Analytical and Environmental Chemistry Division (AECD)

General Chemistry and Chemical Education Division (GCCED)
Physical, Inorganic, and Industrial Chemistry Division (PIICD)
Organic Chemistry and Natural Products Division (OCNPD)

Faculty Room: PS B-308
Email:[email protected]
Links: Google Scholar

Educational Background

Master of Science in Agricultural Chemistry
University of the Philippines Los Baños

Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Chemistry
University of the Philippines Los Baños

Research Interests

• Natural products chemistry
• Crop Protection chemistry
• Host-plant resistance (entomology)
• Chemometrics, bioinformatics, and metabolomics (machine learning)
• Computational chemistry (docking, dynamics, DFT, QSAR)
• Nanochitosan production and Applications
• Nanoencapsulation of bioactive compounds

Selected Publications

Castrosanto, M. A.; Clemente, A. J. N.; Whitfield, A. E.; Alviar, K. B. In Silico Analysis of the Predicted Protein-Protein Interaction of Syntaxin-18, a Putative Receptor of Peregrinus maidis Ashmead (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) with Maize Mosaic Virus Glycoprotein. J. Biomol. Struct. Dyn. 2022, 40, 1–8. 

Castrosanto, M. A.; Abrera, A. T.; Manalo, M. N.; Ghosh, A. In Silico Evaluation of Binding of Phytochemicals from Bayati (Anamirta cocculus Linn) to the Glutathione-S-Transferase of Asian Corn Borer (Ostrinia furnacalis Guenée). J. Biomol. Struct. Dyn. 2022, 40, 1–7.

Abrera, A.; Castrosanto, M. A.; Hermocilla, J. A.; Manalo, M. Molecular Docking of Ecdysone Agonists and Limonoid Components of Calamondin Seeds to Tobacco Budworm Ecdysone Receptor. KIMIKA 2022, 33 (1), 9–19.

Castrosanto, M. A.; Alvarez, M. R.; Salamanez, K. C.; Nacario, R. C.; Completo, G. C. Barnyard Grass [Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv] Leaves Extract Against Tomato Pests. J. Sci. Food Agric. 2021, 101 (15).

Jusi, A. L. C.; Castrosanto, M. A.; Magistrado, A. M. L.; Tumanguil-Quitoras, M. A. C.; Estacio, E. S.; Tapia, A. K. G. Commissioning of a Terahertz System for Spectroscopy and Imaging in the University of the Philippines Los Baños for Chemical, Biological, and Engineering Applications. 40th Samahang Pisika ng Pilipinas Physics Conference, 2022.

Ahmad, B.; Saeed, A.; Castrosanto, M. A.; Zia, M. A.; Farooq, U.; Khan, S. Identification of Natural Marine Compounds as Potential Inhibitors of CDK2 Using Molecular Docking and Molecular Dynamics Simulation Approach. J. Biomol. Struct. Dyn. 2022.

Awards

5th Placer: 2018 National Chemists Licensure Examination

Best Oral Paper Award: 2022 Kapisanang Kimika ng Pilipinas - Southern Tagalog, Inc.
Presented a study entitled "Comparative Metabolomic Analysis of Resistant and Susceptible Philippine Traditional Maize Varieties in Response to Asian Corn Borer Feeding"

Taiwan Education Experience Program (TEEP) Grantee: 2023 Metagenomics and bioinformatics training under Dr. Yong-Chao Su's Ecology and Evolutionary Genomics Laboratory

Awards

Resource Person: Molecular Docking Training/Workshop - UPLACS (2022) and PGC (2024)

Resource Person: IC organization tutorials on CHEM 18/18.1, CHEM 32/32.1, and CHEM 40/40.1

Treasurer: Kapisanang Kimika ng Pilipinas - Southern Tagalog, Inc. (2025)