The Panizza Legacy
Always in search of inspiration
Panizza Laboratory began long before it's official founding — born from a family’s devotion to healing and guided by the pursuit of knowledge. Over time, that calling evolved into a legacy of integrity, craftsmanship, and innovation, where science and tradition meet to serve wellbeing with purpose and care.
History
The story of Panizza Laboratory began long before its formal founding. It is the expression of a family legacy shaped by scientific curiosity, devotion, and the belief that knowledge carries its greatest value when placed in service of others.
Its roots trace back to Dr. Nair de Freitas Tinoco, one of the first women pharmacists to graduate from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in 1932. At a time when few women occupied positions within the scientific professions, her pioneering path established more than a career. It laid the foundation for generations devoted to pharmacy, research, and the advancement of natural health.
That legacy was carried forward by the Tinoco Panizza family and ultimately gave rise to Panizza Laboratory. Built under the leadership of her youngest son, Sérgio Tinoco Panizza, and later shaped alongside Maria Helena Tinoco Panizza and Sylvio Panizza, the laboratory brought together generations of knowledge with the rigor of modern pharmaceutical science.
Within a decade, Panizza Laboratory had established itself as a respected Brazilian center for the research and preparation of natural products, developing an approach in which tradition and scientific progress were not opposing forces, but complementary ones.
At the heart of this philosophy has always been a simple principle: innovation must remain human. Scientific rigor, quality, and technological advancement are inseparable from responsibility, empathy, and care for the people they ultimately serve.
Today, under the management of Sérgio Tinoco Panizza, Panizza Laboratory continues to evolve while remaining faithful to the principles upon which it was built. Its modern facility in Taboão da Serra, São Paulo, encompasses more than 5,000 m² and brings together specialized infrastructure, advanced technology, and decades of expertise in phytotherapy and natural products.
Throughout its history, the laboratory has received recognition within Brazil’s healthcare sector, including honors for Quality in Phytotherapeutics. Yet its enduring measure of success extends beyond recognition. It lies in the preservation of knowledge, the advancement of phytotherapeutic research, and an unwavering commitment to quality across generations.
Nearly a century after Dr. Nair de Freitas Tinoco first entered the profession of pharmacy, the principles that began this story remain alive.
Now, a new chapter begins.
Through Isabella Panizza, granddaughter of the family that built this legacy, the Panizza name enters a new generation, carrying its heritage beyond Brazil and introducing its philosophy to a broader international audience.
The vision continues to evolve. The geography expands. But its foundation remains unchanged: a commitment to unite nature and science with integrity, knowledge, and care, and to preserve a legacy not simply by remembering it, but by carrying it forward.
Family
Sérgio Tinoco Panizza
Industrial Pharmacist · Researcher · Author
· Entrepreneur
Sérgio Tinoco Panizza is a Brazilian Industrial Pharmacist, researcher, author, and entrepreneur whose career has been dedicated to the advancement of phytotherapy, medicinal plants, pharmaceutical research, and products of natural origin in Brazil.His professional trajectory bridges pharmaceutical science, industry, research, professional education, and traditional knowledge, contributing to the development and recognition of phytotherapy within Brazilian healthcare.He was one of the creators of Laboratório Panizza, which contributed to the development of pharmaceutical research in Brazil and became one of the country's most respected centers for the research and preparation of natural products.Throughout his career, Panizza has worked to transform scientific and traditional knowledge of medicinal plants into practical tools for healthcare professionals and the public — from pharmaceutical research and product development to professional guidance, education, and specialized literature. (Career & Impact)Panizza Laboratory (in Brazil)Co-CreatorAs one of the creators of "Laboratório Panizza", Sérgio Tinoco Panizza contributed to the development of a center dedicated to pharmaceutical research and the preparation of products of natural origin.The Laboratory became recognized as one of Brazil's most respected centers in its field and contributed to the advancement of pharmaceutical research involving medicinal plants and natural products in the country.Phytoshop Fitoterápicos e HomeopáticosOwner · 1993–2022For nearly three decades, Panizza was the owner of Phytoshop Fitoterápicos e Homeopáticos, extending his work in phytotherapy and natural products through professional practice and public access.AFASCreator · Pharmaceutical Assistance Form for