Natural Products Committee
What we do
The Proposal of IUPHAR Natural Products Section (NPS-IUPHAR) was initiated by Prof. Zhibin Lin (IUPHAR Councilor 2002-2010) from Peking University in 2004. During the 15th IUPHAR World Congress in Beijing in 2006, the NPS-IUPHAR was formally approved and established by IUPHAR Executive Committee. NPS-IUPHAR is composed of international leading experts on the pharmacology of natural products and traditional medicines (NP & TM) from all parts of the world. It dedicates itself to promote the research of NP & TM, and to recognize the pharmacological actions and mechanisms; Initiation of linkages and discussion between scientists, industry and general public in the promotion of research, application and educational efforts in NP & TM. It will also advise on topics central to evidence-based pharmacology of NP & TM and identification and functional description of pharmacological active ingredients. All aspects of NP & TM research will be taken into account, including, where necessary, issues relating the Nagoya Protocol.
By now, NPS-IUPHAR has successfully organized six World Conferences on the Pharmacology of Natural and Traditional Medicines together with Chinese Pharmacological Society, Pharmacological Society (Singapore), International Conference on the Mechanism of Action of Nutraceuticals, and Indian Pharmacological Society. It has become a series of conferences with international influence at the interval of 2-3 years. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, the International Forum for Early Career Researchers on Pharmacology of Natural Products and Traditional Medicines was initiated and has been organized for six times, and is going on. The ECR forum became an important international scientific communicative event of the Section, as well as an excellent platform for early career scholars.
What we do
The Proposal of IUPHAR Natural Products Section (NPS-IUPHAR) was initiated by Prof. Zhibin Lin (IUPHAR Councilor 2002-2010) from Peking University in 2004. During the 15th IUPHAR World Congress in Beijing in 2006, the NPS-IUPHAR was formally approved and established by IUPHAR Executive Committee. NPS-IUPHAR is composed of international leading experts on the pharmacology of natural products and traditional medicines (NP & TM) from all parts of the world. It dedicates itself to promote the research of NP & TM, and to recognize the pharmacological actions and mechanisms; Initiation of linkages and discussion between scientists, industry and general public in the promotion of research, application and educational efforts in NP & TM. It will also advise on topics central to evidence-based pharmacology of NP & TM and identification and functional description of pharmacological active ingredients. All aspects of NP & TM research will be taken into account, including, where necessary, issues relating the Nagoya Protocol.
By now, NPS-IUPHAR has successfully organized six World Conferences on the Pharmacology of Natural and Traditional Medicines together with Chinese Pharmacological Society, Pharmacological Society (Singapore), International Conference on the Mechanism of Action of Nutraceuticals, and Indian Pharmacological Society. It has become a series of conferences with international influence at the interval of 2-3 years. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, the International Forum for Early Career Researchers on Pharmacology of Natural Products and Traditional Medicines was initiated and has been organized for six times, and is going on. The ECR forum became an important international scientific communicative event of the Section, as well as an excellent platform for early career scholars.
Our objectives
- Raise awareness of the importance of natural health products for human health and encourage new approaches to study their use, efficacy, and safety.
- Promote the exchange of scientific information through newsletters, meetings, and symposia at major international events.
- Stimulate research in standardization, mechanisms of action, and links between basic and clinical studies.
- Foster collaboration between modern scientists and traditional medicine practitioners (e.g., Traditional Chinese, Ayurvedic, Arabo-Muslim systems) and support high standards in ethnopharmacology.
- Prioritize product quality by advocating for botanical identification, phytochemical characterization, and standardized research guidelines to ensure reliable and evidence-based results.
- Support and encourage young investigators to participate in IUPHAR and natural health product meetings.
- Advance pharmacology of natural health products worldwide, especially in developing regions where these products are widely used but research resources may be limited.
