The Institute for Ethnomedicine

University of Guelph

Susan Murch

Paul Alan Cox

Sandra Banack

Praveen K Saxena

Sankaran Krishnaraj

Tannis Y Slimmon

Methods for screening for neurological disorders are disclosed. Specifically, methods are disclosed for screening for neurological disorders in a subject by analyzing a tissue sample obtained from the subject for the presence of elevated levels of neurotoxic amino acids or neurotoxic derivatives thereof associated with neurological disorders. In particular, methods are disclosed for diagnosing a neurological disorder in a subject, or predicting the likelihood of developing a neurological disorder in a subject, by determining the levels of &#x3b2;-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) in a tissue sample obtained from the subject. Methods for screening for environmental factors associated with neurological disorders are disclosed. Methods for inhibiting, treating or preventing neurological disorders are disclosed.

Screening for neurotoxic amino acid associated with neurological disorders

The development of an in vitro regeneration system that utilizes a plant growth regulator having cytokinin activity for the induction of de novo shoots or somatic embryos on explants of phytopharmaceutical plants is provided. Transfer of the regenerated shoots or somatic embryos into a solid or liquid medium with no plant growth regulators results in the rapid and prolific growth of viable plantlets. The method and its modifications are intended for application to all phytopharmaceutical plants, in particular St. John's wort (cv. Anthos), Huang-qin (),sp., Feverfew (), garlic (sp.) and the like. Furthermore, a process for the uptake of nutrients, minerals or additives from the growth medium and accumulation of these in the consumable biomass of plants, hereafter referred to as phytofortification, is also described. This process provides additives within a bioavailable form within plants and renders nutrients and additives amenable for easy assimilation by the human of livestock digestive systems.

Micropropagation and production of phytopharmaceutical plants

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, Canada

Susan Murch