PHARMACOGNOSTIC STUDIES OF BOTANICALS USED BY NATIVE AMERICANS FOR THE BENEFIT OF WOMEN’S HEALTH

Menopause is an inescapable fact of life for women. Previously, Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) was the major pharmaceutical treatment for menopausal symptoms. However, since the 2002 Women’s Health Initiatives’ negative reports on HRT, many women resorted to botanicals and dietary supplements. In collaboration with the UIC/NIH Center for Botanical Dietary Supplements Research and the Chicago Botanic Garden (CBG), three botanicals historically used by Native Americans were screened for potential estrogenic, chemopreventive, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activity. These three botanicals: Amorpha canescens Pursh (Fabaceae), Echinocystis lobata (Michx.) Torr. & A. Gray (Cucurbitaceae) and Silphium perfoliatum L. (Asteraceae), potential to alleviate symptoms of women’s health issues such as menopause is significantly understudied. We hypothesize that at least one of these species will exemplify estrogenic, chemopreventive, antioxidant or anti-inflammatory activity. Botanicals that possess these activities are assumed to have an improved safety profile compared to HRT and thus a better alternative. Results from this research will in turn provide scientific evidence to support the traditional use of these botanicals.