exam 1 Flashcards
are plants the primary source of medicine in the world?
yes! 65-80% of people in developing countries use plant remedies
- around 25% of modern drugs + over 60% of anti tumor drugs are derived from natural products
- 50% of pharmaceuticals developed over past 20 years (and FDA approved) are natural products (mainly plants) / synthetic derivatives / at their core a prototype molecule derived from natural products
- global market = 83 billion + growing
- herbal supplement sales in us had record growth at 9.5% in 2018
traditional chinese medicine
based on two separate theories about the natural laws that govern health + longevity
1. yin and yang; opposites that compliment each other - medicine used to restore/ maintain balance + grant vital energy , yin= nourish in, yang= cleanse out
2. five elements; linked to the main organ systems of the body, the emotions, etc (wu xing = chinese philosophy)
a. endocrine - fire
b. digestive - earth
c. respiratory - metal
d. circulatory - water
e. defense -wood
ayurvedic medicine (ancient india)
ayur = life, veda = knowledge or science
based on bodily humors (dashas or “that which can cause problems” = vata, pitta, and kapha) and the inner life force (prana) that is believed to maintain digestion and mental activity
- vata= manages all the movements in the mind + body
- pitta= controls heat, metabolism, and transformation
- kapha= “that which holds things together”
physical and psychological disorders result from imbalance of the dashas
Ayurvedic herbalism formulates remedies to help balance of dashes and that are linked to the 6 tastes –> rasas: sweet, sour, salt, bitter, pungent, and astringent
african traditional medicine
holistic system involving body + mind
healer typically diagnoses and treats psychological basis of an illness before prescribing medicines to treat the symptoms
- Khoi San people of southern africa have a very diverse materia media
- artemisia afra; controversa or treasure ?
“Artemisia afra, a controversial herbal remedy or a treasure trove of new drugs”
Artemisia afra = one of the most widely used herbal remedies in south africa
- treats coughs, colds, influenza + malaria
- successfully commercialized + can currently be bought from various internet stores + pharmacies
- MALARIA (plasmodium falciparum) –> in 2013 Medicine Control Council banned sale of A. afra for malaria due to lack of scientific evidence of efficacy –> in 2017, lawsuit against MCC by herbal company, claim that artemisinin was responsible for its anti plasmodial activity –> at the time, no scientific literature reported that A. afra contained artemisinin
north american traditional medicine
indigenous healer or shaman addresses both the physical and spiritual aspects of disease
- shamanistic ceremonies involve chanting, dancing, and other rituals, some using psychoactive plants aimed at healing the patient within their community
- north american traditional practices. early north american ‘european’ medicine, and british medicine were influenced by european colonization of north america
central and south american traditional medicine
in common with africa. the healing traditions of this region are poorly recorded
- floristically diverse; the source of many crop species and potentially new plant based remedies
- rural people in many countries still rely on traditional indian herbal medicines– although today the practice of herbal medicine shows influences from europe, africa, and india
australian and southeast asian traditional medicine
traditional knowledge of the healing systems of the aborigines was lost before it was recorded
- traditional knowledge preserved in areas such as new zealand, polynesia, and malaysia, vietnam, and thailand; in many instances influenced by chinese traditional healing
aromatherapy
healing system based on essential oils
- narrow definition is oils absorbed through the mucous membranes of the respiratory system
- some aromatic compounds are known to act directly on the central nervous system, others are spasmolytic, anti inflammatory and antiseptic
examples: syzygium/clove, eucalyptus, salvia spp
homeopathy
developed by samuel hannemann in Leipzig , 1811-1820
- theory assumes that plants can be used in very dilute form to treat illnesses associated with symptoms produced by high doses of the same plant
- dilution is indicated after the name of the medicine (Arnica D3 is diluted 1000 times or three fold)
- greater dilution is considered to produce stronger homeopathic effects –> however, highly diluted solutions are not considered part of physiotherapy (herbalism)
plants as the basis for development of modern medicine
humans considered death to be of supernatural origin –> treatment of serious disease thus included incantations, potions (largely herbal) and other means. treatments of minor ailments were usually herbal too
- knowledge and practice passed on by word of mouth and the role of the shaman, medicine man, sangoma, etc –> later written down in systemized pharmacopoeias (book/ official publication containing list of medicinal drugs + their effects)
- Renaissance saw the development of experimental approach to medicine in the med schools in europe
- infectious disease caused by living microorganisms
- anesthesia (nitrous oxide, chloroform)
- isolation of pure drug chemicals from herbal medicines (morphine, quinine)
- tissues have a select affinity for certain chemicals (concept of receptors)
Germany
a major pharmaceutical hub and user of phytomedicines in europe
a. germany leads the european pharmaceutical industry –> the german nation consolidates its status as an elite economy in the CPhl Pharma Index 2019
b. medicinal plants are big business –> each year 45,000 tons of medicinal plants are used in germany – more than in any other European country
primary sources – published
journal articles, technical papers, conference proceedings, theses and dissertations, patents
primary sources – unpublished
field notes, interviews, letters/correspondence, specimens (herbarium), lab notebooks and diaries
secondary sources
books, science magazines, review articles, reference materials (dictionaries, handbooks)
