Research Internship at the Tashkent Pharmaceutical Institute: Practical Experience in Medicinal Plant Research

Makpal Usenkyzy Kulmuratova, a student in the 7M10142 Pharmacy programme at the South Kazakhstan Medical Academy, completed a research internship at the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Toxicological Chemistry and Pharmacognosy at the Tashkent Pharmaceutical Institute in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from 19 to 30 October 2026.

The internship was undertaken as part of her master’s dissertation entitled “Pharmacognostic Analysis of White Sweet Clover (Melilotus albus Medik.) from the Flora of Southern Kazakhstan.” The research focused on the phytochemical analysis of previously prepared plant extracts.

The extracts were examined in the Institute’s laboratories using thin-layer chromatography (TLC), ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometry, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Quercetin and rutin were identified in the extracts by comparison with the corresponding reference standards.

During the internship, the master’s student strengthened her practical skills in chromatographic and spectrophotometric analysis, the use of reference standards, and the interpretation of chromatograms and spectra. The findings contributed to the experimental component of her master’s dissertation.

Collaboration with specialists at the Tashkent Pharmaceutical Institute provided an opportunity to deepen her proficiency in laboratory methods and refine the subsequent stages of her research. She expresses her gratitude to the Institute’s administration, academic advisors, and laboratory staff for their support and for providing the facilities necessary to conduct the research.