Principal Investigators: Barbara N. Timmermann, Ph.D. and Janet L. Funk, M.D.
Institution: University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
This multidisciplinary botanical center was established at the University of Arizona (UA) to promote the scientific study of botanicals available to the public as dietary supplements in order to advance the quality and quantity of scientific information about these products. The Arizona Board of Regents approved the Arizona Center for Phytomedicine Research (ACPRx) as a Center of Excellence at the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology within the College of Pharmacy at the UA in November 2001. The ACPRx concentrated its research efforts on studies of the safety and efficacy of three then understudied botanicals widely used in Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases: ginger root, turmeric root, and boswellia resin. Research projects focused on the chemistry of active compounds or mixtures of compounds, their mechanisms of action, oral bioavailability and pharmacodynamics/pharmacokinetics. Research projects included: Botanical Chemistry, Mechanism of Action and Bioinformatics; Botanical Oral Bioavailability; Botanical in vivo Anti-inflammatory Efficacy and Mechanism of Action.
Highlighted Publications
Funk JL, Frye JB, Oyarzo JN, Zhang H, Timmermann BN. Anti-arthritic effects and toxicity of the essential oils of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.). J Agric Food Chem. 2010;58(2):842-849. doi:10.1021/jf9027206
Funk JL, Frye JB, Oyarzo JN, et al. Efficacy and mechanism of action of turmeric supplements in the treatment of experimental arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54(11):3452-3464. doi:10.1002/art.22180
Funk JL, Frye JB, Oyarzo JN, Timmermann BN. Comparative effects of two gingerol-containing Zingiber officinale extracts on experimental rheumatoid arthritis. J Nat Prod. 2009;72(3):403-407. doi:10.1021/np8006183
Kiela PR, Midura AJ, Kuscuoglu N, et al. Effects of Boswellia serrata in mouse models of chemically induced colitis. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2005;288(4):G798-G808. doi:10.1152/ajpgi.00433.2004