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Disease Dilemmas > 5.a Nature has provided medicines to treat disease for thousands of years. > Flashcards

5.a Nature has provided medicines to treat disease for thousands of years. Flashcards

1
Q

Who was Hippocrates? What did he do?

(Origins of medicine from nature)

A

459-377 BC, was referred to as the ‘Father of Medicine’.

He documented the effects of over 300 medicinal plants in the first ever collection of written documents of medicine.

E.g. Garlic: clears out intestinal parasites.
E.g. Nightshade: a poisonous narcotic.

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2
Q

What was the Chelsea Apothecary Society?

(Origins of medicine from nature)

A

Founded in 1673.

Institute aimed to grow and research the medicinal properties of plant; naming plants after the body part that they healed.

E.g. Lungwort, Bladderwort.

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3
Q

Outline morphine’s emergence as a medicine.

(Origins of medicine from nature)

A

Morphine was the first naturally derived medicine isolated from a plant.

It and other opioid-related drugs are extracted from the latex, produced by unripe seed pods of several poppy species.

They are used as analgesics to reduce pain.

During the 19th century many more alkaloids (e.g. quinine) were extracted from wild plants.

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4
Q

Outline Aspirin’s emergence as a medicine.

(Origins of medicine from nature)

A

At the end of the 19th century, the first semi-synthetic glycoside drug, aspirin, was created - based on salicin.

Salicin was isolated from the bark of the white willow (Salix alba) in 1899.

Injection into the bloodstream is the most common form of administration.

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5
Q

What types of drugs do ACs, EDCs, and LIDCs most commonly consume?

(Origins of medicine from nature)

A

ACs: Mostly consume fully synthetic drugs.

EDCs and LIDCs: Traditional medicines used in the developing world.

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6
Q

Outline ‘caffeine’ as an example of a medicine from nature.

(Medicine in nature)

A
  • Originally from tea, coffee, and coca.
  • Tropical and subtropical conditions.
  • Temps averaging 20-27°C.
  • Abundant rainfall (1000-2000 mm/ year).
  • Soils which are well drained, with good organic content and nitrogen.
  • Acts as a stimulant to CNS, heart, and muscles.
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7
Q

Outline ‘colchicine’ as an example of a medicine from nature.

(Medicine in nature)

A
  • Originally from autumn crocus.
  • Moist temperature climate conditions.
  • Deep, well-drained soils with slightly acidic pH (~6.5).
  • Soil with good moisture retention.
  • Treats cancer and gout.
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8
Q

Outline ‘morphine’ as an example of a medicine from nature.

(Medicine in nature)

A
  • Originally from dried latex from seed pods of several species of opium poppy.
  • Warm, humid conditions.
  • Clear sunny days with temperatures of 30-38°C.
  • Susceptible to frost and wet weather.
  • Acts as a pain reliver.
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9
Q

Outline ‘digitalis’ as an example of a medicine from nature.

(Medicine in nature)

A
  • Originally from foxglove.
  • Temperate climate conditions.
  • Tolerates high rainfall, cool summers and acidic soils.
  • Treats dropsy and heart failure.
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10
Q

What is the Rosy Periwinkle?

(Case study of a medicinal plant: Rosy Periwinkle)

A

Small evergreen shrub which is native to Madagascar.

Requires a warm tropical climate, no frost.

Soils should be well-drained but moisture - retaining, and slightly acidic.

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11
Q

What are the traditional medicine uses of the Rosy Periwinkle?

(Case study of a medicinal plant: Rosy Periwinkle)

A

Wasp stings in India.

Diabetes in China and Philippines.

Popular ornamental garden plant.

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12
Q

When did the Rosy Periwinkle come to attention? Why?

(Case study of a medicinal plant: Rosy Periwinkle)

A

1960, when analysis revealed that it contained 70 known alkaloids, several of which have significant medical value.

The 2 alkaloids that were previously unknown: vincristine and vinblastine - were powerful in the treatment of cancer.

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13
Q

Outline vincristine as an alkaloid within the Rosy Periwinkle.

(Case study of a medicinal plant: Rosy Periwinkle)

A

Chemotherapy.

Child leukaemia.

Survival rates from 10% (1970), to 90% (today).

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14
Q

Outline vinblastine as an alkaloid within the Rosy Periwinkle.

(Case study of a medicinal plant: Rosy Periwinkle)

A

Highly useful in treating Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

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15
Q

Who ‘owns’ vincristine and vinblastine? Is this positive or negative?

(Case study of a medicinal plant: Rosy Periwinkle)

A

Vincristine and vinblastine are worth hundreds of millions to ‘Eli Lilly’, a US pharmaceutical giant that develops them.

Few profits are channelled back to indigenous farmers, this is biopiracy.

Eli Lilly’s biopiracy hinders economic growth and progress in tackling inequality and poverty within Madagascar.

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16
Q

Can scientists synthesise Rosy Periwinkle’s alkaloids?

(Case study of a medicinal plant: Rosy Periwinkle)

A

Currently scientists have been unable to synthesise these alkaloids, so production relies on commercial cultivation.

