November 5, 2019

Dr. Mohammad Ali

Department of Basic Medical Sciences
Faculty of Medial Sciences
The University of the West Indies
Mona, Kingston 7

Dear Dr. Ali,

Review of proposal entitled: The effects of herbal drugs on the sleep in zebrafish (Damia
reria). AN4, 19/20.

The Sub-Committee reviewed the proposal submitted by Hasina Nicholson, MPhil graduate
student registered in the Biochemistry programme. The following concerns of the committee
must be satisfactorily addressed before ethical approval of this research is granted:
• The study as described seeks to use crude teas extracted from five plants to investigate
sleep in zebra fish. The study does not seek to develop or use “drugs” therefore, the title
of the study needs to be modified to better address the study. The term “herbal
preparations” or “herbal teas” is suggested.

• In the Literature Review mention was made of 5 plants under consideration. However,
the 5 herbs that will be screened and tested was not included in the summary and
methodology. Please address.

• In the methodology, provide justification for the 100 zebra fish that will be used in the
study. For example how many groups, and number per group.

• The stated objectives of the study concern sleeping behavior, addiction, aggressive
behavior and motility of the fish. The study as described is essentially to screen and
select from 5 herbal teas, which are not named in the method. Please address.
November 5, 2019
AN 4, 19/20__________________________________________________________________

• There are no clear objectives that seeks to investigate a biochemical mechanism or

parameter of any of the teas, which would seem necessary for a biochemistry
postgraduate MPhil degree programme. The study needs to be more focused in this
regard.

• The oral dosing of the herbal tea referred to as analyte, brings into focus ethical issues
regarding harm to the animals. Whilst it is understandable that a method to quantify the
amount of analyte ingested by the fish is needed, holding the fish by hand and syringing
the analyte into the mouth of the fish is unnatural and is expected to cause hypoxic stress
to the fish. This can result in significant harm and death. The investigators are requested
to provide supporting evidence in the literature that this method is widely used and/or
ethically acceptable. Based on this concern and the challenge, is this the best animal
model that can be adopted to screen these herbal plants?

• Some of the citations listed as references are not appropriate. Please address.

It is recommended that the principal investigator, Dr. Mohammed Ali, sit with the graduate
student to review how the study should develop as a Biochemistry MPhil proposal. To simply
state in the Literature Review (p.9) that “The effect of the most potent herbs on sleep will, later
on, be studied at the molecular and neurological level” is vague and does not describe clearly
defined objectives for this proposed biochemistry study.
The concerns indicated above need to be addressed in full and the section/s of the proposal
resubmitted with a cover letter which addresses each point. Once the UWI Ethics Committee
deems the concerns to have been adequately addressed, written approval will be issued, thereby
granting permission for the study to commence.

Please note that the corrections should be highlighted (bold and underlined).

Yours sincerely,

Dr. Georgiana Gordon- Strachan

Co - Chair, Mona Campus Ethics Committee