Herbal Medicine: Ancient Practice Meets Modern Science

Herbal Medicine: Ancient Practice Meets Modern Science - Norman R. Farnsworth, Ph.D.

Dr. Farnsworth is Director of the Program for Collaborative Research in the Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), where he is also a Research Professor of Pharmacognosy and Distinguished University Professor. His research in the field of biologically active plants dates back to the early 1950's. He is a world renowned scholar and leader in the effort to standardize dosage forms of plant extracts so that clinical and basic research can be conducted to evaluate their effectiveness as drugs and dietary supplements. His research group at the UIC/NIH Center for Botanical Dietary Supplements Research is currently designing standardized plant extracts for use in clinical trials to obtain definitive answers regarding their safety and effectiveness to alleviate symptoms associated with menopause. He discussed the challenges in this research, including plant collection and identification, isolation of active ingredients, understanding how botanicals work, and whether they are safe and effective.

Wednesday, October 22, 2003