17
Q

What does CITES stand for? What is it?

(Conservation issues relating to the international trade in medicinal plants)

A

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)

An international agreement between governments.

18
Q

What does CITES aim to do?

(Conservation issues relating to the international trade in medicinal plants)

A

It aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species.

19
Q

How many plant and animal species are covered in CITES?

(Conservation issues relating to the international trade in medicinal plants)

A

Around 25,000 plant species and 5,000 animal species are covered by the provisions of the Convention.

20
Q

Outline how many species feature in ‘appendix 1’ in CITES.

(Conservation issues relating to the international trade in medicinal plants)

A

About 600 animal species and 300 plant species.

21
Q

Outline how many species feature in ‘appendix 2’ in CITES.

(Conservation issues relating to the international trade in medicinal plants)

A

About 1,400 animal species and 25,000 plant species.

22
Q

Outline how many species feature in ‘appendix 3’ in CITES.

(Conservation issues relating to the international trade in medicinal plants)

A

About 270 animal species and 30 plant species.

23
Q

What are CITES’ appendixes?

(Conservation issues relating to the international trade in medicinal plants)

A

Ranking of endangerment.

Appendix III includes the most acutely endangered, highest risk of extinction species.

24
Q

How many plant species does CITES protect globally from over-exploitation, by regulating international trade.

(Conservation issues relating to the international trade in medicinal plants)

A

34,310 plant species.

25
Q

The CITES trade database registers how heavy exports of medicinal plant products between 2006 and 2015? Of these, many derived from how many species. What percentage of exports are sourced from the wild?

(Conservation issues relating to the international trade in medicinal plants)

A

The CITES trade database registers 54 million kg of exports of medicinal plant products between 2006 and 2015, mainly derived from 43 species.

47% percent of these exports being sourced from the wild.

26
Q

Globally, how many people use traditional medicines as a primary source? Where are most located?

(Traditional Medicines and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM))

A

5 billion people.

Most of these being in developing (LIDC and EDC) countries.

27
Q

Outline the TCM philosophy.

(Traditional Medicines and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM))

A

Proposes that everything including organs of the body - is composed of the five elements: fire, earth, metal, water, and wood.

The herbs are similarly classified into the five tastes - sweet, salty, bitter, pungent, and sour - which correspond to the five elements.

Herbs are prescribed to restore energy balance to the opposing forces of energy - Yin and Yang - that run through invisible channels in the body.

28
Q

Outline ‘cupping’ as a method of TCM.

(Traditional Medicines and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM))

A

A type of Chinese massage, consisting of placing glass cups on the skin works when a match is lit and placed inside the cup and then removed before placing the cup against the skin.

This creates a lower pressure inside the cup that allows the cup to stick to the skin via suction.

29
Q

Outline ‘Gua sha’ as a method of TCM.

(Traditional Medicines and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM))

A

The abrading of the skin with pieces of smooth jade, bone, animal tusks or horns or smooth stones is believed to be the treatment for almost any ailment.

30
Q

Is medicinal plant cultivation sustainable? How does this compare to the wider environmental impacts of deforestation?

(Protection of Natural Habitats and Ecosystem)

A

Cultivation of medicinal plants is unsustainable:

However, this does not compare to the wider environmental impacts of deforestation.

Deforestation destroys the planet and access to medicinal plants.

Tropical rainforests have 70% of known plant species in it; although only 1% have been checked tor their medicinal value.

31
Q

What do deforestation rates average each day?

(Protection of Natural Habitats and Ecosystem)

A

Deforestation rates average 325km² each day.

32
Q

What did the centre for biological diversity state?

(Protection of Natural Habitats and Ecosystem)

A

The centre for biological diversity states that 1 major cure or treatment is lost every 2 years.

33
Q

In the past, deforestation has been carried out by pharmaceutical companies. What was this bad?

(Protection of Natural Habitats and Ecosystem)

A

This gave them access to the medicinal plants in which they can synthesise; this is biopiracy.

34
Q

What is Samoa? When and what did they discover?

(Samoa Case Study: Medicine from nature, without destroying the ecosystem)

A

Pacific island.

In the 1980s, they discovered the alkaloid - Prostialin - that came from the Mamala tree, and is used as a treatment for HIV.

35
Q

What did Samoa do once discovering Prostialin?

(Samoa Case Study: Medicine from nature, without destroying the ecosystem)

A

However, the Samoan government did not allow pharmaceutical companies to extract the plant, without returning revenue back to Samoa.

36
Q

By preventing biopiracy, Samoa gained revenue. What was this then used for? What happened as a result of this?

(Samoa Case Study: Medicine from nature, without destroying the ecosystem)

A

The revenue Samoa gained was then used to support tropical rainforest conservation, as well as rainforest communities.

As this gained traction, companies such as the National Cancer Institute began to invest in Samoa for its possible future discoveries of major treatments and cures, bringing more invest to Samoa.

Disease Dilemmas (11 decks)

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