Health with Phytotherapeutics and Products of Natural OriginPanizza created AFAS, an initiative designed to provide pharmaceutical assistance related to phytotherapeutics and products of natural origin.Through AFAS, more than one million people were served, bringing professional pharmaceutical guidance and knowledge of phytotherapeutics and natural products to a broad public.Professional & Institutional ContributionBeyond his work in industry and entrepreneurship, Sérgio Tinoco Panizza contributed to the professional development of phytotherapy in Brazil.He provided guidance to several Professional Councils, helping establish professional frameworks for the prescription of medicinal plants and phytotherapeutics.His work helped connect three areas that have defined his career: scientific knowledge, professional responsibility, and the traditional use of medicinal plants.His contributions have also received recognition within the healthcare sector, including numerous awards in the “Quality in Phytotherapeutics” category.PublicationsSérgio Tinoco Panizza is the author of specialized works dedicated to medicinal plants, phytotherapeutics, their professional prescription and recommendation, and Traditional Chinese Medicine."Traditional Use of Medicinal Plants and Phytotherapeutics"São Luís, MA · 2012ISBN 978-85-63766-01-4A reference work on the traditional use of medicinal plants and phytotherapeutics.The publication was referenced by the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency — ANVISA — in RDC 26/2014 and in the Phytotherapeutic Formulary of the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia, 2nd Edition (2021)."How to Prescribe or Recommend Medicinal Plants and Phytotherapeutics"São Luís, MA · 2010ISBN 978-85-63766-00-07A professional work dedicated to the prescription and recommendation of medicinal plants and phytotherapeutics.The book was referenced by ANVISA in the Phytotherapeutic Formulary of the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia, 1st Edition (2016)."Amazon: In Search of the Lost Cure"São Luís, MA · 2012ISBN 978-85-63766-02-1A work exploring the medicinal knowledge associated with the Amazon and its extraordinary botanical heritage."Phytosearcher: Practical Guide"Prescription of Traditional Chinese Medicine Products · São Luís, MA · 2012A practical professional guide dedicated to the prescription of products used within Traditional Chinese Medicine."Institutional Recognition"The significance of Panizza's published work extends beyond authorship.His publications have entered Brazil's official pharmaceutical and regulatory reference framework, having been cited by the country's National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) and incorporated as references within the Phytotherapeutic Formulary of the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia.These references connect decades of research, professional experience, and documentation of medicinal plants with the institutional development of phytotherapy in Brazil.Alongside his scientific and professional contributions, Panizza has been recognized through numerous healthcare-sector awards for Quality in Phytotherapeutics.LegacySérgio Tinoco Panizza's career represents a continuing chapter in the Panizza tradition of medicinal-plant research and education in Brazil.Across pharmaceutical industry, research, entrepreneurship, professional education, and authorship, his work has helped preserve botanical knowledge while bringing it into dialogue with modern pharmaceutical science and professional healthcare practice.From the development of Laboratório Panizza and nearly three decades at Phytoshop, to the creation of an assistance initiative that reached more than one million people and publications subsequently referenced by ANVISA and the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia, his trajectory reflects a commitment to making knowledge useful, rigorous, and accessible.His work carries forward a principle at the heart of the Panizza legacy:Tradition preserves knowledge. Science gives it continuity.
Sylvio Panizza
Pharmacist · Professor · Researcher · Author
· Television Host & Producer
Professor at USP, he focused his research on plants and their healing powers from an early age. As a pharmaceutical biochemist, he became a university professor in the field of Medicinal Plants and worked his way up to the position of Full-time Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry at the University of São Paulo. He is considered one of Brazil's leading authorities in the field of Pharmacobotany. Author of the book "Plantas Que Curam - Cheiro de Mato" (Plants That Heal - The Smell of the Wild). He has participated in numerous scientific papers and publications in specialized health journals. Well-known and respected for his in-depth knowledge of medicinal plants. He became nationally known due to the success of the "Cheiro de Mato" segment on the program "Dia a DIA" (Day to Day), which he produced and hosted on TV since 1989 and was broadcasted on "Rede Bandeirantes de Televisão" (a Brazilian television network).
