Digital Commons Network^™

A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Parallel, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial To Study The Effect And Safety Of Korean Red Ginseng Extract Powder On Cardiovascular Health Markers In Healthy Adults, Amir Rafie

Oxford ICSB

Cardiovascular disease is a prevalent condition that imposes a significant socioeconomic burden. Korean red ginseng, a medicinal plant traditionally used in Asia, has been suggested to potentially protect against cardiovascular dysfunction by improving blood flow. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled trial to assess the effects of Korean Red Ginseng Extract Powder (G1899) on blood flow and platelet aggregation (primary endpoints) and other cardiovascular health markers (e.g., blood coagulation parameters) in healthy adults. Participants (N=108) were randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio to three groups: high dose (2000 mg G1899 per day), low dose (480 mg G1899 per day), and …

Functional Mushrooms Supplementation As A Prebiotic Fibre Impacting Microbiome Composition, The Gut Metabolome And Impact On The Intestinal Epithelial Barrier Integrity, Julie Daoust

Oxford ICSB

This study aimed to determine if functional mushroom preparation supplementation with Cordyceps militaris mycelium and fruiting body, Ganoderma lucidum mycelium and fruiting body, and a blend of ten species of functional mushrooms could impact gut health. The Ex Vivo model Simulator of Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME®) has been used to study the behaviour of a human microbiome in response to various factors. The aim of this study was to demonstrate changes in the microbiome after supplementation with functional mushroom preparation and the resulting neuroactive metabolome using the SHIME® model. The endpoints measured were microbial fermentation activity, metabolic fingerprinting, microbial …

Caffeine-Free Plant-Based Nootropics: The Evolving Science And Regulatory Journey Of Alpinia Galanga., Deshanie Rai

Oxford ICSB

Consumer interest in using botanicals as complementary medicine to help address a variety of health benefits is rooted in the traditional use of botanicals to support for example vision performance, joint health, and mental wellbeing. With increasingly busy lifestyles, consumers are seeking ways to support their mental energy. While caffeine is a widely used nootropic, consumers are wary of consuming too much caffeine and/or it’s associated “caffeine-crash” effects, and therefore looking for plant-based nootropic alternates. Plant-derived nutraceutical research is now on the research agendas in academic and industry settings. At OmniActive Health Technologies, we are helping to address consumer health …

Efficacy And Safety Of A Prescription Botanical Drug, Cinainu, In Pediatric Alopecia Areata: An International, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Phase 2/3 Trial, Saad Harti, Ulrike Blume-Peytavi

Oxford ICSB

Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is a debilitating autoimmune-mediated disorder marked by non-scarring hair loss. It significantly impairs patients' quality of life. Unmet needs persist, particularly for pediatric patients and patients with moderate AA. Cinainu, a topical solution containing four botanical drug substances, may address these gaps due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and antioxidant properties. Objective: This phase 2/3 study evaluated the efficacy and safety of cinainu in children and adolescents with moderate-to-severe AA. Methods: The RAAINBOW study, an international, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, involved 107 pediatric patients randomly assigned (2:1) to receive cinainu or placebo for 24 weeks, followed by a …

South African Plants With Potential Applications In Traditional Medicine For Wound Healing, Salome Mahlo

Oxford ICSB

Skin infections are primarily fungal and bacterial attacks on the skin. The aim of the study was to investigate medicinal plants used for the treatment of wound infections by the local people and traditional health practitioners. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in the Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality, Limpopo Province to identify plant species used to treat skin infections. Guided fieldwork and a semi-structured questionnaire were used to gather information from the traditional healers. A questionnaire was designed to gather information on the common names, plant parts used, preparation, administration, and illnesses treated were recorded for each species. In the current …

Publicly Available Online Data From National Adverse Event Reporting Schemes: Observations On Cases Involving ‘Ashwagandha’, Jo Barnes

Oxford ICSB

No abstract provided.

Ashwagandha – Is It Safe? A Toxicologist’S Perspective, Mukesh Summan

Oxford ICSB

Withania somnifera (WS) also known as ashwagandha is a herb commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine with recorded use dating back centuries. Different plant parts including roots, leaves, fruits, seeds and stems are purported to have various biological actions such as anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-stress, anti-anxiety when used alone or in combination with other plants. Despite this long history of use as a traditional herb in Indian medicine and world-wide as a food supplement, regulatory health authorities have begun to question the safety of WS due clinical cases of herb-induced liver injury from products labelled as containing ashwagandha and concerns for WS …

Evaluation Of Potential Hormonal Activities Of Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera), Guenter Vollmer

Oxford ICSB

No abstract provided.

