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<DIV><FONT size=2>Just a few random thoughts....</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Going deeper into specifics like from raw herb to herb extract
to individual phytochemicals, the line between natural and synthetic becomes
extremely blurred. Take the case of Vitamin E. The synthetic form is known as
Tocopheryl acetate. While a product containing "Natural Vitamin E" contains an
extract from many plants (chiefly soybean cake after oil has been expressed)
actually contains "Mixed tocopherols" in varying fractions. As per various
clinical studies conducted, the pharmacological action (many of them have been
attributed) is significantly better of mixed tocopherols rather than just the
acetate form. Similar studies are being reported off and on regarding many more
herbs where frequently it has been observed that a whole herb extract has
provided better clinical results than phytochemicals. Thus, my premise is that
once we get to the phytochemical part in a herb, we are really talking chemistry
here instead of herbs.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Secondly, rather than botanical products containing synthetics
(this is defined as adulteration per my standards), the other is becoming far
more popular. While bioprospecting by the pharmaceutical companies has been
known for quite some time, where the pharmaceutical industry is looking for
leads to new molecules from such herbal medicines, there is an active trend in
research to produce conventional pharmaceuticals in plants due to the complexity
of enzymatic reactions available in plants. A visit to this website <A
href="http://www.plantpharma.org/">http://www.plantpharma.org/</A> will
provide a good perspective on this field. Therefore the synthetics are also now
on the verge of becoming "natural" (at least in origin).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>So much flip-flop from natural to synthetic to natural to
....................</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>If all this is making you feel dizzy, just do what I am doing
now - having a hot cup of ginger tea.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>J P S Kohli (B. Pharm)<BR>Business Horizons<BR>Pharmaceutical
Publishers<BR>G-59, Masjid Moth, GK-2<BR>New Delhi - 110 048, INDIA</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Ph: (91) 921206 1554<BR>Fax: (91-11) 5163 7296<BR>US Fax: 1
(815) 642 4900</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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href="mailto:info@businesshorizons.com">info@businesshorizons.com</A><BR>Alternate:
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href="mailto:businesshorizons@yahoo.com">businesshorizons@yahoo.com</A><BR>Web
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