Consequently, this
information can be applied to other Brassica species for breeding vegetable crops with
modified glucosinolate profiles.
References
Prof. Fatme Afifi, Faculty of pharmacy, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan:
fatueafi@ju.edu.jo
Dr. Nina Sakhnini, Faculty of pharmacy, Applied Science University, Jordan:
Nina_sakhnin@asu.edu.jo
Dr. Paul Taylor, Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, UK:
P.C.Taylor@warwick.ac.uk
Dr. Andrew Marsh, Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, UK:
A.Marsh@warwick.ac.uk
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