Botanicals

Research elucidates different approaches to modern ashwagandha ingredients

15-Apr-2013 By Hank Schultz

Ashwagandha, sometimes called the “king” of ayurvedic herbs, has been gaining traction in the North American marketplace. A big part of the reason is the investments in clinical science and the marketing support made by major suppliers of the ingredient,...

Updated: CRN calls on industry to stop manufacturing DMAA-containing products

FDA: 'Information is insufficient to defend the use of DMAA'

12-Apr-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

After reviewing the response from USPlabs about the use of DMAA as an ingredient in dietary supplements, the FDA has concluded that the evidence is ‘insufficient’, NutraIngredients-USA can report.

Tropical leaf extracts may boost pre-diabetic health measures: Clinical trial

11-Apr-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Daily supplements containing extracts from Elaeis guineensis or Ficus deltoidea may benefit the health of people with pre-diabetes by improving blood sugar and lipid levels, say findings from a clinical trial.

Letter to the editor

Nutratech: BfR report is ‘clearly at odds with the scientific literature on safety of bitter orange-caffeine combinations’

10-Apr-2013

Leading bitter orange/ p-synephrine supplier Nutratech has countered a report from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) over concerns about the ingredient’s safety, noting it is at odds with the scientific literature.

Bitter orange and caffeine combo may be unsafe, says BfR

09-Apr-2013 By Nathan Gray

Sports supplements and weight loss products that contain a combination of caffeine and synephrine from bitter orange may not comply with current regulations and could be classified as unsafe, warns the BfR.

Naturex introduces cold-processed 100% fruit and vegetable powders

08-Apr-2013 By Caroline Scott-Thomas

Naturex has introduced a range of 100% fruit and vegetable powders produced through a low-temperature spray drying process that better preserves flavour, colour and nutrition.

Olive polyphenols play ‘key role’ in learning and memory processes: Animal data

05-Apr-2013

A natural extract made from olive polyphenols could help to increase learning and memory processes by increasing levels of important proteins in the brain, according to new research in rodents.

Black tea compounds show blood pressure benefits: Human data

05-Apr-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Three cups of flavonoid-rich black tea per day may reduce the variability in blood pressure at night, says a new clinical trial.

Flaxseed may offer improvements for obese pre-diabetics

04-Apr-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Adding flaxseed to the diet may decrease insulin resistance in pre-diabetics and help reduce the risk of developing type-2 diabetes, suggests new data from the US and Canada.

Phytochemicals show anti-inflammatory and brain health benefits: Pure Encapsulations/ Atrium Innovations

04-Apr-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Polyphenol-rich extracts from fruit and vegetables may have molecular targets with potential relevance to cardiometabolic and neurological health, according to new data.

Green tea extracts show promise for people with metabolic syndrome

02-Apr-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Drinking green tea or taking a supplement containing green tea extracts may improve the body’s antioxidant protection in people with the metabolic syndrome, says a new study.

American Botanical Council awards botanical excellence: ABC awards 2013 in pictures

26-Mar-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

The recipients of the American Botanical Council's (ABC) 8th Annual Celebration and Awards Ceremony stepped into the spotlights in Anaheim, California recently to collect their awards. Here's our gallery of all the worthy recipients.

Bitter melon may offer 'exciting' cancer promise

13-Mar-2013 By Nathan Gray

Bitter melon juice may prevent the development of pancreatic cancer by cutting off the fuel supply to cancerous cells, according to new data.

Green tea EGCG may help prevent plaque formation in Alzheimer's disease

06-Mar-2013 By Nathan Gray

Extracts from green tea may block the formation of beta-amyloid plaques that have been linked to the onset ofAlzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions, according to new laboratory data.

Is curcumin the next omega-3? Sabinsa expects so with ‘game changing’ Curcumin C3 Reduct

19-Feb-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

The final stumbling blocks for the wide use of curcumin have been removed, claims Sabinsa as it launches its ‘next generation’ of curcuminoids offering ‘greater potency, stability and much better bioavailability’.

