HerbalScience Identifies Health Benefits of its Elderberry Extract in Multiple Scientific Research Studies

HerbalScience Identifies Health Benefits of its Elderberry Extract in Multiple
Scientific Research Studies
-- Research Validates Historical Medicinal Use of Elderberry, Demonstrates
Mode of Action and Efficacy of HerbalScience's Proprietary Elderberry Extract
--

NAPLES, Fla., Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The 21st century is seeing renewed
interest in traditional and alternative medicine, with a particular focus on
herbs and botanicals that have long been thought to have therapeutic
qualities. One of those botanicals is elderberry, which for centuries has been
used as a home remedy for upper respiratory health to ward off infection. Now,
researchers at HerbalScience Group have employed advanced scientific methods
and innovative technology to uncover the science behind that traditional use,
and have developed a proprietary, standardized elderberry extract with
scientifically demonstrable antiviral properties and health benefits.

"There is enormous potential in examining the therapeutic properties of
botanicals from a science-based perspective," said Dr. Roberta Lee, Vice Chair
of the Department of Integrative Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center, and a
recognized expert on the use of alternative, integrative therapies and
botanical supplements in optimizing wellness and managing chronic disease.
"The HerbalScience elderberry extract showing activity against H1N1 Human
Influenza virus is an example of why the health benefits of botanicals should
be investigated. The initial human clinical trial results look promising and
call for a larger trial to demonstrate the product's health benefits in the
general population."

It has long been known that the fruit of the elderberry is highly enriched in
compounds that have established health benefits through their antioxidant and
immune functions. But, said Randall S. Alberte, Ph.D., Chief Scientific
Officer of HerbalScience Group LLC, "it is only within the past few decades
that the bulk of the potential health benefits of elderberries have been
recognized, and there is now an increasing library of scientific data to
support the empirical evidence."

HerbalScience Group, a Naples, Florida, and Singapore-based company dedicated
to applying advanced science and technology to the production of botanical
drugs and nutraceuticals, has placed itself at the forefront of the research
into how elderberry provides its beneficial health characteristics. The
company's scientists developed new, patent-pending extraction technologies
that are able to extract a broad diversity of phytochemicals from botanicals
and create consistently reproducible extracts that have a reliable chemical
"fingerprint" for each batch and each dose. In addition, using advanced DART
(Direct Analysis in Real Time) Time-of-Flight mass spectrometry, the company
is able to detect, identify with high accuracy, and quantify the hundreds of
individual chemicals present in its extracts in order to identify the key
bioactive chemical compounds.

In the case of elderberry, HerbalScience created a proprietary elderberry
extract and initiated studies that would first, identify the key bioactives in
elderberry that function in an antiviral manner, and second, establish the
mode of action of these bioactives in relation to the viral life cycle. An
initial laboratory study conducted with the Human Influenza A (H1N1) virus was
successful in identifying specific flavonoids in the elderberry extract that
inhibit viral infection in vitro. The study also established that the
flavonoids bind to the H1N1 and other related viruses, and when bound, block
the virus from entering host cells, effectively preventing infection. The
research was published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal
Phytochemistry.(1)

Taking it to the next step, HerbalScience sponsored a pilot, randomized
clinical trial to assess the efficacy of its proprietary elderberry extract in
addressing flu-like symptoms in humans. The double-blind, placebo-controlled
study, conducted at Shanghai Construction Technical College, China, during the
spring 2009 flu season, involved 64 patients each presenting with three or
more flu-like symptoms including fever, headache, muscle aches, coughing,
nasal mucus discharge, and nasal congestion. After 48 hours of dosing, most
patients in the placebo group reported symptoms that were unchanged or even
worse than initially, while patients receiving the elderberry extract reported
significant reduction in symptoms, with 28% being symptom-free. Full results
of the pilot clinical trial were published in the scientific journal Online
Journal of Pharmacology and PharmacoKinetics.(2)

"Our research is ongoing, but it is already clear that our proprietary
elderberry extract offers health benefits that are scientifically and
mechanistically validated," said Dr. Alberte. "Because our extraction
technology enables us to produce botanical extracts that are safe and
consistent dose to dose, it opens the door to the development of
evidence-based nutraceuticals that are reliable and effective in building and
supporting upper respiratory and immune system health."

HerbalScience Group is a privately-held life sciences company headquartered in
Naples, Florida, with facilities in Singapore. HerbalScience is engaged in the
discovery, development, manufacture, and marketing of proprietary botanical
compounds for human health in the U.S. and international markets. The company
has prominent alliances with prestigious university laboratories and prominent
researchers in the U.S., as well as research institutions in China.

(1) Bill Roschek et al, "Elderberry flavonoids bind to and prevent H1N1
infection in vitro," Phytochemistry, Volume 70, Issue 10, pp. 1255-1261, July
2009

(2) Fan-kun Kong, "Pilot Clinical Study on a Proprietary Elderberry Extract:
Efficacy in Addressing Influenza Symptoms," Online Journal of Pharmacology and
PharmacoKinetics, Volume 5: 32-43, 2009

SOURCE HerbalScience Group

Cathy Callegari for HerbalScience Group, +1-212-579-1370, cathy@callprinc.com