NIH Funds Center in Iowa to Study Botanicals

The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, has presented a grant to Iowa State University (ISU) to study botanicals used as ingredients in dietary supplements. A multidisciplinary re­search team will study hypericum (St. John’s wort), prunella (self-heal) and several types of echinacea (for example, purple coneflower) for their anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties. The center will be headed by Dr. Diane Birt, distinguished professor at Iowa State University, and will bring together researchers from ISU, the University of Iowa and Yale University. The studies at ISU will focus on identifying compounds and chemical profiles for anti-viral and anti-inflammatory activities and complement research at other centers that are studying the botanicals and inflammation. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) at NIH will co-fund the Iowa center.