About

 

BIONATUS

Since 1992, Bionatus, a Laboratory created in the Brazilian city of Sao José do Rio Preto (Sao Paulo State) has been dedicated to the manufacturing and the distribution of minerals, vitamins, plant-derived products, and propolis. With a line of more than 80 products, our objective has been always to contribute to the health of families with quality and dedication. Our factory has a Quality Control laboratory and a production area approved by the Brazilian ANVISA, with the issuance of a certificate of good manufacturing practice. Bionatus continually carries out research and development to bring to the market new products that meet the needs of customers.

The Laboratory Bionatus Pharmacognosique Inc. based in Quebec receives all the experience gained during these 25 years of success in Brazil and has the mission to develop more innovative plant-derived products using the technological facilities created by the pharmaceutical environment in Montreal region. This new division focuses on research and development in pharmacognosy to provide strategic solutions to the development of new plant products.

With our partners in Canada, our goal is to develop both innovative and high-quality products that meet Health Canada and FDA’s GMP standards. Our partners who contribute to the manufacturing of our products in Canada are  GMP compliant.

 

 

 

PHARMACOGNOSY AND PHYTOTHERAPY

Pharmacognosy is one of the fundamental disciplines of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Like most of the pharmaceutical sciences, it is an applied science and concerns the use of raw materials and substances from natural source to obtain therapeutic products.

The popular use of plants for health care (Phytotherapy) through knowledge from traditional medicine is one of the methods used by pharmacognosy to achieve this end.

 

The use of natural products as raw materials for new medicines is well established for a long time. These natural products come mainly from microorganisms and plants. Antibiotics, such as erythromycin and tetracyclines, or antitumor drugs doxorubicin and mithramycin were initially extracted from actinomycetes (Fungi). Other known antineoplastic agents, such as vinblastine, etoposide, and taxanes, are secondary metabolites of higher plants. Plant products can be used to obtain isolated structures that can subsequently be modified or used as prototypes for total synthesis or semi-synthesis in order to obtain drug products that can be approved after successful clinical trials. At Health Canada, such a drug is identified by a DIN (Drug Identification Number). 

Sometimes, the isolation of a structure responsible for the effect is impossible as that effect may be due to more than one molecule; in this case, the crude extract or a purified and standardized extract can be used as the final therapeutic product if a promoter can prove by scientific literature that it exists well-documented reviews from clinical data or long traditional uses with success, sufficiently to prove that the product can bring a therapeutic advantage with safety to the user. Such a crude or purified plant product is considered as a Natural Health Product and once approved by Health Canada; it is identified by a NPN (Natural Product Number).

 

In some cases, some herbal products in the form of extracts (contain unisolated molecules whose content varies according to the extraction method) and for this purpose may have the safety profile of a pure drug compound: interaction with other drug products; the effect of such a product can vary according to the state of health of the user.  Some compounds present in certain plants, including the group of plant compounds known as alkaloids, may have a high toxicity profile at infinitely small quantities. Reason for which, even as an extract, plant-based products should be taken with care. Please read the indications on the Natural Products label calmly, or consult a qualified health care professional before using any natural product if you have any doubts.