Devil’s Claw: An Underutilized Southern African Botanical

Author Biography

Dr Thomas Brendler is a scientist and consultant with over 30 years of experience in the field of natural product development, registration, and licensing, for medicine, food, and cosmetics. He is an expert in botanical research, product innovation, regulatory affairs, and sourcing of raw materials. He has contributed to the development and implementation of quality standards, herbal pharmacopoeias, and scientific publications for several organizations and agencies, including the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Centre for Development of Enterprise, and the International Trade Centre. He is a co-founder and former director of the Association of African Medicinal Plants Standards, a non-profit organization that promotes quality standards for African plants. He holds a PhD in Botany from the University of Johannesburg and has published more than 60 papers and books on topics related to ethnobotany, ethnopharmacology, phytotherapy, and natural product regulation. Dr Brendler is a member of the editorial boards of several journals, and a board member of the International Society for Ethnopharmacology and of the American Botanical Council. In 2023, he co-founded the Southern African Botanical Products Association (SABPA). In 2024, he was appointed Adjunct Assistant Professor at the School of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago and Adjunct Fellow of the National Center for Naturopathic Medicine, Southern Cross University, East Lismore, Australia. In 2025 he was elected member of the Council of Experts and Chair of the USP Botanical Dietary Supplements & Herbal Medicines Expert Committee for the 2025-2030 cycle.