Distinguished Scientist John Cardellina Joins ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program (BAP) is pleased to announce the addition of John H. Cardellina II, PhD, as Chief Technical Consultant and Associate Editor of the BAP. Dr. Cardellina is a renowned, highly respected natural products and botanicals expert. He most recently worked in research and development at McCormick & Co., Inc., where he conducted research on spice and herb quality and the development of new flavors.

The BAP is an international educational joint venture led by three nonprofit organizations: the American Botanical Council (ABC), the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP), and the National Center for Natural Products Research (NCNPR) at the University of Mississippi.

"I am excited to rejoin this important effort by ABC, AHP, and NCNPR," said Dr. Cardellina. "Adulteration is a growing problem in the supplement and food/flavor industries. Whether intentional or unintentional, adulteration is a serious disservice to consumers. I believe the Botanical Adulterants Program is a vitally important step in combating this problem, while simultaneously educating manufacturers, suppliers, researchers, and other interested parties."

From 2002 to 2007, Dr. Cardellina served as an expert chemist in the Screening Technologies Branch of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Prior to that, he was vice president of botanical science and regulatory affairs at the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), a leading industry trade group. Dr. Cardellina developed CRN's comprehensive botanicals agenda, intended to guide member companies in the manufacture of safe, high-quality, beneficial herbal products. Before joining CRN in April 1998, he was a senior investigator and head of the Natural Products Chemistry Section of the NCI's Laboratory of Drug Discovery, Research and Development.

Dr. Cardellina has published more than 195 scientific papers in peer-reviewed professional journals and has lectured extensively on issues related to natural products research and botanical products. He is a member of the American Chemical Society and the American Society of Pharmacognosy (ASP), for which he served as president from 2000 to 2001. Dr. Cardellina is on ABC's scientific advisory board and is chair of the Board of Directors of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia and the Board of Directors of the ASP Foundation.

"John has an impressive knowledge of natural products, and a good understanding of the issues with regard to authentication and the challenges it poses to the dietary supplement industry," said Stefan Gafner, PhD, ABC's chief science officer and technical director of the Botanical Adulterants Program. "He is a highly respected scientist and expert editor — he currently serves as book review editor of the Journal of Natural Products. It is a privilege to be working with John on the Program."

In addition to other publications on adulteration of specific botanical ingredients and extracts, Dr. Cardellina will be working on a Lab Guidance Document for analytical methods to authenticate so-called "grapefruit seed extract" (GFSE) and to detect synthetic antibacterial compounds that have frequently been found in analyses of GFSE, per an extensive review article published by the Program in HerbalGram 94 in 2012.

"We are deeply grateful for Dr. Cardellina's association with the Botanical Adulterants Program," said Mark Blumenthal, founder and executive director of ABC and director of the Program. "John was involved previously with the Program in its first year and authored the review of 10 analytical publications showing that grapefruit seed extract is adulterated with synthetic commercial disinfectants. We welcome his extensive experience to help move our Program forward."

Professor Ikhlas Khan, PhD, associate director of the NCNPR at the University of Mississippi, said, "John is [a] well established authority in natural products. He is a wonderful person, but unwavering when it comes to science and the facts. His unbiased approach towards the issue of adulteration will certainly strengthen the Program."

According to Roy Upton, director of AHP, "John brings a wealth of expertise and experience from the world of medical research and pharmacognosy. He has been a valued AHP director for several years and his further contributions to the Adulterants Program will be of immense value."

About the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program

The ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program is a consortium of independent nonprofit organizations whose mission relates to education, scientific research, and quality of botanical dietary ingredients and related plant-derived materials. The consortium is headed by three nonprofit groups dealing with education and research on medicinal herbs and other beneficial plants: the American Botanical Council, the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia, and the National Center for Natural Products Research at the University of Mississippi. The program is underwritten or endorsed by more than 130 natural products industry companies, independent analytical laboratories, contract research organizations, nonprofit and professional organizations, trade associations, accredited institutions of education in natural medicine, law firms, and media companies that are involved in the production, supply, manufacture, distribution, marketing, analysis, research, and/or education of herbal dietary ingredients and supplements, in the United States and internationally. All publications of the Program are available free-access on its homepage including the "Botanical Adulterants Monitor," an e-newsletter that conveys Program news, regulatory updates, and recent scientific publications related to adulteration, contamination, identity, and authenticity of botanical raw materials, extracts, and essential oils. Companies, organizations, foundations, and/or individuals interested in supporting this program are invited to contact Ms. Denise Meikel, ABC Development Director, at (512) 926-4900, ext. 120, or by email.

