Traditional Medicine: The use of Plants and Herbs to Treat Disease

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Katherine Gibson
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1 Traditional Medicine: The use of Plants and erbs to Treat Disease! mickle is the powerful grace that lies In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities: For nought so vile that on the earth doth live But to the earth some special good doth give Within the infant rind of this weak flower Poison hath residence and medicine power Romeo and Juliet, II, iii Methods for Discovering ew Medicinal Agents 1. Isolating or imitating naturally occurring substances. 2. Chance observation and random testing. 3. Comparison of biological processes in health organisms with the altered function in diseased organisms. 1

Some Questions Why do molds produce β-lactams? Why do plants/molds produce lysergic acid? Why does foxglove produce digitalis? Why are vitamins produced by plants and not mammals?

2 Some Questions Why do molds produce β-lactams? Why do plants/molds produce lysergic acid? Why does foxglove produce digitalis? Why are vitamins produced by plants and not mammals? Erythroxylon coca The coca plant was well established in the Andes and in the Inca civilizations. Incas believed that the gods presented coco to the people to help satisfy hunger, provide vigor and forget their miseries. Coca cola originally contained extracts from the coca plant (1880 s). 3 C C 2 C 3 Ph Cocaine 2

3 C C 3 C 2 2 C 3 C C 3 3 C C 3 Arrow Poisons Amphibians like frogs from the Phyllobates and

3 Arrow Poisons Curare is a crude dried extract of Chondrodendron tomentosum. ative people of Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, and Columbia have used the extract as arrow poisons. 3 C C 3 C 2 2 C 3 C C 3 3 C C 3 Arrow Poisons Amphibians like frogs from the Phyllobates and Dendrobates genera in Western Columbia secrete poisons on their skin when under stress. Contain a diverse number of alkaloids. Monomerine 1 3

Contains colchicine the alkaloid currently used for the treatment of gout.

4 Colchicum autumnale Alexander of Tralles (6 th century) recommends its use for pain relief in the joints. Used in Persia for the treatment of gout. Benjamin Franklin heard about it and brings it to America. Contains colchicine the alkaloid currently used for the treatment of gout. 3 C 3 C C 3 Colchicine Madagascar The vinca alkaloids vincristine and vinblastine are isolated form the periwinkle plant. The compounds act as spindle poisons during cell division. Used to treat leukemia, and odgkin disease. 3 C 2 C 3 C R Ac C 2 C 3 R = C 3 Vinblastine R = C Vincristine 4

Pacific Yew Tree s and Taxol In 1960 the ational Cancer Institute (CI) initiated a screening program to identify anticancer compounds from natural sources.

5 Pacific Yew Tree s and Taxol In 1960 the ational Cancer Institute (CI) initiated a screening program to identify anticancer compounds from natural sources. In 1962 it was shown that an extract from the Pacific yew tree Taxus brevifolia showed remarkable activity against a variety of rodent tumors. In 1971 Wall and Wani isolated taxol the active antitumor component of the extract. JACS 1971, 93, C Taxol Ac C 3 C 3 C 3 Ac Synthetic Approaches to Taxol The Pacific yew tree is an environmentally protected species so isolation is a problem. Luckily a European ornamental shrub produces an analog of taxol baccatin III that can be converted into the desired target. To date six total syntheses of taxol have been accomplished. 3 C C 3 C 3 C 3 Ac Bz Baccatin III 5

6 Top Ten Selling erbal Medicines orehound 2. Yohimbe 3. Cranberry 4. Black cohosh 5. Senna 6. Cinnamon 7. Flaxseed and/or oil 8. Echinacea 9. Valerian root 10. Saw palmetto Useful Information about erbal Preparations in Use Almost 40% of the American population uses some form of traditional medicine. n average in 2004 Americans spend $54 per person on herbal medicines. At least 73% of cancer patients use some form of traditional medicine. erbs are perceived as safer, gentler and of lower cost than conventional pharmaceutical drugs. Users seek relief from a wide variety of diseases. Insomnia, headache, arthritis, neuromuscular pain and depression are among the most common. 6

7 General Considerations about erbal Medications Plants are efficient chemical factories that produce a wide variety of chemical compounds called phytochemicals. atural does not necessarily mean safe. Quality control problems. Advocacy interests. They are not miraculous cure-alls. erbs to be Considered Unsafe or Unfit for uman Consumption Borago officinalis - Borage Acorus calamus - Calamus Tussilago farfara - Coltsfoot Symphytum spp Comfrey Larrea tridentata - Chaparral Ephedra sinica - Ephedra, Ma-huang Glycyrrhiza glabra - Licorice Phytolacca americana - Poke root 7

atural Products and Drug Discovery 61% of the 877

drugs worldwide during the period 1981-2002 can be

These Include: atural products (6%) atural product

natural-productderived pharmacophores (5%) atural

8 atural Products and Drug Discovery 61% of the 877 small-molecule new chemical entities introduced as drugs worldwide during the period can be traced to or were inspired by natural products. These Include: atural products (6%) atural product derivatives (27%) Synthetic compounds with natural-productderived pharmacophores (5%) atural product mimics (23%) Where is the ext Frontier for atural Products and Potential ew Drugs? 8

9 Marine atural Products Cys 1 2 Lys 2 Gly 3 Lys 4 2 Cys 25 Lys 24 Gly 23 Ser 22 Arg 21 Cys 16 Thr 17 Gly 18 Ser 19 Cys 20 Ala 6 Gly 5 Cys 15 Asp 14 Tyr 13 Lys 7 Met 12 Cys 8 Ser 9 Arg 10 Leu 11 2 Vidarabin Ziconotide The Travels of Codeine C 3 C 3 ral Entry Stomach Small Intestine (Absorption) CS Entry (Blood-Brain-Barrier) Liver (First Pass) Circulatory System (Blood) Site of Action Metabolism? Exit CS Circulatory System (Blood) Liver (Detoxification) Circulatory System (Blood) Excretion (Kidney) 9

Ethnopharmacology. Dr.Divya. (M.D) Pharmacology SSIMS&RC, Davangere

Ethnopharmacology. Dr.Divya. (M.D) Pharmacology SSIMS&RC, Davangere Ethnopharmacology Dr.Divya (M.D) Pharmacology SSIMS&RC, Davangere Introduction Ethno-pharmacology can be defined as a multidisciplinary study of biologically active agents used in traditional medicine