dōTERRA and University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy Sign Five-Year Partnership to Advance Essential Oil Research

The agreement expands the relationship between dōTERRA and National Center for Natural Products Research to include expanded research on essential oil consistency, purity and potency.

As part of the partnership, NCNPR will study the chemometrics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and metabolomics of essential oils. dōTERRA and NCNPR anticipate that the research will result in multiple peer-reviewed, published studies that will serve the broader essential oils and scientific communities.

“Natural products are inconsistent in potency due to normal variation that exists in nature, but that doesn’t give our industry a pass on delivering to the marketplace pure, consistent and potent products,” said Dr. Russell Osguthorpe, chief medical officer of dōTERRA. “We need to pursue a scientific understanding of essential oils so we can validate their impact on health and wellness. Over the past four years, the relationship between NCNPR and dōTERRA has strengthened because of our mutual commitment to ensuring the safety, efficacy and quality of natural products. Together, we can help to create higher standards that will allow the world to see the true benefits of dōTERRA essential oils.”

“We appreciate the opportunity to partner with dōTERRA on this important research,” said Dr. Ikhlas Khan, NCNPR director. “The growth in essential oils and the results of recent research substantiate the need for higher standards in the industry, so we appreciate dōTERRA’s willingness to invest in the validation process, putting quality and safety first.”

NCNPR is an internationally renowned research center and was named a Federal Drug Administration (FDA) Center of Excellence for its research of botanical dietary supplements and training of FDA manufacturing field inspectors since 2008.

Earlier this year, scientists at NCNPR published a dōTERRA-backed study, “A novel approach for lavender essential oil authentication and quality assessment,” in the Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis. The study presents new standards and methods to assess lavender essential oil quality and detect adulteration.

Of the dozens of lavender samples analyzed in the study, two-thirds were found to be highly adulterated and of poor quality, meaning they were mislabeled, had fillers and additives, and/or contained compounds that were of synthetic origin.

Dr. Osguthorpe added, “NCNPR’s team of biochemists, chemists, pharmacists and other scientists are expertly qualified and equipped to develop the scientific framework that will define what a quality essential oil looks like. They have already done it with our lavender, so there really isn’t a better, more trusted place in the world for this type of research to be conducted.”

“It is vital that we have valuable industry partners such as dōTERRA to help drive innovation and advance scientific discovery,” said Dr. Donna Strum, UM pharmacy dean and executive director of the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences. “With NCNPR’s leading experts and resources, collaborating with dōTERRA will enhance our shared mission of prioritizing natural products safety and efficacy.”

The university strives to be a resource and partner for the industry through mutually beneficial relationships. To learn more about the university’s industry engagement initiative, contact Hughes Miller at hughes@olemiss.edu and 662-915-2885 or visit https://industry.olemiss.edu.