MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) — Middle Tennessee State University is launching an initiative to grow ginseng at the school's experiential learning and research center in Lascassas.
MTSU and state officials plan to officially announce the initiative today at the center, also known as the MTSU farm.
Growing the ginseng will be a collaboration involving the Tennessee Center for Botanical Medicine Research, the School of Agribusiness and Agriscience and MTSU Farm Laboratories.
The botanical research center at MTSU and the Guangxi (gwahng-ZHEE') Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants in China are partners in a collaborative effort that seeks to accelerate the development of Western medicines from plant extracts.
Ginseng is used as a natural supplement or over-the-counter remedy to stimulate the immune system. Its primary users are people with colds or flu and cancer patients.