Study ‘leaves little doubt’ about Pycnogenol’s benefits for menopause symptoms

14-Feb-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Daily supplements of extracts from the bark of French Maritime Pine may help reduce the symptoms of the menopause like hot flashes and night sweats, says a new study.

ABC article puts another nail in DMAA's coffin

08-Feb-2013 By Hank Schultz

The studies that claim to have found DMAA present in geranium are suspect both because of where they were published–in an open-access, pay-for-publication journal–and because of problems with the studies themselves, a new article by the American Botanical...

AHPA, ABC oppose call for change of regulatory status for St. John's wort

04-Feb-2013 By Hank Schultz

A pharmacists’ group has petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to limit consumers’ access to St. John’s wort, a move opposed by the American Herbal Products Association and the American Botanical Council.

Ayurvedic workhorses poised for market breakthrough, expert predicts

17-Jan-2013 By Hank Schultz

If you are looking for what’s hot on the botanical front in 2013, here’s the skinny from a longtime observer of the herbal arena: Open your lesson book to the first two pages, and follow after me: A is for Ayurveda and ashwagandha and B is for bacopa.

FDA approves first orally administered botanical drug

04-Jan-2013

For the first time, FDA has approved an orally administered botanical as a new drug, the American Botanical Council reports.

Adulteration issues highlighted 2012, Blumenthal says

13-Dec-2012 By Hank Schultz

The year 2012 might not mark the end of the world. But in future years as people look back, it might mark the beginning of the end for the adulteration of botanical materials, according to Mark Blumenthal, executive director of the American Botanical...

Plandaí Biotech promises bioavailability step change for raft of phytonutrients from green tea catechins to citrus extracts

11-Dec-2012 By Elaine WATSON

Plandaí Biotechnology - which hopes to take the botanical extracts market by storm with never-before-seen levels of bioavailability - reckons it will be able to supply commercial quantities of its Phytofare citrus limonoid glycoside complex by Q3 2013...

Tight relationship with farmers key to supply, botanical companies say

02-Dec-2012 By Hank Schultz

In an increasingly globalized world, botanical ingredient suppliers are taking steps to lessen the risks posed by Mother Nature, potential political unrest and the guys in suits with bags of money.

Port strike creating botanical 'fulfillment panic,' supplier says

29-Nov-2012 By Hank Schultz

A strike at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach is interrupting shipments of raw materials and is creating a “fulfillment panic” in the herbal industry, according to a leading botanical supplier.

Pomegranate and black cohosh adulteration: Botanical collaboration lines up next focus topics

28-Nov-2012 By Stephen DANIELLS

The American Botanical Council’s Mark Blumenthal has called for more self-regulating from industry and regulating from FDA to combat adulteration, as the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program lines up black cohosh and pomegranate extracts as the...

Dearth of science limits aloe's potential, expert says

28-Nov-2012 By Hank Schultz

Aloe vera is a popular botanical in beverages and functional foods, but a dearth of credible science keeps the ingredient from achieving superstar status, according to a consultant.

Pycnogenol shows benefits for asthmatics: Study

07-Nov-2012 By Stephen Daniells

Daily supplements of the French Maritime Pine bark extract Pynogenol may improve symptoms of asthma, according to results of a clinical trial.

AHPA suggests changes for Canadian TCM monograph

05-Nov-2012 By Hank Schultz

The American Herbal Products Association has suggested changes to a Canadian government draft monograph on Tradition Chinese Medicine and recommends a more thorough process to review the document, the group said recently.

ABC bilberry article seeks to close door on adulteration

05-Nov-2012 By Hank Schultz

An article published by the American Botanical Council for the first time gathers in one place all of the information available on how bilberry extracts are being adulterated in the marketplace, said coauthor and ABC executive director Mark Blumenthal.

Wikibotanica? AHPA launches online tool to share ID testing information

29-Oct-2012 By Hank Schultz

The wiki approach revolutionized the concept of the encyclopedia. The American Herbal Products Association hopes it will do the same for the science behind herbal products with the unveiling of its AHPA Botanical Authentication Wiki.

