SUPPORTING THE SAFETY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF COMMERCIAL NATURAL HEALTH PRODUCTS (NHPS)

While many people equate “natural” with “safe”, herbal medicines and other natural health products may present risks related to product quality and variability or potential interactions with pharmaceutical drugs and other substances.  Collaborating with health practitioners and industry, we integrate approaches in analytical chemistry and pre-clinical pharmacology to assess the quality and safety of NHPs that are already on the market or in the pipeline. We also integrate surveys, pharmacovigilance research, and systematic reviews to complement and inform our lab-based research.  

• NHP-mediated interactions with endogenous and drug metabolism, including the identification of high-risk NHPs and phytochemicals and their mechanisms of action in the context of paediatric psychiatry and, more recently, pregnancy/lactation.  

• Toxicology and pharmacokinetic studies for a commercial veterinary anxiolytic, including collection and analysis of bio-samples and validation of quality assurance methods.  

• Develop and validate innovative and sustainable practices and products with industry partners to optimize product chemistry for “next generation” NHPs that are tailored to specific applications or populations.