Recently, the China General Chamber of Commerce officially announced the winners of the 2025 Science and Technology Awards. Three research projects completed by our university as the primary institution have been honored. Among them, "Research and Demonstration of Catalytic Oxidation Technology for Treating Comprehensive Wastewater from Vitamin C Production" and "Integrated Innovation and Industrial Application of Key Technologies for Brain Polypeptide Preparation" received the Second Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress, while "Preparation Technology and Application of Berberine Derivatives" was awarded the Third Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress.

The project "Research and Demonstration of Catalytic Oxidation Technology for Treating Comprehensive Wastewater from Vitamin C Production," led by Professor Zhou Yipeng’s team, was conducted under the Hebei Provincial Natural Science Foundation Project (No. B2021106003) and the Shijiazhuang Science and Technology Research and Development Program (No. 201240373A). The team focused on breakthroughs in core technologies, precisely constructed microscopic reaction models, successfully developed high-performance bismuth-based composite catalysts, and collaborated with Hebei Zeshikang Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. to optimize the process. The project has secured 5 authorized invention patents and published 6 high-level academic papers. Currently, the technology has been steadily applied at North China Pharmaceutical Huahng Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., treating 8,000 tons of wastewater daily. It reduces annual operational costs by approximately 30 million yuan for the enterprise, while generating an additional 40 million yuan in sales and 6 million yuan in profits for related industries. As a high-quality achievement nurtured by provincial and municipal research programs, this project provides solid scientific and technological support for water pollution prevention and control in Hebei Province and the high-quality development of the pharmaceutical industry.

The project "Integrated Innovation and Industrial Application of Key Technologies for Brain Polypeptide Preparation," completed by Professor Feng Xiaolong’s team, innovatively employed a cell disruption technique combining freeze-thaw and mechanical grinding, achieving 100% disruption of brain tissue cells. Using arginine as the targeted site and precise trypsin hydrolysis, the project achieved key breakthroughs: peptide content ≥60% and small-molecule peptide components with molecular weights below 10 kDa ≥95%. This led to the successful development of China’s first high-standard Haimokang Brain Polypeptide Nutritional Solution (Registration No.: 132388S-2019). Clinical studies confirmed that the product significantly enhances learning and memory capabilities and provides auxiliary improvements for mild cognitive impairment. The project has secured 2 authorized invention patents, led the formulation of 2 enterprise standards, and achieved industrial implementation at Hebei Zhitong Biological Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., with nationwide applications in treating Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, depression, and improving brain health. The clinical results are remarkable, with cumulative sales reaching 121 million yuan. The project is expected to generate significant economic benefits, while also driving the development of upstream livestock industries by deeply utilizing by-products such as pig brains. This transforms waste into valuable resources, enhances the industrial chain, and delivers notable social and ecological benefits.

The project "Preparation Technology and Application of Berberine Derivatives," led by Associate Researcher Zhang Zhihui’s team, is a core research achievement of the Shijiazhuang Key Laboratory of Target Drugs and Pharmacodynamics, established under the leadership of our institute. Using berberine, the active component of the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Coptis chinensis, as the lead compound, the project introduced tumor-suppressing groups into its molecular structure and achieved cyclization through advanced medicinal chemistry methods. This synthesis produced a novel berberine derivative with independent intellectual property rights. The derivative efficiently inhibits the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells, induces apoptosis, and effectively suppresses invasion and metastasis through a "multi-target synergistic" mechanism, demonstrating excellent tumor-suppressing effects. Its systemic toxicity is significantly lower than that of commonly used clinical chemotherapy drugs, effectively addressing the current lack of specific drugs for colorectal cancer treatment. The project has secured 2 authorized invention patents, laying a solid foundation for the development of novel anti-tumor drugs with full independent intellectual property rights.

The China General Chamber of Commerce Science and Technology Awards, approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Office for Science and Technology Awards, are prestigious accolades in the national commercial industry’s scientific and technological sector. They aim to recognize organizations and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to scientific research, technological innovation, and the industrialization of high-tech achievements in the commercial industry. These awards serve as a key indicator of the level and innovative capacity of major scientific and technological achievements in the sector.

(Contributor: School of Chemical Engineering/ Biomedicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate Education Development Center, Scientific Research Office; Editor: Lv Liqiang)