Pharmacognosy News and Research

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Pharmacognosy is the study of medicines or crude drugs produced from natural sources such as plants, microbes, and animals. It includes analysis of their biological, chemical, biochemical, and physical properties.

UIC scientists identify hidden proteins in bacteria

Scientists at the University of Illinois at Chicago have developed a way to identify the beginning of every gene -- known as a translation start site or a start codon -- in bacterial cell DNA with a single experiment and, through this method, they have shown that an individual gene is capable of coding for more than one protein.

21 Mar 2019

UIC researchers receive $1.7 million NCI grant to study Southeast Asian fruit

For generations, traditional healers in Southeast Asia have used the mangosteen fruit to treat skin infections, wounds, dysentery and urinary tract infections.

18 Jan 2019

Cancer cells hijack communication between fallopian tube and ovary to drive tumor growth

New research from the University of Illinois at Chicago shows that cancer cells in the fallopian tube affect normal chemical signaling between reproductive tissues and stimulate the release of norepinephrine, a small molecule hormone, from the ovary.

10 Oct 2018

National Institutes of Health supports novel drug discovery research

Approximately $1.7 million in new funding from the National Institutes of Health will enable a multidisciplinary team of University of Illinois at Chicago researchers to build a reference library of bacteria to help scientists quickly identify bacterial strains and analyze their disease-fighting potential.

5 Oct 2018

Nosopharm and UIC reveal pharmacology of new class of antibiotics to combat drug resistance

Nosopharm, a company dedicated to the research and development of new anti-infective drugs, and the University of Illinois at Chicago today announce the publication of a study in Molecular Cell on the mechanism of action of odilorhabdins, a new class of antibiotics to combat antibiotic resistance.

9 Apr 2018

Research team identifies new class of antibiotics to fight drug resistance

Researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago and Nosopharm, a biotechnology company based in Lyon, France, are part of an international team reporting on the discovery of a new class of antibiotics.

6 Apr 2018

UIC scientists identify new chemical compound to stop bacteria from causing sickness

A study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry is the first to describe a signaling pathway that affects communication -- a process called quorum sensing -- between Streptococcus bacteria cells.

6 Feb 2018

Licorice could pose health risk by interacting with medications

Licorice roots have a diverse and flavorful history, having been used in ancient Egyptian times as a tea and in traditional Chinese medicines, all the way to today as a flavoring agent and as an ingredient in some licorice candies.

21 Aug 2017

Plant compound found to be effective against drug-resistant HIV

A plant found throughout Southeast Asia traditionally used to treat arthritis and rheumatism contains a potent anti-HIV compound more powerful than the drug AZT, according to a new paper published in the Journal of Natural Compounds.

15 Jun 2017

Natural compound in grape seed extract could increase strength, life of composite-resin fillings

A natural compound found in grape seed extract could be used to strengthen dentin -- the tissue beneath a tooth's enamel -- and increase the life of resin fillings, according to new research at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry.

10 May 2017

Researchers finding way to manipulate signals in bacteria to reduce infections

The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy has received a five-year, $1.25 million federal grant to continue its research into how bacteria that cause streptococcal infections can be manipulated.

12 Jan 2017

Two widely prescribed antibiotics may combat bacteria differently than previously thought

Two widely prescribed antibiotics -- chloramphenicol and linezolid -- may fight bacteria in a different way from what scientists and doctors thought for years, University of Illinois at Chicago researchers have found.

2 Nov 2016

Hops extract activates chemical pathway in cells to help prevent breast cancer

An enriched hops extract activates a chemical pathway in cells that could help prevent breast cancer, according to new laboratory findings from the UIC/NIH Center for Botanical Dietary Supplements Research at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

12 Jul 2016

Scientists discover genetic pathway responsible for brain development

Scientists at A*STAR's Institute of Medical Biology and Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology have identified a genetic pathway that accounts for the extraordinary size of the human brain.

19 Dec 2014

ABC Varro E. Tyler Commercial Investment in Phytomedicinal Research Award presented to Wakunaga

The American Botanical Council has presented its 2013 Varro E. Tyler Commercial Investment in Phytomedicinal Research Award to Wakunaga Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd., of Osaka, Japan. Since its founding in 1955, the company has been committed to rigorous scientific and clinical research of its products, including its top-selling, clinically researched odorless Aged Garlic Extract¨.

10 Mar 2014

Crowdsourcing fungal metabolites with antitumor activity: an interview with Dr. Robert H. Cichewicz, University of Oklahoma

Fungi have played a large role in the development of many important drugs that are in wide use today. The most well-known of these are the penicillins.

7 Jan 2014

Scientists discover crucial role of nitric oxide in cellular signaling and health

Scientists at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy have discovered a new role for nitric oxide, a gas molecule crucial for cellular signaling and health.

26 Aug 2013

UIC College of Pharmacy receives grant to train students in natural product drugs

Elizabeth Martinez hopes to one day discover a cure for menopausal symptoms using an herbal dietary supplement. With the help of a new federal training grant to the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, her vision may become reality.

5 Apr 2013

Researchers identifiy elusive anti-cancer property of vitamin E

Researchers have identified an elusive anti-cancer property of vitamin E that has long been presumed to exist, but difficult to find. Many animal studies have suggested that vitamin E could prevent cancer, but human clinical trials following up on those findings have not shown the same benefits.

16 Mar 2013

Five early career women scientists receive 2013 Elsevier Foundation Awards

Five medical and life science researchers from Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean Basin today received the 2013 Elsevier Foundation Awards for Early Career Women Scientists in the Developing World for work that could contribute to life-saving knowledge and therapies worldwide.

18 Feb 2013