1939-2016
by Hannah Bauman
HerbalGram. 2016; American Botanical Council
Götz Harnischfeger, PhD, died on April 26, 2016, at the age of 77. Harnischfeger was a botanist, chemist, and pharmacist who expanded the fields of plant biochemistry and medicinal plant research as both an educator and a member of the German phytomedicine industry. He spent most of his career at Schaper & Brümmer, a German company that developed the world’s leading clinically studied black cohosh (Actaea racemosa, Ranunculaceae) extract.
Harnischfeger studied pharmacy at the University of Frankfurt in Germany before earning his PhD in the United States at Florida State University. He returned to Germany to complete his post-doctorate studies at the University of Göttingen in 1976, after which he served as a professor of botany for the university. In 1982, he was appointed as a professor of plant biochemistry.
After leaving academia, Harnischfeger joined the phytopharmaceutical industry in a variety of management and research positions, focusing his efforts on improving standardization of phytomedicines and embracing the challenge of staying ahead of rapidly evolving analytical methods. His reputation as an expert on natural product research grew, and he co-authored and assisted in the development of several landmark publications on the subject, including Stabilitätsprüfung in der Pharmazie(“Stability Testing in Pharmaceutics”) and an updated edition of Hermann Hager’s Handbook of Pharmaceutical Practice.
“I met Professor Harnischfeger in 1991 when I joined the natural product research-oriented pharmaceutical company Schaper & Brümmer, where he was manufacturing/production manager,” wrote Eckehard Liske, PhD, who was the head of the international medical department at Schaper & Brümmer (email to M. Blumenthal, June 27, 2016). “In the following years we had numerous discussions on central issues of rational phytotherapy regarding plant extraction, whole extract versus single marker substances, active ingredients, and quality control. Pretty soon I realized that Professor Harnischfeger was a world-renowned expert in this research field. Looking back, I must say that he made me familiar with the philosophy of rational phytotherapy resulting in evidence-based herbal medicine. I am very grateful to him for these discussions.”
Mark Blumenthal, founder and executive director of the American Botanical Council, recalled the first time he met Harnischfeger. “I met Dr. Harnischfeger through the late Professor Varro E. Tyler, with whom he had formed a professional relationship and friendship over the years,” he said. “As a key scientist at Schaper & Brümmer, he made an excellent (and entertaining) presentation at one conference on his company’s production of black cohosh extract. He was instrumental in developing a unique program in which the company grew its own black cohosh in Germany — probably the first commercial-scale cultivation of this indigenous wild eastern North American medicinal plant outside of the United States — thereby reducing pressure on wild populations.”
Harnischfeger’s commitment to the safety and quality of herbal medicinal products drew him to a number of professional committees. He was a member of Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (German Chemical Society), Deutsche Botanische Gesellschaft (German Botanical Society), and Gesellschaft für Arzneipflanzen- und Naturstoff-Forschung (GA; Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research). He also served as an elected member of the Deutscher Arzneibuch Ausschuss Pharmazeutische Biologie (German Pharmacopeia Committee on Pharmacognosy) from 1992 to 2005, and a member of the expert group on phytochemistry for the European Pharmacopoeia for 15 years. In recognition for his work relating to public health, he was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1999.
“The internationalization of GA is … due [in part] to his never-ending activities to promote this society to a global acceptance and impact,” noted Gerhard Franz in his remembrance of Harnischfeger for the July 2016 GA newsletter. “He attended all the annual member meetings and his criticism was feared by many members and even some presidents of the GA.”
In his personal life, Harnischfeger was a deeply devout Catholic and served as an archivist and church historian for his parish. He was also a member of the German Association of the Holy Land and was awarded the Star of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem in 1996. He is survived by his wife Jeanne.