Ashwagandha: Is It Safe? A Review Of The Clinical Evidence., Thomas Brendler, Elizabeth Williamson

Oxford ICSB

Over the last decade, ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, AS) has been brought under increasing scrutiny regarding its safety for the use in food supplements, culminating in a recent recommendation for an Article 8 procedure according to Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006 in the European Union (EU). Once executed, this could lead to a ban of the use as an ingredient in food supplements. One of the regulators’ concerns is the purported lack of clinical safety data combined with evidence for what may constitute a safe daily dose. In this overwiew we assess evidence stemming from 96 clinical trials conducted over …

The Pharmaceutical Quality Of Herbal Medicinal Products And Dietary Supplements – Assessment Of Products From Lavandula Species, Banaz Jalil, Michael Heinrich

Oxford ICSB

Several Lavandula species are important aromatic and medicinal plants with great economic value as phytopharmaceuticals, foods, in perfumery, cosmetics, and aromatherapy. The genus Lavandula comprises 39 species with many hybrids. Over 20 years ago about 400 registered cultivars were recorded (1) , with the three main cultivated species being used to produce essential oils, including fine lavender oil, spike lavender oil and lavandin oil. Lavandula angustifolia Mill. is used traditionally to treat restlessness, agitation, insomnia and intestinal discomfort linked to nervousness (2). For example, Silexan® is a high-quality fine lavender oil licensed as an active ingredient in medicines for the …

Dosage Form Performance Assessment Of Four Commercially Available Turmeric-Containing Dietary Supplements To Inform Clinical Study Design., Bill Gurley

Oxford ICSB

Clinical studies assessing structure-function claims, safety, phytochemical pharmacokinetics, or drug interaction potential of botanical dietary supplements (BDS) often overlook the disintegration and dissolution characteristics of the administered dosage form. Consequently, inadequate disintegration or dissolution profiles may prevent key study endpoints from being met. Given the high cost of clinical research, no study should proceed without first verifying the disintegration and dissolution performance of the selected dosage form. Failure to do so may compromise the study’s validity and render its findings inconclusive. Assessing dosage form performance, particularly in biorelevant media, is a cost-effective strategy that can provide critical insights for optimizing …

Abstract Title: What Is Chaga? Unique Biochemistry Of The Sterile Conk., Anna Kreynes

Oxford ICSB

Fungal based supplements or functional mushrooms are growing in popularity worldwide. Among them, Chaga is attracting increasing attention for its broad immune-modulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. Chaga is unique among “mushroom” supplements as it is technically neither a mushroom (fruiting body), nor a sclerotia, as some researchers assert, but rather a sterile conk or canker that forms on trees, infected and colonized by mycelia of the pathogenic fungus Inonotus obliquus. Commonly associated with birch (Betula spp.), I. obliquus also parasitizes other hardwood species such as alder (Alnus), beech (Fagus), and ash (Fraxinus), found in boreal forests of northern Europe, Asia and …

An Update From The U.S. Drug Induced Liver Injury Network And Plans For Sentinel Surveillance For Supplement Induced Liver Injury, Victor Navarro

Oxford ICSB

Herbal and dietary supplements (HDS) are commonly used by consumers, and some have been linked to liver injury severe enough in some cases to result in transplantation and death. The U.S. Drug Induced Liver Injury is funded by the NIH to study liver injury from supplements. The DILIN investigators have identified many supplements linked to liver injury, as well as risks for the development of hepatotoxicity. The Network has also observed temporal trends in the occurrence of supplement related liver injury, some that parallel regulatory actions. In order to use these observations to promote consumer protection and supplement safety, the …

Misidentification Remains Common In Selected Historically Substituted Traditional Chinese Medicine Herbs., Wendy Applequist

Oxford ICSB

Various studies have observed that some minimally processed botanicals sold for use in Traditional Chinese Medicine are adulterated or substituted with species having similar appearance and/or traditional uses. In this study, commercial samples of several plants for which aboveground parts are used, and for which Leon & Lin’s (2017) reference work reported known substitutes, were examined. All samples of Ma Chi Xian (Portulaca oleracea), Yi Mu Cao (Leonurus japonicus), Ze Lan (Lycopus lucidus), and Zi Hua De Ding (Viola philippica) were at least mostly consistent with the stated identities, though some contained contaminants. Three of nine samples of Xi Xian …

Supplement Product Quality Woes: A Call To Action, Andrew Shao

Oxford ICSB

No abstract provided.

Digitization Of Hptlc Chromatograms For Chemometric Analysis, Menglian Zhang, Jianghao Sun

Oxford ICSB

HPTLC has been a major analytical tool for the botanical industry for many years. Its strength has been the ability to provide multiple chromatograms for parallel visual comparison of standards and samples. It’s weakness has been the lack of digitization to allow objective chemometric analysis of the data. Two studies are presented: analysis of 3 species of Echinacea (E. angustifolia, E. palida, and E. purpurea) and analysis of cranberry supplements, fruits, and juices (35 supplements, 8 dried fruits, and 4 juices). Accurate comparison of the patterns of the chromatograms required pre-processing: removing initial and final peaks, derivatization, alignment of samples …

Moving From Conundrum To Solution. Understanding The Riddle Of Data, Supply Chains And Botanical Complexity, Cris Amarillas

Oxford ICSB

No abstract provided.

