Strathclyde University scientists are helping to discover whether herbal teas used as sedatives in Latin America could lead to a new type of tranquilliser.

The Strathclyde Institute for Drug Research, an interdisciplinary centre which develops early research leading to potential new drugs, is collaborating with the Latin-American Network for Research on Biologically Active Natural Products, known as Lanbio, in the search for new medicines and agrochemicals.

Alan Harvey, institute director, said that Strathclyde has filed a patent application for novel chemicals on behalf of Lanbio, a network of 30 laboratories in 12 countries, and was talking to various pharmaceutical companies.

"Most of the countries involved don't have formal patent laws, and scientists find it difficult to find out how to protect their inventions. If they don't have any patent protection, very few drug or agrochemical companies are going to pick up on it."

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Researchers in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay investigating the herbal teas found that although they were sold as sedatives, the chemicals seemed to reduce anxiety symptoms without having a sedating effect.

"There is a major class of drugs in the west which are anti-anxiety but are very good at putting you to sleep," Professor Harvey said.

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"Tests so far suggest that these new molecules would seem to be as effective as something like Valium, but they may well not have the side effects associated with Valium-type drugs."

He stressed that the time between a drug's discovery and patients being given it could be around ten years, but added that other plants being investigated might be relevant to treating Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

Strathclyde is unusual in having a Latin American science link covering chemistry, biology, immunology and pharmacology, with a clear commercial goal.