—Hannah Bauman
by Memory Elvin-Lewis, PhD, DSc
HerbalGram. 2013; American Botanical Council
Narendra Singh, MD, was a man of numerous accomplishments who spent his lifetime dedicated to the study of Ayurveda and medicinal herbs in the context of his dual expertise in pharmacology and conventional medicine. He served as referee for numerous national and international journals, in addition to being on the editorial board of the Journal of Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Sciences and serving as editor of the Journal of Biological and Chemical Research, the Journal of Biotechnology in Medicinal Plant Research, and the book Clinical Studies on Kamala (Jaundice) and Yakrit Rogas (Liver Disorders) with Ayurvedic Drugs (1988). Dr. Singh was well-regarded professionally and held several honorary fellowships from a variety of organizations in science, nutrition, longevity research, herbal medicine, and brain research. He passed away on July 31, 2012.
Dr. Singh was born in the village of Kamhenpur in Uttar Pradesh, India, where he was introduced at a young age to Sanskrit and the Vedic tenets of Hinduism. This influence was pivotal to the evolution of his holistic approach to medicine. Following his training as a physician and surgeon (MBBS, Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) at the Sarojini Naidu Medical College in Agra, and service in the Indian Army, he returned to academia. In 1967, Dr. Singh received his MD in Medicine and Pharmacology from King George’s Medical College, Lucknow. He eventually was appointed as the college’s Head of Ayurvedic Research in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, as well as Head of the Regional Ayurvedic Research Institute of the Indian government’s Department of Health; he retained these titles until 1995. In 1999, Dr. Singh received a Doctorate in Alternative Medicine from the Indian Board of Alternative Medicine, Calcutta.
His most recent titles include Director of the International Institute of Herbal Medicine & Clinic (Lucknow),as well as President of the International Society for Herbal Medicine. In 1997, he was appointed Scientific Director of research and development at Organic India Pvt. Ltd, Lucknow.
Over the years, Dr. Singh’s research focused on evaluating Himalayan community pharmacopeias and the medicinal herbs mentioned in ancient Ayurvedic texts. Throughout the course of his clinical career, he applied this knowledge to the formulation of Ayurvedic herbal remedies, sometimes combining them with Western medicine to elicit optimal clinical outcomes. His book Herbal Medicine — Science Embraces Tradition (2010), co-written with the clinical biochemist Marilena Gilca, MD, reflects his confidence in the integrative approach and in how holistic treatments can be developed with an appreciation of the limitations of each medical system.
Ever mindful of the need to develop natural herbal remedies in a safe and sustainable manner, Dr. Singh recently applied his expertise to create numerous herbal formulations under the auspices of Organic India, a private company that grows, manufactures, and markets certified-organic Ayurvedic herbs and teas through direct partnership with village agricultural communities. He is best known for his research on the adaptogenic and anti-stress properties of classic medicinal and Ayurvedic herbs. For example, his 2002 book, Tulsi: The Mother Medicine of Nature, written with Yamuna Hoette and Ralph Miller, elaborates upon the value of tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum, Lamiaceae) for a variety of medicinal uses associated with its adoptogenic and healing properties. Revered in India, tulsi (also known as holy basil) is described in terms of its traditional religious value and as an Ayurvedic remedy to heal mind, body, and spirit. Information regarding a wide range of current experimental and clinical research affirming the rationale behind its potential medicinal worth also is included.
Considered both a scholar and gentleman, Dr. Singh was well-respected by all who knew him. His winning smile, humble demeanor, and genuine congeniality will be missed by all of us who called him a friend and colleague. Most importantly, his lifetime of work toward providing a better understanding of the value of Ayurveda in the context of modern medicine is not only a well-deserved legacy, but also serves as an important example to those who continue to explore the value of traditional medicinal systems in a scientific context. For those wishing to review Dr. Singh’s extensive contributions to science and medicine, his curriculum vitae is available at www.organicindia.com/doctor-narendra-singh.
Dr. Singh is survived by his wife Savitri, daughter Anita, and his three grandchildren Vaubhav, Abhisarika, and Parul.
Professor of Biomedicine in Microbiology and Ethnobotany
Adjunct Professor of Biology