Echinacea extract may help prevent common cold: Study

25-Oct-2012

Daily consumption of echinacea herbal remedies could help to stave off the common cold, according to new research.

Does black cohosh belong on liver damage database?

17-Oct-2012 By Hank Schultz

Black cohosh is among a number of herbal ingredients that appear on a new liver toxicity database from the National Institutes of Health. But the question has been raised whether it is the ingredient itself, or adulterants passed off as black cohosh,...

AHP to release aloe monograph at Las Vegas summit

16-Oct-2012 By Hank Schultz

Aloe vera has been one of the leading botanical ingredients for going on 15 years, and it’s high time that suppliers be able to say with confidence what exactly it is they are selling, the chief of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia said.

Mental health group shares herbal treatment strategies

10-Oct-2012 By Hank Schultz

A group of mental health professionals has launched a website to share integrative treatment strategies, which includes advice on the use of herbal products, the group announced Tuesday.

Naturex actively seeking acquisitions in wake of Decas deal

24-Sep-2012 By Hank Schultz

Naturex will be on the lookout for new companies to acquire in the wake of its buy out of Decas Botanical Synergies, according to Naturex CEO Thierry Lambert.

Sabinsa’s curcumin shows lipid-lowering activity: RCT

19-Sep-2012 By Stephen Daniells

Daily supplements of a curcumin complex were associated with significant reductions in triglyceride levels, say data from a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind clinical trial.

Herbal supplement sales hit $5.3 billion, ABC report says

05-Sep-2012 By Hank Schultz

A report in the latest issue of HerbalGram, the publication of the American Botanical Council, shows herbal supplements sales in all channels hit $5.3 billion in the United States in 2011, representing a healthy 4.3% increase from 2010.

'Decocainized' coca leaf extract debuts for weight management sector

11-Jul-2012 By Stephen Daniells

Florida-based MB Innovations has launched a blend of botanicals, including a decocainized coca leaf extract, to suppress appetite and offer weight management solutions to the dietary supplements, food and beverage industries.

Indonesia emerges as alternative turmeric/curcumin supply source to India

08-Jun-2012 By Elaine Watson

UPDATED: Botanical extracts distributor Phytochem International has struck a deal with Chinese firm Ningbo Traditional Chinese Pharmaceutical Co to introduce 95% curcuminoids from turmeric sourced from Indonesia - a first for the US market.

'Breakthrough' study supports Pycnogenol's vascular benefits

07-Jun-2012 By Stephen DANIELLS

Daily supplements of an extract from French Maritime Pine bark may boost vascular health in people with stable coronary artery disease, according to data from a gold standard randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study from Switzerland.

Botanical blend may boost joint health: Unigen study

19-Apr-2012 By Stephen Daniells

A proprietary blend of botanical extracts may ease joint stiffness and improve joint function, suggest data from a small pilot study by Unigen.

Inaugural AHPA Congress to provide ‘laser focus’ on botanicals

16-Apr-2012 By Stephen Daniells

The inaugural AHPA Botanical Congress is set to provide the botanical industry with a ‘laser focus’ on the key issues and opportunities, with the program listing a top class balance of industry experts.

Horphag CEO: We’ve had our best ever three month period

02-Apr-2012 By Stephen Daniells

Sales of Pycnogenol, a potent antioxidant from the bark of the French maritime pine, continue to drive growth for Horphag Research, as the company’s CEO reveals double digit growth.

Herbals need better regulation to overcome quality control challenges, say researchers

15-Mar-2012 By Nathan Gray

Implementing better growing and manufacturing processes along with increasing the use of modern analytical techniques and greater international regulation would ‘undoubtedly’ reduce the issues surrounding the quality of herbal extracts, say researchers.

Harvest data on top-selling herbs reveals tonnage rollercoaster ride

07-Mar-2012 By Elaine Watson

New data from the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) reveals that harvests of top-selling herbs black cohosh, slippery elm bark and cascara sagrada have been pretty volatile over the past decade, although goldenseal root has been far more consistent.

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