Bioexploration for Botanicals with Therapeutic Value

Dr. Ilya Raskin's laboratory concentrates on plant-derived therapeutic agents for major human diseases. Our goal is to discover, study, and develop novel botanical drugs, dietary supplements and functional foods; characterize and enhance their pharmacological effect; and assure their efficient production in plant-based systems. Our expertise includes biochemistry and pharmacology of natural products; ethnobotany and international bioexploration; and molecular biology.

International Bioexploration

Our laboratory serves as the headquarters of the Global Institute for BioExploration, a global research and development network that promotes ethical, natural product-based pharmacological bioexploration to benefit human health and the environment in developing countries. Nine African countries, five American countries and four Asian countries are current GIBEX members. GIBEX also works with indigenous communities in Alaska and North Dakota. Dr. Raskin is the president of GIBEX.

One of the largest components of GIBEX is the International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups (ICBG) research project that involves four Central Asia countries, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, and a large group of US scientists (/). ICBG is a joint initiative between The National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The goal of this program is to demonstrate that the discovery and development of pharmaceuticals and other useful agents from natural products can promote economic opportunities and enhanced research capacity in developing countries, while conserving the biological resources from which these products are derived.

Another major component of GIBEX is the US-South Africa Antimalarial Drug Consortium established to discover novel plant-derived drugs for the treatment and prevention of malaria. University of Cape Town and North Carolina State University are members of the Consortium.

Botanical Center for Metabolic Syndrome

Our laboratory runs the Botanical Core for the NIH-funded Botanical Center for Metabolic Syndrome at Louisiana State University, established April 2004. The Center is involved in the study of botanical products for diabetes and obesity. Dr. Raskin serves as an associate director for this center.

Other Highlights

Our laboratory published 150 scientific papers and received 20 patents covering various aspects of plant-derived medicines.

More Info

• Ilya Raskin's Lab Website