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Dr Paul Bremner

Job: Associate Professor - Teaching

Faculty: Health and Life Sciences

School/department: Leicester School of Pharmacy

Address: De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH.

T: +44 (0)116 257 7922

E: pbremner@dmu.ac.uk

W: https://www.dmu.ac.uk/hls

 

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Personal profile

Paul Bremner has a particular interest in molecular and chemical authentication, including DNA fingerprinting and HPLC profiling of herbal medicinal products in the context of EU Directive 2004/24/EC which came into force in May 2011; and the impact on public health of medicinal herb use and the authentication of material sold.

Paul was also a Member (2008-2011) of both the Expert Group for Medicinal Plant Drugs at the European Pharmacopeia, Group 13B and the British Pharmacopeia on the Expert Advisory Group: Herbal and Complementary Medicines.

Research group affiliations

Biotechnology Group

Publications and outputs

  • The application of a DNA-based identification technique to over-the-counter herbal medicines
    dc.title: The application of a DNA-based identification technique to over-the-counter herbal medicines dc.contributor.author: Kazi, Tazimuddin; Hussain, Nazreen; Bremner, Paul; Slater, A.; Howard, Caroline dc.description.abstract: Reliable methods to identify medicinal plant material are becoming more important in an increasingly regulated market place. DNA-based methods have been recognised as a valuable tool in this area with benefits such as being unaffected by the age of the plant material, growth conditions and harvesting techniques. It is possible that the methods of production used for medicinal plant products will degrade or remove DNA. So how applicable are these techniques to processed medicinal plant products? A simple PCR-based identification technique has been developed for St. John's Wort, Hypericum perforatum L. Thirteen St. John's Wort products were purchased including capsules, tablets and tinctures.DNA was extracted from each product, and the species specific PCR test conducted. DNA was successfully extracted from all thirteen products, using a fast and efficient modified method for extracting DNA from tinctures. Only four products yielded the full length ITS region (850 bp) due to the quality of the DNA. All of the products tested positive for H. perforatum DNA. DNA-based identification methods can complement existing methods of authentication. This paper shows that these methods are applicable to a wide range of processed products, provided that they are designed to account for the possibility of DNA degradation dc.description: Fitoterapia Available online 13 March 2013 In Press, Uncorrected Proof — Note to users The application of a DNA-based identification technique to over-the-counter herbal medicines Tazimuddin Kazia, Nazreen Hussaina, Paul Bremnera, Adrian Slaterb, Caroline Howardb, , a Leicester School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH, United Kingdom b Biomolecular Technology Group, Allied Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH, United Kingdom Corresponding author at: 1.15 Hawthorn Building, The Gateway, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH, United Kingdom. Tel.: + 44 116 2551551x6773; fax: + 44 116 2577892. Received 2 November 2012 Revised 27 February 2013 Available online 13 March 2013
  • PlantID - DNA-based identification of multiple medicinal plants in complex mixtures
    dc.title: PlantID - DNA-based identification of multiple medicinal plants in complex mixtures dc.contributor.author: Howard, Caroline; Socratous, E.; Williams, S.; Graham, Eleanor; Fowler, Mark R.; Scott, Nigel W.; Bremner, Paul; Slater, A.
  • A one-tube assay for four Hypericum species - PlantID
    dc.title: A one-tube assay for four Hypericum species - PlantID dc.contributor.author: Howard, C.; Socratous, E.; Williams, S.; Graham, Eleanor; Fowler, Mark R.; Scott, Nigel W.; Bremner, Paul; Slater, A.
  • Natural products as targeted modulators of the nuclear factor-kappa B pathway
    dc.title: Natural products as targeted modulators of the nuclear factor-kappa B pathway dc.contributor.author: Bremner, Paul; Heinrich, M.
  • Cytotoxic versus anti-inflammatory effects in HeLa, Jurkat T and human peripheral blood cells caused by guaianolide-type sesquiterpene lactones
    dc.title: Cytotoxic versus anti-inflammatory effects in HeLa, Jurkat T and human peripheral blood cells caused by guaianolide-type sesquiterpene lactones dc.contributor.author: Hilmi, F.; Gertsch, J.; Bremner, Paul; Valovic, S; Heinrich, M.; Sticher, O.; Heilmann, J.
  • Coumarins from Opopanax chironium. New dihydrofuranocoumarins and differential induction of apoptosis by imperatorin and heraclenin
    dc.title: Coumarins from Opopanax chironium. New dihydrofuranocoumarins and differential induction of apoptosis by imperatorin and heraclenin dc.contributor.author: Appendino, G.; Bianchi, F.; Bader, A.; Campagnuolo, C.; Fattorusso, E.; Taglialatela-Scafati, O.; Blanco-Molina, M.; Macho, A.; Fiebich, B. L.; Bremner, Paul; Heinrich, M.; Ballero, M.; Muñoz, E.
  • Antifungal constituents of Melicope borbonica
    dc.title: Antifungal constituents of Melicope borbonica dc.contributor.author: Simonsen, H. T.; Adsersen, A.; Bremner, Paul; Heinrich, M.; Smitt, U. W.; Jaroszewski, J. W.
  • Calcium ionophoretic and apoptotic effects of ferutinin in the human Jurkat T-cell line
    dc.title: Calcium ionophoretic and apoptotic effects of ferutinin in the human Jurkat T-cell line dc.contributor.author: Macho, A.; Blanco-Molina, M.; Spagliardi, P.; Appendino, G.; Bremner, Paul; Heinrich, M.; Fiebich, B. L.; Muñoz, E.
  • Biflavonoids with cytotoxic and antibacterial activity from Ochna macrocalyx
    dc.title: Biflavonoids with cytotoxic and antibacterial activity from Ochna macrocalyx dc.contributor.author: Tang, S.; Bremner, Paul; Kortenkamp, A.; Schlage, C.; Gray, A. I.; Gibbons, S.; Heinrich, M.
  • Imperatorin inhibits T-cell proliferation by targeting the transcription factor NFAT
    dc.title: Imperatorin inhibits T-cell proliferation by targeting the transcription factor NFAT dc.contributor.author: Marquez, N.; Sancho, R.; Ballero, M.; Bremner, Paul; Appendino, G.; Fiebich, B. L.; Heinrich, M.; Muñoz, E.

