Trendy Botany’s Founder, Simon Jackson (aka Dr Simon), is a Physician of Pharmacognosy. In easy phrases, Pharmacognosy is the examine of medicines derived from vegetation.
Pharma/Medication + Cognosy/ Data = Data of medicine or medicines
As one in every of only a few Pharmacognists left on the earth, Dr Simon has devoted his 30+ yr profession to this arm of medication.
By in depth research and numerous expeditions he developed a selected curiosity and fervour for pure cosmetics and nutraceutical product analysis. Lengthy earlier than it grew to become fashionable to take action, he started selling a pure motion within the cosmeceutical trade. From the early ‘90s he began to develop formulations based mostly on the ideas of Pharmacognosy – a novel method which was based on science and evidence-based analysis.
“I knew my expertise and data might add big worth in not solely deciding on which extracts had been used, however checking the standard of elements and guaranteeing that they had been pharmacy grade. Even right now, it’s widespread for plant extracts to be adulterated with cheaper alternate options. Feverfew, for instance, is commonly used instead of Chamomile and whereas the plant and flower look the identical to the bare eye, they’ve a complete completely different pharmacology.”
Dr Simon Jackson – Trendy Botany, Co-founder
In additional element…
Pharmacognosy has been round for a very long time and we are able to report how people have used vegetation again to the Stone Age, however Western medication originates from Greek philosophers. Dioscorides (40-90AD) was one of many first to doc the ‘De Materia Medica’ or medical materials, and it’s from right here that we discover the origins of Western medication. The ‘De Materia Medica’ was the primary precursor to all trendy pharmacopeias. Which means ‘drug making’ in Greek, these are books printed by governments or medical our bodies which include the instructions for the identification of all compound medicines.
Pharmacognosy is a multidisciplinary examine drawing on a broad spectrum of organic and socio-scientific topics together with:
botany, medical ethnobotany, medical anthropology, marine biology, microbiology, natural medication, chemistry, biotechnology, phytochemistry, pharmacology, pharmaceutics, scientific pharmacy, pharmacy apply.
The modern examine of pharmacognosy is damaged down into;
– Medical ethnobotany: the examine of the normal use of vegetation for medicinal functions
– Ethnopharmacology: the examine of pharmacological qualities of conventional medicinal substances
– Phytotherapy: the medicinal use of plant extracts
– Phytochemistry: the examine of chemical substances derived from vegetation, together with the identification of recent drug candidates derived from plant sources
Though most pharmacognostic research concentrate on vegetation and medicines derived from vegetation, different kinds of organisms are additionally thought to be pharmacognostically attention-grabbing, specifically:
microbes, like micro organism, fungi and many others – assume antibiotics – and extra just lately marine organisms, for instance some attention-grabbing anti-cancer merchandise derived from sea sponges.
Simon’s journey to changing into a Pharmacognosist…
Simon graduated from Manchester Metropolitan College with a level in ‘Utilized Organic Sciences’ and a serious in ‘Drug Discovery and Toxicology’.
He went on to get a Masters and PhD in Pure Product Science at King’s School, London. This 3-year programme was the place Simon “learnt his commerce” below Professor Peter Houghton, earlier than doing a Put up Doctorate at Kew Gardens within the the Jodrell Laboratory.
Dr Simon’s educational research have performed only one factor of his on-going studying and discovery. On his journey, at house and away, he has been lucky to satisfy, practice and analysis alongside fellow inspirational colleagues together with Professor Kostermans, James Duke and Mark Blumenthal to call a couple of.