Underwriters and Supporters of the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program (as of Oct. 13, 2014)*

Financial Underwriters
21st Century Healthcare
AdvoCare International L.P.
Agilent Technologies, Inc.
Amen Clinics
Amway/Nutrilite Health Institute
Artemis International, Inc.
Aveda Corporation
BI Nutraceuticals
Bioceuticals
Bionorica SE
Blackmores
Capsugel
Cepham, Inc.
Chemi Nutra
CNCA Health
Crila Health
dicentra, Inc.
Doctor's Best
Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps
DSM Nutritional Products, Inc.
Emerson Ecologics
Enzymatic Therapy, Inc.
Ethical Naturals, Inc.
Eu Yan Sang International
EuroMed
EuroMedica
EuroPharma
Flavex Naturextrakte GmbH
FoodState/MegaFood
Fruit d'Or
Gaia Herbs
Gencor Nutrients, Inc.
GNC, Inc.
Helios Corp.
Herb Pharm
Herbalife International, Inc.
Horphag Research
Indena USA, Inc.
Ingredient Identity
Linnea
Markan Global Enterprises, Inc.
Martin Bauer, Inc.
MediHerb / Integria Healthcare
Metagenics, Inc.
Natural Factors Nutritional Products, Inc./Bioclinic
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage
Naturals
Nature's Sunshine Products
Nature's Way
Naturex, Inc.
NBTY, Inc.
New Chapter, Inc.
The New Frontier Foundation Fund of the Greater Cedar Rapids
Community Foundation
Ningbo Greenhealth Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Novel Ingredients
NOW Foods
Nu Skin Enterprises/Pharmanex
Nutritional Laboratories International
Ortho Molecular Products
Pacific Nutritional Inc.
Paragon Laboratories
Pathway International Pty Limited
Perrigo Company
Pharmatoka SAS
Pharmavite, LLC
Pure Encapsulations
Rainbow Light Nutritional Systems
RFI Ingredients, LLC
Sabinsa Corporation
Schwabe North America
Shaklee Corp
Standard Process, Inc.
Thorne Research, Inc.
Traditional Medicinals, Inc.
Triarco Industries, Inc.
Unigen
Valensa International
V.D.F. FutureCeuticals
Verdure Sciences
Vitamin Shoppe
Weil Lifestyle, LLC
Whole Foods Market
ZMC-USA

Trade Associations
Australian Self Medication Industry
Australian Tea Tree Industry Association (Australia)
Complementary Healthcare Council of Australia (Australia)
Consumer Healthcare Products Association (US)
Council for Responsible Nutrition (US)
International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Associations (IADSA)
Natural Products Association (US)
United Natural Products Alliance (US)

Nonprofit/Professional Associations
American Association of Naturopathic Physicians
American Society of Pharmacognosy
Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute
Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research - GA 

Colleges/Universities
Bastyr University
Boucher Institute for Naturopathic Medicine
National College of Natural Medicine
Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine
University of Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine

Third-Party Analytical
Laboratories
Alkemist Labs
AuthenTechnologies LLC
Bent Creek Institute
British Columbia Institute of Technology
ChromaDex
Covance Laboratories
Eurofins Scientific Inc.
Flora Research Labs
NSF International
Spectrix Labs
Tampa Bay Analytical

Media
Delicious Living
Engredea
Functional Ingredients
Holistic Primary Care
Informa Exhibitions US
Integrator Blog
Modern Healthcare Practitioner
Natural Foods Merchandiser
Natural Products INSIDER
NewHope360.com
Nutraceuticals World
NutraingredientsUSA.com
Nutrition Business Journal
Nutrition Industry Executive
Nutritional Outlook
Vitamin Retailer
WholeFoods Magazine

Law Firms & Regulatory Consultants
Amin Talati, LLC
Greenberg Traurig, LLP (James Prochnow)
Law Office of Holly Bayne, P.C.
Robert Forbes & Associates

Contract Research
Organizations
KGK Synergize
Medicus Research

Other
Korean Ginseng Research Institute
Shanghai Research Center for TCM Modernization/Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica of the Chinese Academy of Sciences 

*By acknowledging the generous support of these companies and organizations, ABC, AHP, and NCNPR are not endorsing any ingredients or products that may be produced or marketed by them.

About the American Botanical Council
Founded in 1988, the American Botanical Council is a leading international nonprofit organization that addresses research and educational issues regarding botanicals, teas, medicinal plants, essential oils, other therapeutic plant-derived materials, and beneficial fungi. ABC's members and stakeholders include researchers, health professionals, consumers, nonprofit organizations, libraries, universities, herb and cosmetic industry members, and others in more than 80 countries. The organization occupies a historic 2.5-acre site in Austin, Texas, where it publishes the peer-reviewed quarterly journal HerbalGram, the monthly e-publication HerbalEGram, the weekly e-newsletter Herbal News & Events, HerbClips (summaries of scientific and clinical publications), reference books, and other educational materials. ABC also hosts HerbMedPro, a powerful herbal database, covering scientific and clinical publications on more than 250 herbs. ABC also co-produces the "Herbal Insights" segment for Healing Quest, a television series on PBS, and manages the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program, an international consortium of nonprofit professional societies, industry trade organizations, analytical laboratories, industry members, and other parties committed to increasing educational information on the quality and authenticity of botanical raw materials, extracts and essential oils in the global marketplace.

ABC is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code. Information: Contact ABC at P.O. Box 144345, Austin, TX 78714-4345, Phone: 512-926-4900. Website: www.herbalgram.org. Contact: Public Relations.

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