Research Interests:

Techniques Are Being Developed to Extract Potentially Medicinal Substances From Plants Issue Botanicals have become increasingly important in North America, with an estimated 70 million Americans using botanical preparations. With more North Americans using them, there is growing concern about their safety and efficacy. At present, botanicals are regulated as dietary supplements, and in this regulatory framework, potency and dose response are not an issue. However, as clinical evidence demonstrates the efficacy of botanically derived phytomedicines, standardization, potency, safety, and dose response will become important parameters and will require extensive documentation. Phytomedicines can be prepared from a solid-liquid extraction process, in which the raw botanical material is exposed to the appropriate solvent. This extraction step, as a whole, is pivotal to the herbal industry and its upcoming regulation and must be well documented. The herbal industry could benefit from investigations on leaching and on other extraction techniques such as supercritical fluid extraction.

However, small and mid-sized operations make up the herbal industry and often lack the biological and chemical engineering research capabilities to undertake these extraction methods. Action The long-term research projects undertaken focus on documenting the unit operation of extraction, contributing to the phytomedicine industry as a whole. At present, research is centered on the case example of milk thistle (Silybum marianum L. Gaertn.), which grows throughout North America and Mexico. Milk thistle seeds contain flavonolignans, which are combinations of taxifolin, silychristine, silydianine and silybinin; these substances are readily analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and show protection against carcinogenic activity. This research will document solid-liquid and supercritical fluid extraction processes of milk thistle seeds in order to obtain standardized flavonolignan preparations. Impact This research will provide essential data on solid-liquid extraction of botanicals for use by small phytomedical companies that cannot afford the equipment and personnel to conduct such research themselves. Long-term, the research will provide a key step in the process of providing new substances that may prevent or cure diseases.

Positions Open:

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