Following the Research
Over $2.5 million dedicated to University Studies
A 10-year grant partnership helped fund research of the hemp plant by a team of biologists and chemists leading to significant findings surrounding innovative growing techniques and the medicinal benefits of the hemp plant.
Tennessee Center for Botanical Medicine Research
Research & Partnership
The Tennessee Center for Botanical Medicine Research (TCBMR) at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) was originated by MTSU President Dr. Sidney McPhee, endorsed by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, and approved by the Tennessee Board of Regents in June 2011. The mission of the TCBMR is to develop novel bioactive chemicals from plants with medicinal qualities for both the nutraceutical or nutritional supplement market and the pharmaceutical industry. The TCBMR is an interdisciplinary center that consists of 10 faculty research groups: 7 in Biology that have expertise in using rapid in vitro cellular screening approaches to develop antibacterial, anticancer, antifungal, antihelminthic, antiprotozoal, antiviral, immunostimulant or immunosuppressant agents; and 3 in Chemistry that have expertise in compound separation, purification, and identification.
The TCBMR employs a bioassay-guided approach to identify potent compounds from plants and has an exclusive research and licensing agreement with the Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants (GBGMP) in Nanning, China, the largest plant depository in the world and home to over 7,400 plants known to be useful in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), this relationship allows TCBMR access to plants that have not yet been explored in the west for potential development as a nutraceutical or pharmaceutical agents. MTSU has also been exploring flavone derivatives based on plant flavonoids, which yield vast libraries of easily purified compounds for screening.
To date, the most promising discoveries by the TCBMR are two anticancer agents, two antifungal agents, two antiprotozoal agents, one antiviral agent and two immunosuppressant agents that are ready to be developed as pharmaceutical drugs. Patent applications have been filed on all of these compounds. MTSU has also created a ginseng immunostimulatory extract and a hemp non-psychotropic cannabinoid immunosuppressant extract that are ready to be commercialized as nutritional supplements. Both the nutritional supplement and pharmaceutical products are being commercialized by GreenWay Herbal Products, LLC, which is committed to market the best products that have been developed by the TCBMR.
Science First Approach
Discovery & Innovation
Filing for Patents
In 2019, MTSU filed a patent application, Cannabinoid Compositions and Methods of Using, with the US Patent and Trademark Office for the 1:1 CBD+CBDa formula. With the application filed, GreenWay Tanasi, LLC, was born to produce a one-of-a-kind product line with the patent-pending formula as the foundation of every product.
In addition to US patent applications, we have also filed provisional patent applications in 15 additional countries. PCT patent applications were also filed on Omega Fatty Acids and Cannabinoids and Methods of Using as we have identified additional benefits with adding Omega Fatty acids to the CBD+CBDA 1:1 formulation. GreenWay’s first two patents were awarded in the United Kingdom in 2023.