Position: Assistant Professor
School: School of Sciences
Email: deepti.devi@fnu.ac.fj
Campus: Derrick Campus
Phone: +6798664919 ext. 4359
Biography:
Dr. Deepti Darshani Devi is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Fiji National University (FNU), Fiji. She completed her PhD in Chemistry in 2025 under the FNU Higher Degree by Research (HDR) Scholarship.
Her research expertise lies in natural product chemistry, analytical chemistry, and phytochemical investigation of Piper methysticum (kava). Her work focuses on the chemical profiling and quantification of kavalactones in kava grown and marketed in Fiji, contributing to quality assessment, safety evaluation, and the scientific understanding of kava as an important Pacific crop. Dr. Devi has recently closed a kava research project in collaboration with Fiji National University, PHAMA Plus and Ministry of Agriculture, investigating the chemical properties and potential applications of kava-based products.
Her scholarly profiles:
Qualification:
- PhD in Chemistry – Fiji National University (2025)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Chemistry – Fiji National University
- Postgraduate Certificate in Education – University of the South Pacific
- Bachelor of Science (Mathematics and Chemistry) – University of the South Pacific
Area of Expertise:
- Natural product chemistry
- Phytochemical analysis
- Analytical chemistry
- Kavalactone profiling
- Chemical analysis of Piper methysticum (kava)
Journals:
- Deepti D. Devi, Tibor Pasinszki: Kavalactone Content and Profile of Kava Cultivated on Taveuni, Qamea, and Rabi Islands of Fiji. Agriculture 2025, 15, 478. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15050478
- Tibor Pasinszki and Deepti Darshani Devi: The Kavalactone Content and Profile of Fiji Kava Sold on the Local Market. Beverages 2024, 10(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages10010004
- Tibor Pasinszki, Deepti D. Devi, Melinda Krebsz: Bioactive Compound Profile and Nutrition Values of Kava (Piper methysticum) Cultivated in Fiji. Horticulturae 2025, 11, 1456. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11121456
- Deepti D. Devi: Analysis of Kavalactone Content in Roots and Rhizomes of Fiji Kava, PhD Thesis, 2025.
Teaching interest:
- Natural Product Chemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
- Phytochemical Analysis
- Kavalactone Profiling
- Chemical Analysis of Piper methysticum (Kava)
- Organic Chemistry
Research interest:
- Natural product chemistry
- Phytochemical analysis
- Analytical chemistry
- Kavalactone profiling
- Chemical analysis of Piper methysticum (kava)
