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<div>Thank you, Patricia, for your kind and positive comments about ABC's recent critique of the Newmaster et al paper in BMC Medicine. We here at ABC certainly appreciate your sending this out to your MPWG list serve members. </div>
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<div>Gratefully, </div>
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<div>Mark</div>
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<div>Mark Blumenthal</div>
<div>Founder & Executive Director</div>
<div>American Botanical Council</div>
<div>Editor-in-Chief, <i>HerbalGram </i>& HerbClip</div>
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<div>PO Box 144345</div>
<div>Austin, TX 78714-4345</div>
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<div>www.herbalgram.org</div>
Skype: markblumenthal1</div>
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<span style="font-weight:bold">From: </span>"<De Angelis>", Patricia De Angelis <<a href="mailto:patricia_deangelis@fws.gov">patricia_deangelis@fws.gov</a>><br>
<span style="font-weight:bold">Date: </span>Thursday, November 7, 2013 7:03 AM<br>
<span style="font-weight:bold">To: </span>mpwg <<a href="mailto:mpwg@lists.plantconservation.org">mpwg@lists.plantconservation.org</a>><br>
<span style="font-weight:bold">Subject: </span>[MPWG] Important critique of DNA Barcoding publication that claimed contamination and substitution in North American herbal products<br>
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<div dir="ltr">The efficacy of medicinal plants in the United States is often maligned due to poorly designed clinical trials or research projects. Unfortunately, the public hears the sensational headlines surrounding the initial negative findings, but rarely
do balanced, reliable responses such as the one provided by American Botanical Council get any airtime. I'm doing my part.<br>
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<div>Patricia S. De Angelis, Ph.D.</div>
<div>Botanist, Division of Scientific Authority-US Fish & Wildlife Service-International Affairs</div>
<div>Chair, Medicinal Plant Working Group-Plant Conservation Alliance</div>
<div>4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 110</div>
<div>Arlington, VA 22203</div>
<div>703-358-1708 x1753</div>
<div>FAX: 703-358-2276</div>
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<div>Promoting sustainable use and conservation of our native medicinal plants. </div>
<div><<a href="http://www.nps.gov/plants/medicinal" target="_blank">www.nps.gov/plants/medicinal</a>></div>
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<div>Follow International Affairs</div>
<div>> on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/USFWSInternatl" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/USFWSInternatl</a></div>
<div>> on Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/USFWS_InternationalAffairs" target="_blank">
http://www.facebook.com/USFWS_InternationalAffairs</a></div>
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<h2 style=""><font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" style="font-weight:normal">=============================</font></h2>
<h2 style=""><font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" style="font-weight:normal">ABC Review and Critique of the Research Article "DNA Barcoding Detects Contamination and Substitution In North American Herbal Products" by Newmaster et al.</font></h2>
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<div><span style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">By Stefan Gafner, PhD; Mark Blumenthal; Danica Harbaugh Reynaud, PhD; </span><span style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; ">Steven Foster; Natascha Techen, PhD </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">A team of botanical identification, natural product, and other experts</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">critiques an article published in the open-access journal BMC Medicine</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">that found a high percentage of adulterated herbal products. This</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">critique lists 10 problems, errors, and areas of confusion in the DNA</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">paper, as noted in a November 5 press release from ABC. </span></div>
<div><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><br>
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<div><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">Read </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">more>></span><a href="http://cms.herbalgram.org/heg/volume10/11November/DNAbarcodingReviewandCritique.html?ts=1383766837&signature=a128c179cbedfa05155fc48079e7ceb4" target="_blank">http://cms.herbalgram.org/heg/volume10/11November/DNAbarcodingReviewandCritique.html?ts=1383766837&signature=a128c179cbedfa05155fc48079e7ceb4</a><br>
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