Standardized ginseng polysaccharide extracts for immune health
The COVID-19 pandemic is unlike anything the world has seen in over a century, both in terms of global spread and economic impact. Certain individuals particularly the elderly and those with underlying diseases, are more susceptible to severe infection and dysregulation of the immune system. Since the recent outbreak, many more individuals have been taking immune stimulating natural health products (NHPs) to promote better immune health. Unfortunately, quality of most NHPs in Canada is not regulated to a high standard. This proposal will focus on producing a high quality immune-boosting ginseng polysaccharide(s) (G-PS) extract using WPC’s regular and thermal-processed American red ginseng that are standardized to guarantee delivery of a minimum dose of the specified immunostimulating G-PS. This will enable the refinement of design of novel polysaccharide-based immunomodulation nutraceuticals, such as PS nanoparticles, and provide scientific and clinically relevant evidence to support their health claims.