AAPS Book Probes Science Behind Nutraceuticals

ARLINGTON, Va. - AAPS Press, a division of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS), announces the publication of a book that explores the science and quality issues of nutraceuticals. Examining The Science Behind Nutraceuticals: Proceedings of the AAPS Dietary Supplements Forum features presentations by leading pharmaceutical scientists and physicians in industry and academia, top association executives, and an official from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The forum was held June 28-30, 2000 in Washington, DC.

The goal of the AAPS Dietary Supplements Forum and the book, as stated by Larry Augsburger, Ph.D., chair of the AAPS Dietary Supplements Advisory Board and forum chair, is to "gain a better understanding of the science and quality issues of dietary supplements and promote the formulation of new scientific initiatives to remove any barriers to the formation of public policy and establishment of appropriate, rational standards that protect consumers."

In his welcoming remarks, Augsburger, a former AAPS president, cautions consumers that reading labels and comparing prices are not the best means to determine a dietary supplement's effectiveness and side effects. He stresses that consumers need to engage in critical pre-purchase research on any dietary supplement they wish to buy. Augsburger provides guidance to consumers on how to protect themselves from potentially dangerous or possibly ineffective products.

Key issues addressed in the book include:

• Can Vitamins or Herbal Remedies Lose Their Effectiveness? They can, but consumers don't know when products expire because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn't require expiration dates for dietary supplements. So how do consumers know when products have lost their potency? A professor of food science and engineering at the University of Minnesota addresses the issue of shelf life testing for dietary supplements.
• Regulatory implications of the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health Education Act (DSHEA) and FDA plans for its implementation
• Current status and challenges of validating the health benefits and risks of dietary supplements
• Challenges of educating both health care professionals and consumers about dietary supplements
• Extraction methods, analytical challenges and other issues/problems involved in standardizing botanical extracts
• Drug permeability, solubility and metabolism in oral bioavailability and potential implications for dietary supplement delivery
• Scientific barriers to establishing appropriate standards for the manufacture, product quality and performance of dietary supplements.

The proceedings from the AAPS Dietary Supplements Forum feature presentations, panel discussions and question-and-answer sessions in a practical, reader-friendly format.

Some of the presenters included:

• Paul M. Coates, Ph.D., Director, Office of Dietary Supplements, NIH
• Roger L. Williams, M.D., President and CEO, United States Pharmacopeia
• Derrick M. DeSilva, Jr., M.D., President, American Nutraceutical Association
• Joseph M. Betz, Ph.D., Vice President, American Herbal Products Association
• Larry D. Lawson, Ph.D., Research Director, Plant Bioactives Research Institute
• David S. Hungerford, M.D., Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University
• Bernadette M. Marriott, Ph.D., Vice President, Programs & Communications, Burroughs Wellcome Fund

About AAPS
AAPS is a professional, scientific society of more than 11,000 members employed in academia, industry, government and other research institutes worldwide. For more information about AAPS, visit AAPS Pharmaceutica at www.aapspharmaceutica.com .

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional information, contact Debbie Werfel at 703-248-4743, WerfelD@aaps.org or Jim Greif at 703-248-4744, GreifJ@aaps.org .

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