USP sets up botanicals panel

The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) has established an advisory panel on botanicals. The new USP Botanical Advisory Panel will advise USP's Dietary Supplements-Botanicals Expert Committee on information regarding the historical use of botanicals, identification, global regulatory status, good agricultural practices, and handling. This will supplement the standards in the United States Pharmacopeia and National Formulary (USP-NF).

The panel will also explore the feasibility of developing Authentic Plant Reference Materials (APRM).

At the first meeting of the panel held in November, the panel agreed to focus its efforts on valerian, ginger, black cohosh, and saw palmetto, which also have USP monographs. The panel also plans to create additional information chapters in the USP-NF.

"With the formation of the advisory panel, we will be able to obtain and disseminate information on how to improve the quality of botanicals,"​ said David B. Roll, director of dietary supplements at USP. "Historically, USP has created standards for botanical products, however, we have never looked at factors that favor optimal growth, handling, and storage of botanicals."​

Comprising 12 members from academia, government, and industry, the panel is headed by William F. Popin, the director of research and development and quality for Young Living Essential Oils. He also is a member of USP's Dietary Supplement Botanicals Expert Committee. The committee develops monographs and establishes standards for botanical dietary supplements.

Other members of the panel include Simon Mills, professor at University of Exeter (Devon, England); Rudolf Bauer, professor at the Institut fuer Pharmakognosie (Graz, Austria); Mark Blumenthal, executive director at the American Botanical Council; Amala Raman, senior postgraduate tutor at King's College (London, England); Roy Upton, executive director of American Herbal Pharmacopoeia; John Cardellina, vice president of Council for Responsible Nutrition; James Miller, curator and head, Applied Research Department, Missouri Botanical Garden; Greg Pennyroyal, president, Growing Medicine; Ezio Bomabardelli of Indena (Milan, Italy); Kathy Sharpless, Analytical Chemistry Division, NIST; and Edward Fletcher, Strategic Sourcing. Gabriel Giancaspro is USP staff liaison to the panel, which will report to USP's Botanicals Expert Committee chaired by Paul Schiff.

USP​ is a non-government organization that also runs the Dietary Supplement Verification Program (DSVP), Health Care Information, and Patient Safety.