Special to The Mississippi Link
The Jackson State University-initiated company EdoBotanics won second place in the university division of the Mississippi Technology Alliance’s Mississippi Bus-iness Plan competition June 2 at the Jackson Marriot in Jackson, Miss. The company presented its plan for producing and marketing dietary supplements that promote health and wellness.
EdoBotanics produces nutritional supplements called edoTIDEplus, which are made from the Vernonia amygdalina plant. The products have been found to promote gastrointestinal, breast and prostate health, said EdoBotanics CEO Bruce Deer. A supplement made from the plant also is intended for use in patients suffering the harsh side effects of chemotherapy and radiation.
“This product supports general health and well being,” Deer said. “It is a combination of science and nature for optimum health.”
EdoBotanics uses technologies created in Jackson State University labs to process, extract and standardize compounds from the Vernonia amygdalina plant, which is native to Nigeria.
JSU biology professor Ernest Izevbigie, a world-renowned authority in the area of Vernonia amygdalina research, founded Edo-Botanics.
The Nigerian-born Izevbigie became fascinated with Vernonia amygdalina – commonly known as bitter leaf – during his childhood in Nigeria. He used to watch his grandmother gather the plant to create herbal cures.
Later as a scientist, Izevbigie devoted much of his work to determining the health benefits of bitter leaf, particularly in the area of cancer therapy.
“We found that in using the plant material, some compounds from the extracts were able to inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells,” Izevbigie said. “Later through collaborative research we found they were also effective in other tumor cells.”
The Mississippi Technology Alliance Business Plan competition included 27 companies who presented their plans to some of the state’s top entrepreneurs and investors.
For more information about EdoBotanics, visit edobotanics.com.
For more information about the Mississippi Technology Alliance Business Plan Competition, visit www.technologyalliance.ms.
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