Development of Next Generation Natural Health Products.

最近的研究已经确定了植物食品和药物中植物化学物质的许多健康益处。药用植物在加拿大注册为许可的天然健康产品（NHP），富含植物化学物质，但工业使用的传统技术限制了商业产品中植物化学物质的多样性和稳定性。在该提案中，加拿大主要的NHP制造商St弗朗西斯草药农场（SFHF）和渥太华大学（UO）植物化学小组将开发下一代提取方法，生产广谱植物化学提取物和富含有益植物化学物质或不含有机溶剂等不良物质的目标提取物。该项目包括5个目标。第一种是使用不同的提取技术（例如干燥材料的冷指和亚临界水提取物、新鲜材料的螺旋压榨提取物）和干燥方法（例如冻干、真空干燥、喷雾干燥）制备18种流行植物物种的提取物。在目标2中，将使用最近开发的用于分析植物提取物的代谢组学方法来衡量和比较使用不同提取和干燥技术获得的化学多样性/复杂性。第三个目标是应用UO信息学平台来识别植物提取物中可能有助于有益健康的未知植物化学物质。在目标4中，将完成使用不同提取技术制备的植物提取物中标记化合物的有针对性的定量比较。标记物图谱将包括已确立的商业标记物以及目标3中确定的标记物。最终目的是比较不同提取和干燥技术对提取物化学的影响，以确定每种植物的最佳方法。安大略基金评估下一代提取物稳定性的单独申请将为新产品开发提供补充翻译数据。该研究将以加拿大在NHP监管方面的投资为基础，使SFHF能够加强领导并进入国际市场，培训学生以满足NHP相关行业/研究的需求，并为消费者提供安全的健康产品。

Recent research has identified numerous health benefits of phytochemicals in plant foods and medicines. Medicinal plants, registered in Canada as licensed Natural Health Products (NHP), are rich in phytochemicals but traditional technologies used by industry limit the diversity and stability of phytochemicals present in commercial products. In this proposal St Francis Herb Farm (SFHF), a major Canadian manufacturer of NHPs, and the University of Ottawa (UO) phytochemistry group will develop next generation extraction methods that produce broad spectrum phytochemical extracts and targeted extracts enriched in beneficial phytochemicals or free of undesired substances like organic solvents. The project consists of 5 objectives. The first is to prepare extracts of 18 popular botanical species using different extraction technologies (e.g. coldfinger and sub-critical water extracts of dried material, screw press extracts of fresh material) and drying methods (e.g. lyophilization, vacuum drying, spray drying). In Objective 2, recently developed metabolomic methods for profiling botanical extracts will be used to gauge and compare the chemical diversity/complexity obtained using different extraction and drying technologies. The third objective is to apply UO informatics platforms to identify unknown phytochemicals in botanical extracts that may contribute to beneficial health effects. In Objective 4, a targeted quantitative comparison of marker compounds in botanical extracts made using different extraction technologies will be completed. Marker profiles will include established commercial markers as well as those identified in Objective 3. The final objective is to compare the the impact of different extraction and drying technologies on extract chemistry to identify optimal methods for each plant species. A separate application for Ontario funds to assess the stability of next generation extracts will provide complementary translational data for new product development. The research will build on Canada's investment in NHP regulation, allow SFHF to strengthen leadership and move into international markets, to train students to fill demand in NHP-related industry/research, and to provide consumers with safe products with health benefits.