Simultaneous Botanical Identification And Marker Compound Assay By High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography, James Kababick, Stacy Wise, Christine Goularte

Oxford ICSB

21 CFR part 111 (the Dietary Supplement cGMPs) require identity testing on all dietary ingredients. In many cases, botanicals are also standardized to selected marker compounds and require potency testing to ensure products meet label claim. We present a novel approach to combining the identification and assay testing into one analytical run utilizing High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography. The method eliminates the need for subsequent assay testing and greatly reduces chemical waste in the laboratory saving both time and money. Case studies will be presented.

Foraging For Methods: The Right Hptlc Method For The Right Spec, Khanh Tran, Sidney Sudberg, Anthony Fontana

Oxford ICSB

High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) is a well-established analytical technique widely utilized for botanical and fungal identification. Mushrooms are known for their bioactive compounds (beta-glucans, sterols, and triterpenoids) that can have a wide range of human health benefits, such as boosting the immune system, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory among others. The method selection for mushrooms is dependent on the species of mushroom, the compound(s) of interest, form of material, as well as standardization of extracts. Over 15 different mushroom species were analyzed by various methods by HPTLC, for both mycelia and fruiting body.

Rooted In Quality: Elevating Standards In Botanical Supplements, Katie Banaszewski

Oxford ICSB

The botanical supplement industry is currently navigating a landscape that demands an unwavering commitment to high standards of quality, transparency, and sustainability. This sector faces a host of challenges alongside new opportunities, particularly emphasizing the vital role of quality assurance in preserving the integrity of botanical products. To ensure the authenticity of botanical ingredients and safeguard consumer health, advanced scientific testing techniques have become indispensable. Methods such as DNA barcoding, mass spectrometry, and NMR spectroscopy play crucial roles in verifying the purity and identity of these natural products. Furthermore, as the market increasingly prioritizes ethical consumption, there is a growing …

Innovative Integration Of Hptlc And Ai For Detecting Adulteration And Ensuring Quality In European Elder Berry Products, Maria Monagas, Wilmer Perera, Roy Upton, Eike Reich, Tiên Do

Oxford ICSB

European Elder berry, Sambucus nigra L. has a long history of traditional use as a cold and flu remedy. Since COVID-19 pandemic, the increased demand and limited supply have increased adulteration risk. Major concerns related to adulteration are substitution of Elder berry with black rice extract, addition of synthetic dyes and species mislabeling. HPTLC analysis of a total of 167 samples from different types of ingredients marketed as containing S. nigra was conducted, including whole fruits, juice concentrates, dry juices, fruit powders, liquid extracts, aqueous extracts and Dietary Supplements (DS) products (capsules and syrups). Related species (S. cerulea, S. canadensis, …

Herbs In Commerce: Sales Trends And Consumer Attitudes In The $13 Billion U.S. Herbal Supplement Market, Bill Giebler

Oxford ICSB

No abstract provided.

Natural Products Center Marks 30 Years Of Advancing Research, Safety, Clara Turnage

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – Over 30 years of scientific discovery and consumer advocacy, the National Center for Natural Products Research has cemented itself as an international authority in botanical medicine and pharmaceuticals.

04.07.2025 Ored Connect, Liz Williamson

ORED Newsletter

New ORED Website Goes Live

Oxford Pitch Competition

Hughes Miller, Strategic Partnerships

Jordan Center Symposium Addresses Tech Influence On Democracy, Marvis Herring

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – In the rapidly evolving digital world, media distrust, misinformation and bad actors threaten American democracy. Experts from across the country discussed those wide-ranging risks at an inaugural University of Mississippi symposium this week.

April 3, 2025, The Daily Mississippian

Daily Mississippian (all digitized issues)

No abstract provided.

Researchers Concerned About Rise In Nitrous Oxide Misuse, Deaths, Clara Turnage

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – Despite a recent Food and Drug Administration warning against inhaling nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, deaths due to misusing the substance are rising in the United States.

Experts Focus On Democracy, Psychedelics For Brain Awareness Week, Marvis Herring

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – Two renowned researchers will discuss the brain's role in making political decisions and the reduction of negative perceptions concerning the use of therapeutic psychedelics during the University of Mississippi's Brain Awareness Week, April 8-11.

Issue 463: April 2025, The Local Voice

The Local Voice

Special Issue: 2025, 22nd Juke Joint Festival, April 10-13, Clarksdale, Mississippi

Finding Aid For The University Archive Photographs (Mum00693)

Archives & Special Collections: Finding Aids (alphabetical)

The collection contains visual materials produced by the University of Mississippi or pertaining to the University and the surrounding area. Photographic prints, negatives, transparencies, glass plates, and paper materials are present throughout the collection.