MAHO is a 15-state regional trade association committed to supporting the natural products industry
MAHO EXPO “SUMMER SPLASH”
CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW
July 24-26, 2026 – Hilton Columbus at Easton
Membership
MAHO members are Independent Natural Products Industry Retailers, Manufacturers, Brokers and Distributors throughout the Midwest.
Trade Show
The MAHO Expo and Summer Splash Convention is the annual premier event bringing association retailers, exhibitors and industry professionals together.
Advocacy
With your participation we continue to effect policy change and ensure that we maintain your right to sell products, and the rights of your customers to make healthy choices.
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ε-Poly-l-lysine as an efficient cartilage penetrating and residing drug carrier with high intraarticular injection safety for treating osteoarthritis.![]()
A major reason that hinders the clinical application of disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs (DMOADs) is the unmet challenges in their effective delivery to cartilage. Cationic macromolecules represent promising carriers to enhance the drug delivery to cartilage through their electrostatic interaction with the negatively charged cartilage matrix. However, current candidate cationic macromolecular carriers (CMCs) must solve the intractable challenges in scalable production and biosafety before they can be used clinically. ε-poly-l-lysine (ε-PLL) is a unique poly (amino acid) that has favorable features to conquer the above issues. In this study, we evaluated the potential of ε-PLL as a cost effectiveness, biosafety, and effective CMC for drug delivery to cartilage. Cartilage explant from pig knee was used as a model for the in vitro analysis of ε-PLL's interaction with, penetration into, and resident in cartilage tissue. The results showed that ε-PLL had a strong distribution tendency in cartilage with partition coefficient K ∼ 4.3 and weak cartilage matrix binding ability (KD ∼ 310 μM) with abundant intra-cartilage binding sites (N ∼ 9900 μM). Furthermore, ε-PLL could also penetrate full thickness cartilage and showed a long-time retention in cartilage explants and mouse joint cavity. The results of in vitro and in vivo toxicity tests showed nearly no negative impact of ε-PLL (100 μg/mL) on chondrocytes or local tissue. Using kartogenin (KGN, a potential DMOAD) as a model drug, the effectiveness of ε-PLL to improve the drug bioavailability in a mouse OA model was proved. Together, these results suggest that ε-PLL can be used as an effective and safe CMC for effective DMOAD delivery to cartilage. ![]()
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ui.adsabs.harvard.edu
Hey MAHO Expo Retail attendees, this is a personal message to you from our very own Geoff Melcher, at East Park Naturals, a loyalty exhibitor with MAHO and just one of our 2026 exhibitors!
I always wondered why my grandmother planted basil so close to her tomatoes that their leaves actually touched—until I learned that tomatoes are basically broadcasting their location to every pest in your yard. Those beautiful, aromatic tomato leaves release volatile compounds that aphids, whiteflies, and hornworms track like a GPS beacon. They don't wander onto your plants by accident. They're following a chemical trail.![]()
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Plant basil 10 inches from your tomato stem, and something fascinating happens. The basil's own powerful aromatics—that peppery, clove-like scent we love in pesto—flood the airspace around your tomatoes. Suddenly the aphids' navigation system is jammed. They're still searching, still hungry, but the signal they're tracking is buried in competing information. Your tomato is standing right there, but chemically speaking, it's invisible.![]()
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Here's the part that made me rethink everything: this isn't just about pest confusion. Basil's roots release compounds into the soil that tomato roots actually absorb. Some growers swear their tomatoes taste sweeter, more complex when grown with basil companions. The science is still catching up, but the soil chemistry suggests those shared compounds might genuinely alter flavor development.![]()
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I started planting them together five seasons ago—not in separate pots nearby, but in the same soil, close enough that watering one means watering both. The difference wasn't subtle. Fewer aphids. Healthier plants. And tomatoes that tasted like the ones I remembered from childhood gardens, when nobody knew why certain combinations just worked.![]()
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What's growing next to your tomatoes right now? Are they standing alone, or do they have backup? [JVZL4]
Some weeds are only weeds in the wrong spot 🌿 A few I don’t rush to pull everywhere:![]()
🐝 Clover and dandelions can feed early bees when the garden is still waking up.![]()
🦋 Wild violets support butterflies, so I leave small patches where they’re not in the way.![]()
🌱 Chickweed and wood sorrel can show up early and feed little pollinators.![]()
🌿 Plantain and self-heal often tell you something about your soil.![]()
✂️ I still remove them from veggie beds before they take over.![]()
I like leaving a little useful wild growth around the edges, while keeping the main garden beds under control.
MAHO Member News!
Calling all Independent Natural Product Retailers... It is time to register for the 2024 MAHO Expo!
Call the MAHO Office and register today @ 614-798-1117. We have a sold-out show floor with many brand-new exhibitors just waiting for you - with fabulous discounts!