Isabella Raposo Panizza
Brazillian Business Owner · Graphic Designer
Certified in Contract Law, Business, Budtending & Retail work. Also participated in "Student leaders of the 21st Century" - "Laspau" (in collaboration with Harvard University).
Dr. Maria Helena Tinoco Panizza
Pharmacist · Phytotherapy
· Pharmaceutical Care
Dra. Maria Helena Tinoco Panizza is a Brazilian pharmacist whose professional life has been closely connected to phytotherapy, pharmaceutical compounding, and the responsible use of medicinal plants.Alongside her husband, Prof. Dr. Sylvio Panizza, she helped establish and develop the pharmaceutical work that became associated with the Panizza name in São Paulo. Contemporary accounts identify Maria Helena and Sylvio as the founding couple behind the pharmacy later known as Phytoshop Panizza, where their work centered on pharmaceutical care and phytotherapy.Professional PracticeMaria Helena was not simply associated with the enterprise through her family: she practiced professionally as a registered pharmacist.Official records from the Municipality of São Paulo identify Maria Helena Tinoco Panizza as both Legal Representative and Responsible Pharmacist (Responsável Técnica) of Farmácia e Laboratório Professor Panizza Ltda. – Phytoshop, under CRF-SP nº 3824. The establishment was authorized for pharmaceutical compounding and dispensing, including phytotherapeutic, homeopathic and other compounded preparations.Her work reflected an approach to pharmacy in which scientific knowledge, individualized pharmaceutical care and the traditional knowledge surrounding medicinal plants could coexist. Later accounts describing the history of the pharmacy specifically credit Maria Helena and Sylvio with providing pharmaceutical assistance centered on phytotherapy to the public.Knowledge of Medicinal PlantsMaria Helena also contributed to the practical dissemination of knowledge surrounding medicinal plants and natural preparations. Published material from the period identifies her as a pharmacist and records her discussing the properties and applications of medicinal plants, including their use in preparations for skin and hair.Her approach emphasized accessible and practical pharmaceutical knowledge—a philosophy reflected in contemporary accounts in which she shared straightforward preparations derived from her experience with medicinal plants.The Panizza Pharmaceutical LegacyMaria Helena occupies an important place in a multigenerational pharmaceutical tradition.Her son, pharmacist Sérgio Tinoco Panizza, has publicly credited both of his parents—Maria Helena and Sylvio Panizza—as pharmacists devoted to medicinal plants and as important influences on his own career in phytotherapy. The same biographical record traces the family's pharmaceutical tradition through Maria Helena's mother, Dra. Nadir de Freitas Tinoco, who graduated in Pharmacy in Rio de Janeiro in 1932.Through decades of professional practice and the continuation of this knowledge across generations, Dra. Maria Helena Tinoco Panizza became part of the foundation upon which the Panizza family's work in pharmacy, medicinal plants and phytotherapy was built.
Dr. Nair de Freitas Tinoco
Pharmacist · Pioneer in Brazilian Pharmacy
Dra. Nair de Freitas Tinoco was a pioneering Brazilian pharmacist and the earliest documented pharmacist in the Tinoco Panizza family tradition. Graduating in Pharmacy in 1932, she belonged to an early generation of women entering the pharmaceutical profession in Brazil and is documented in historical family records as having graduated with the second Pharmacy class of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ).
Her professional career established the foundations of a pharmaceutical tradition that would continue through successive generations of the Tinoco Panizza family. Contemporary records from the 1940s and 1950s further document her presence within Brazil’s pharmaceutical profession.
Her legacy represents the beginning of a family history in pharmacy that would later expand into medicinal plants, phytotherapy, pharmaceutical research, education, and industry.
Silvio Panizza
Sylvio Tinoco Panizza was part of the Panizza family's multigenerational legacy. Well-read in finance and business, he had a strong interest in economic and commercial matters while remaining closely connected to a family deeply rooted in pharmacy and medicinal plants. He was also an important supporter of his brother Sérgio's professional development and work in phytotherapy.
Business · Finance · Family Legacy