The proposed Purdue University-University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Botanicals Center is a basic research center that organizes and maintains a multi-disciplinary program for experimental research on botanicals as dietary supplements and serves as national resource on botanical authentication, training, and consumer education. We have a history of strengths in the plant sciences, pharmaceuticals and pharmacognosy, analytical capabilities, biostatistics and human and animal studies on bioavailability and metabolism of dietary constituents. The Center focuses the diverse basic research and education strength of Purdue University and University of Alabama at Birmingham with the clinical support at Purdue University and the General Clinical Research Center at Indiana University School of Medicine on characterizing the active ingrediants in botanicals with an emphasis on polyphenolics and determining their efficacy in reducing risk of age-related diseases including osteoporosis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegeneration. To facilitate this research, the Botanicals Center will provide shared resources that include the following Supporting Cores: Administrative and Biostatistical; Botanics and Educational; Analytical: Clinical, Accelerator Mass Spectrometry, and Bioanalytical Systems; and In Vivo Assessment. In additional, the Botanicals Center support grant would provide developmental funds for training and outreach in botanicals and stimulating new and current faculty to engage in botanicals research. This application requests support for the administration and organization of the Center, planning and evaluation, shared resources, pilot grant funds, and funding for four specific projects: 1) Isoflavones and Osteoporosis; 2) Grape Polyphenols and Neuroprotection; 3) Polyphenols and Cancer; and 4) Polyphenols and Inflammation. The requested funds will allow the Purdue University-University of Alabama Botanicals Center to focus the basic research strengths of these Universities on evaluation of the health effects of botanicals.
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