TICIPS

ICIPS, or The International Center for Indigenous Phytotherapy Studies, is designed to be a world class, international research center that rigorously evaluates the safety and efficacy of African phytotherapies, aids protection of the plant biodiversity and the indigenous knowledge that is their foundation, and responsibly educates health-care providers and consumers.

The wealth of traditional knowledge regarding South African medicinal plants that rests with South African traditional healers is a valuable resource that may aid with the development of therapies. TICIPS recognizes the value of this indigenous knowledge, the pressing need to ensure that it is preserved, and the importance of recognizing the contribution of indigenous knowledge and equitably sharing benefits derived from its use.

At the same time, it is certain that many medicinal plants are threatened with extinction because of over-harvesting. Any responsible research program must ensure that its activities not only do not increase threat, but help ensure conservation and preservation of the species that they study. Natural areas throughout the world face enormous threat from human activities, but useful plants face even greater pressure. Even in areas where natural vegetation remains intact or nearly so, local people often selectively remove useful plants for construction materials, foods, or medicines. In some cases, over-collecting seriously threatens medicinal plants with extinction.

Hence, the mission of The International Center for Indigenous Phytotherapy Studies is fourfold:

• Create a collaborative environment of trust and open communication between African and US scientists.
• Support scientifically rigorous, ethical studies of African phytotherapies and healthcare systems.
• Promote conservation of plant biodiversity and protection of indigenous knowledge.
• Communicate scientific evidence about the safety and efficacy of phytotherapies to the public.

All activities will be conducted with a respect for cultural diversity, indigenous knowledge, and traditional healing practices. Furthermore, participants will dedicate themselves to open and fruitful collabration, never losing sight of their commitment to the health and well-being of mankind.

The Phytochemical Core

The Phytochemical Core will be a consortium of scientists and faculty that brings together the necessary breadth of research expertise to provide support to the Research Projects and ensure the highest quality of research. The participating institutions will include:

The overarching goal of the Botanical Core will be to support research conducted under auspices of TICIPS, ensuring that botanicals are properly identified, sufficiently characterized to facilitate comparison and repetition of TICIPS research, and used in a manner that promotes their conservation and is consistent with, as well as sensitive to, all national and international laws.

The Core will have the following specific aims:

Supply of Research Grade Botanicals to all Research Projects. These materials will be properly identified, adequately characterized chemically, and will be supplied with written descriptions of source and analytical characteristics to ensure that all research conducted within TICIPS is repeatable and comparable with other well documented studies.

Advise on the Identification of Candidate Medicinal Plant Species. The Phytochemical Core will conduct reviews of the published literature and maintain a database on the medicinal plants of South Africa that will be available as a resource to support all TICIPS research. The database will be used to identify promising candidate species for each research project, to catalog traditional use, including dosage and manner of use, and to help support conservation of medicinal plants in South Africa.

Promote the Conservation of South African Medicinal Plants. Specimen records and field surveys will be used to identify those species at greatest risk of extinction or genetic erosion and to develop plans for their ex-situ conservation. This will ensure that TICIPS activities do not endanger any species and support the conservation of traditional knowledge and medicinal species. Financial support for this activity will be sought from other sponsors.

Ensure that all TICIPS Activities are Conducted According to the Highest Legal and Ethical Standards. A subcommittee of the Phytochemical Core will assist with obtaining full compliance with laws of the United States, South Africa, and relevant international treaties. The subcommittee will also be responsible for working out agreement between all TICIPS partners on intellectual property. This effort will include mechanisms to ensure that traditional knowledge is respected and appropriately and equitably compensated.

Core Request Form