Guest column from the UIC/NIH Center for Botanical Dietary Supplements Research
HerbalEGram is pleased to introduce a new guest column that will explore various aspects of the concept of "botanical integrity." The first article in this series by Guido Pauli, PhD, and his colleagues from the University of Illinois - Chicago/National Institutes of Health Center for Botanical Dietary Supplements Research, introduces readers to botanical integrity, which incorporates quality control measures from three distinct but essential scientific processes: botanical examination, phytochemical analysis, and bioactivity assessment. Each of these factors is vital to assuring botanical integrity; using only a single domain when testing product ingredients — such as in the case of the NY Attorney General's testing of herbal supplements — is not enough to ensure botanical integrity. Read more>>
By Karen Raterman, Guest Contributor
In March, the United Kingdom’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) pulled 107 St. John’s wort products from Amazon’s UK site. The MHRA maintains that the products in question did not adhere to the agency’s procedures, which require medicinal products to hold a license to verify their safety, efficacy, and quality. Currently, two distinct categories exist for natural medicines in the United Kingdom: registered herbal medicines and "botanicals." The St. John’s wort products pulled were, according to the MHRA, advertised as herbal medicines and the agency responded appropriately. The separate designations, however, could be a source of ongoing confusion for the consumer, the producer, and the regulator of natural medicines, making it difficult to ascertain the safety, efficacy, and quality of products for sale. Read more>>
By Hannah Bauman and Amanda Reat
This month’s Food as Medicine article explores the beneficial health properties of the artichoke and its close relative, cardoon. These native Mediterranean plants were first mentioned in a natural treatise in 400 BCE in Greece, and the first written record of their medicinal qualities came from Pliny the Elder in the first century CE. Artichoke and cardoon have documented hepatoprotective abilities due to high levels of inulin, in addition to chemopreventative and cardioprotective phenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. Modern research has focused on the safety and efficacy of artichoke leaf extract and its possible application as a cholesterol-lowering agent, as well as its gastrointestinal healing qualities for the relief of dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome, and intestinal cramps. Read more>>
Supplement Pioneer Terry Lemerond Receives First ABC Champion Award. March 31, 2015.
GNC and NY AG Announce Agreement on DNA Testing of Herbal Supplements. March 30, 2015.
US Sales of Brew and Ready-to-Drink Teas Increased in 2014. March 24, 2015.
Botanical Integrity (BI) model.
©2015 UIC Botanical Center
Hypericum perforatum
Cynara scolymus
©2007 Forest & Kim Starr
Terry Lemerond
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The assurance of quality and authenticity of botanical ingredients is of paramount importance in the natural products and dietary supplement community, as demonstrated by the recent actions by New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman. In this timely publication, industry experts have contributed chapters examining a variety of different methods that can be used to determine the identity and quality of botanical ingredients, ranging from classical methods such as organoleptic evaluation and more modern techniques including nuclear magnetic resonance and DNA-based evaluations. Presciently, Dr. Reynaud reviews the strengths and limitations of DNA-based authentications in Chapter 5 and notes that DNA methods are inappropriate to authenticate dried herbal extracts.
ABC Chief Science Officer Stefan Gafner, PhD, writes in his review of Botanicals (slated for publication in the upcoming issue #106 of HerbalGram) that the text “is not only an interesting read for analytical geeks like me, or for those who want to learn more about quality control of botanicals, but can be a helpful resource for those who consider expanding their analytical capabilities for botanical ingredient analysis in a contract analytical laboratory or in the dietary supplement industry.”
Botanicals can be purchased from the publisher’s website; ABC members can purchase this book for 10% off the retail price through the ABC Bookstore.
Schneiderman, Other AGs Ask Congress to Investigate Herbal Supplements Industry. NutraIngredients-USA. April 2, 2015. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and 13 other attorneys general have issued a letter to Congress members asking for an investigation of the herbal supplements industry.
MRSA Superbug Killed by 1,100-Year-Old Home Remedy, Researchers Say. Washington Post. March 31, 2015. Researchers in the United Kingdom report that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus proved vulnerable to an ancient remedy from “Bald’s Leechbook.”
Natural Extract from Rosehips May Combat Aggressive Breast Cancer. Science World Report. March 30, 2015. Scientists have found that a natural extract from rose hips significantly reduced the growth and migration of cells from a type of breast cancer known as triple negative, a particularly aggressive form.
In Brazil, Some Inmates Get Therapy With Hallucinogenic Tea. New York Times. March 28, 2015. A controversial inmate rehabilitation program involves violent offenders consuming the psychedelic ayahuasca.
Chikungunya Revives Herbal Remedies in Antigua. BBC News. March 29, 2015. Locals in Antigua are turning to natural remedies to alleviate the symptoms of the mosquito-borne virus chikungunya, for which there is currently no cure.
Quillaja: Coming to Your Beer, Soda and Shampoo. Fox News. March 25, 2015. Saponins from Chilean quillaja trees are becoming a popular natural and sustainable additive for the food, medical, and cosmetics industries.
Modern Marijuana Is Often Laced With Heavy Metals and Fungus. Smithsonian. March 23, 2015. As marijuana becomes legal in more states, concerns have been raised about the quality, safety, and potency of modern strains.
How the Apothecary Gave Birth to the Modern Cocktail Movement. Eater. March 20, 2015. Early concoctions of bitters, concentrates of tinctures, and extracts along with potent, home-distilled alcohol became the blueprints for the cocktail recipes of today.
Focus on Herbal Supplements
NPA CEO Calls Letter to Congress from State Attorneys General 'Added Harassment Based on Science Fiction'. Natural Products Association. April 2, 2015.
CRN to State Attorneys General: Have You Seen the New York AG’s Test? Council for Responsible Nutrition. April 2, 2015.
GNC Reaches Agreement with New York Attorney General. GNC. March 30, 2015.
AHPA President Michael McGuffin Statement on New York Attorney General Agreement with GNC. American Herbal Products Association. March 30, 2015.
FDA Responds to Senators' Inquiry on DNA Testing of Herbal Supplements. American Herbal Products Association. March 19, 2015.
April 7-9: Ingredients Marketplace. Orlando, Florida, USA.
April 28-29: OTC & Cosmetics: Marketing & Labeling in Compliance with FDA Regulations. Schaumburg, Illinois, USA.
May 6-8: World Tea Expo. Long Beach, California, USA.
June 5-8: Phyt'Arom Grasse 2015. Grasse, France.
June 29 - July 2: Joint Society Conference: Society for Economic Botany and Indigenous Plant Use Forum. Clanwilliam, Western Cape, South Africa.
More event listings can be found on ABC's website.
Do you know what springtime pie favorite has a 4,500-year history as a Chinese medicinal ingredient? Find the answer here!