[Latin Name] Griffonia simplicifolia

[Plant Source] Griffonia Seed

[Specifications] 98%; 99% HPLC

[Appearance] White fine powder

Plant Part Used: Seed

[Particle size] 80 Mesh

[Loss on drying] ≤5.0%

[Heavy Metal] ≤10PPM

[Pesticide residue] EC396-2005, USP 34, EP 8.0, FDA

[Storage] Store in cool & dry area, keep away from the direct light and heat.

[Shelf life] 24 Months

[Package] Packed in paper-drums and two plastic-bags inside.

[Net weight] 25kgs/drum

[What is 5-HTP]

5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan) is a chemical by-product of the protein building block L-tryptophan. It is also produced commercially from the seeds of an African plant known as Griffonia simplicifolia 5-HTP is used for sleep disorders such as insomnia, depression, anxiety, migraine and tension-type headaches, fibromyalgia, obesity, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), seizure disorder, and Parkinson’s disease.

 [How does it work?]

5-HTP works in the brain and central nervous system by increasing the production of the chemical serotonin. Serotonin can affect sleep, appetite, temperature, sexual behavior, and pain sensation. Since 5-HTP increases the synthesis of serotonin, it is used for several diseases where serotonin is believed to play an important role including depression, insomnia, obesity, and many other conditions.

[Function]

Depression. Some clinical research shows that taking 5-HTP by mouth improve symptoms of depression in some people. Some clinical research shows that taking 5-HTP by mouth might be as beneficial as certain prescription antidepressant drugs for improving depression symptoms. In most studies, 150-800 mg daily of 5-HTP was taken. In some cases, higher doses have been used.

Down syndrome. Some research shows that giving 5-HTP to infants with Down syndrome might improve muscle and activity. Other research shows that it does not improve muscle or development when taken from infancy until 3-4 years of age. Research also shows that taking 5-HTP along with conventional prescription drugs does improve development, social skills, or language skills.

Anxiety 5-HTP was found to be protective against carbon dioxide-induced panic attacks. One study compared 5-HTP and the prescription medication clomipramine for anxiety. Clomipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant used for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder. 5-HTP was found to be somewhat effective in reducing anxiety symptoms, but not as effective as clomipramine.

Sleep 5-HTP supplements fared a little better for insomnia.5-HTP decreased the time required to get to sleep and decreased the number of nighttime awakenings. Taking 5-HTP along with GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), a relaxing neurotransmitter, reduced the time it took to fall asleep and increased the duration and quality of sleep. One study found that children with night terrors benefited from 5-HTP.

Full title: Cures for Malaria, Tuberculosis, Alzheimer’s? An Update on Natural Products Discovery at HBOI

About the Speaker

Dr. Amy Wright is formally trained as an organic chemist and has spent the past 35 years exploring the chemistry of marine organisms with the goal of identifying natural products with the potential to change how we treat dread diseases. Much of her work has focused on organisms collected in deep water habitats using tools such as the Johnson-Sea-Link submersibles. She received her B.S. from California State University at Dominguez Hills and her MSc and Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of California at Riverside.

About the Lecture

Wherever there is biological diversity there is chemical diversity and this diversity leads to opportunities for finding new medicines. Many plants, marine animals and microbes produce small organic molecules, “natural products”, that provide advantages to the organisms that make them which range from attracting mates to repelling or even poisoning predators.

These same natural products often show activity in human health applications and over 46% of the small molecule medicines used today have their origin in natural products. The talk will discuss the HBOI natural products library and how we are using it to look for new compounds with the potential to treat cancer, tuberculosis, multi-drug resistant bacterial infections, and Alzheimer’s disease.

WholeFoods Editor Kaylynn Chiarello-Ebner talks with Dr. Richard A. Passwater, Ph.D., about The Pycnogenol Connection at the Horphag Research booth during SupplySide West 2015.