UIC Center for Botanical Dietary Supplements Research
The UIC Botanical Center has been studying Botanical Dietary Supplements for safety, health and well-being since 1999, with support NIH's ODS and NCCIH (P50 AT 000155).
Center researchers believe that all botanical dietary supplements must be authenticated, chemically and biologically standardized as well as formulated according to good manufacturing practices so that consumers can be confident of the safety and efficacy profile of the botanical dietary supplements they consume. Focusing their research interests on women's health, Center investigators study those plants which are reported to alleviate the symptoms of menopause and premenstrual syndrome. Additionally, the Center investigates botanicals to determine their effect on estrogen metabolism, their antioxidant properties, and their impact on estrogen carcinogenesis.
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR Heading link
Now in our 18th year, the UIC/NIH Center for Botanical Dietary Supplements Research remains focused on women’s health. Our team of experts in pharmacognosy, chemistry, botany, medicine, and pharmacology continue the collaborative tradition of our founder, Norman Farnsworth. Currently, we are investigating the safety and mechanisms of action of botanical dietary supplements used by menopausal women as alternatives to hormone therapy. Our “field to the pharmacy” approach to translational research will continue during the next two-years culminating in clinical trials that address the hot topic of drug-botanical dietary supplement interactions.
Guido F. Pauli, Pharm.D., Ph.D.
Norman R. Farnsworth Professor of Pharmacognosy