Click here for a full listing of Paul Bremner's publications and outputs.

Research interests/expertise

  • DNA authentication of medicinal plant drugs
  • Impact upon public health arising from the public’s use of medicinal plant drugs
  • Plant natural product chemistry and biological implications
  • Isolation and characterisation of natural products and biological activity.
  • Use of herbal medicinal products in the community (public health).
  • Identity of herbal products sold on open market, using DNA technology.

Areas of teaching

  • Biochemistry to 1st Years (Biomedical, MPharm and Pharmaceutical scientists)
  • Medicinal plant drugs and natural product chemistry to 3rd and 4th years (MPharm).

Qualifications

PhD, MBA, BSc, PGCert. in Professional and Higher Education.

Courses taught

  • Masters in Pharmacy
  • Biomedical Science 
  • Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Sciences

Membership of external committees

British Pharmacopeia and European Pharmacopeia. Expert committees on herbal medicine.                                                                                                 

Committee: British Pharmacopeia on the Expert Advisory Group: Herbal and Complementary Medicines.     Period: 2008-2011.

Description: Ensuring pharmacopeia descriptions are accurate and appropriate for manufacturers to produce quality products for public sale; in addition: that they are in harmony with European guidelines.

Membership of professional associations and societies

  • Fellow of The Linnaean Society, Piccadilly, London. May 2005 to present.
  • Fellow of Higher Education Academy May 2008 to present.

Conference attendance

  • Middle East Association sponsored trade mission to Iraqi-Kurdistan:
    February–March 2012. To explore and develop collaborative links with universities, investors and the public sector.
  • Poster: World Congress on medicinal and aromatic plants (WOCMAP) in South Africa. C Howard, P Bremner, M R Fowler, and A Slater. Molecular identification of Hypericum L by PCR amplification of the rDNA ITS region. Cape Town, November 2008.
  • Poster: The British Pharmaceutical conference, Manchester, 2008.
    C Howard, P B Bremner, M R Fowler, and A Slater.  Molecular Identification of St John’s Wort by PCR amplification of the ITS and 5.8S rDNA Region: Implications for medicinal plant identification. British Pharmaceutical Conference (BPC), Manchester, September. Selected to give a short oral presentation
  • Plenary lecture: At international conferences in Bangalore, India. The conference had 1,200 delegates and over 600 poster presentations. 26–28 February 2009.
  • Poster at an International conference in Geneva: Molecular Identification and Quantification of Hypericum perforatum in mixed samples (2009) C Howard, P D Bremner, M R Fowler, N W Scott, and A Slater. 55th International Congress and Annual Meeting of the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research. Geneva, Swizerland. 16-20 August 2009.

Current research students

Sarah Smith, MSc by research. 2nd supervisor

Externally funded research grants information

British Council: “Development of forensic science curriculum and scoping of need to create a centre of excellence” DelPHE-Iraq initiative. Jan–Sept 2011.  £60,000, in collaboration with Dr Mark Chase and the forensic team. A film of the Iraqi academics experience is available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksDN6Nc_z6k

Schwabe Pharma: Euro 30,000. Consultancy lab-based project in collaboration with Prof Adrian Slater and Dr Caroline Howard.

Internally funded research project information

Internal PhD scholarship. Student: Dr Caroline Howard. June 2007-2011. Completed successfully. Title: The development of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) based methods for the identification and authentication of medicinal plant material.

Professional esteem indicators

Journal of Ethnopharmacology, since 2008. Reviewing papers that are submitted for publication.

Case studies

Iraqi project has the potential for a large impact. It was the highest rated project by the British Council. See link to film above plus future British Council advertising of our project.

Paul Bremner