In last year's MEMBG Newsletter 3(1) we enthusiastically informed our readers that a replacement greenhouse for the UCLA plant biology researchers will be built in 2001, to be sited just south of Hershey Hall and including a portion of MEMBG. That project, formally called the Plant Growth Center, is in full gear now, having received the final stamp of approval by the UC Regents on November 16, 2000. Building completion is expected by the end of 2001. Of course, nobody looks forward to the construction phase of any project, but the plant biologists are excited about moving to the new building from the Plant Physiology growth facilities, which were first occupied in 1950 and therefore are quite antiquated. The Plant Growth Center will provide research and support space for the Plant Molecular Biology Research Group and the recently established Center for Dietary Supplements Research: Botanicals, part of the more inclusive Center for Human Nutrition headed by Dr. David Heber.
We're also delighted to tell you that a team of UCLA researchers, headed by Dr. Lenny Rome and including plant biologist Professor Ann Hirsch, received a grant from the National Institutes of Health for $2.5 million to help fund the construction for performing health research in the new facility. It may seem strange for the NIH to support building a greenhouse, so that needs some explaining. The explanation should pique your interest, because their research likely will have far-reaching consequences for all of us.
Botanical dietary supplements and nutraceuticals have become very popular and are widely used, fueling $1.5 billion per year domestic sales, which are increasing steadily as U.S. interest grows in modern herbal medicine. Dietary supplements include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs, and various plant products that are sold to promote better health. But what do we really know about the pills that we buy from local stores and markets that are prepared from leaves, flowers, or roots? How much information about herbal preparations is genuine, and how much is snake oil? What are the active ingredients, and is the dietary supplement really good for what ails you? These are the questions being asked by Ann Hirsch and her coworkers.
The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 established a federal framework for the regulation of product labeling and information about dietary supplements. A manufacturer is not permitted now to make a specific claim for a product in promotional material and on packaging and must carry a disclaimer, "This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease." The total quantity of all ingredients and the phrase "dietary supplement" must be included on every label. A real problem, though, is that manufacturers of herbal preparations are not required to employ rigid quality controls; different batches from the same company can vary greatly in purity, reliability, and composition and consistency of active ingredients.
Because dietary supplements have very little standardization, good scientific studies are difficult to perform, and contradictory pharmacological effects have been reported. One aim of the UCLA team is to determine the variability in the contents of marker and bioactive substances of popular dietary supplements. Ann Hirsch will be employing molecular techniques based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to track the ingredients for particular dietary supplements.
To help our readers appreciate the potentials of plant materials for promoting health, this newsletter issue includes an article by Professor Hirsch about one of her favorite plants, alfalfa.