Medicinal Plants Flashcards
(32 cards)
why were the Neanderthal buried with medicinal plants 60k years ago?
medicinal or ritual reasons
what ancient groups used plants as medicine?
ancient chinese, indian, and aztecs
what was snakeroot used for?
first known as a sedative, today it is used for high blood pressure and schizophrenia
what did Hippocrates propose that was relevant to diseases?
He supported that diseases were naturally occurring and were not derived from supernatural forces
what was the giant fennel used for? (greek and roman)
used as a female contraceptive, lowered birth rates.
- collected to extinction
what served as a basic guide medicinal plant for 1500 years in western europe?
Dioscorides text of 600 medicinal plants.
renaissance and printing
helped expand the knowledge of herbs and helped revivie herbalism
doctrine of signatures
- feature of a plant corresponds to a human body part to treat
- applies to type of disease on a specific part of the body
- no scientific basis
- examples: bloodwort, liverwort, snakeroot
modern pharmaceuticals
- example: morphine is extract from opium poppy plant, salicylic acid is from a willow tree
- 25% of US pharmaceuticals have plant derived active ingredients, 50% coupled with fungi
herbal medicine
-75% of rural populations rely on herbal medicine as their only health care
- established in China and India
what plant was commonly used by Native Americans
Echinacea species
- used as an antidote for bites and stings, cure infectious disease, relieve tooth
aches, smoke remedy for headaches, soothe sore throats and coughs
- today: used for prevention of cold and flu but not scientifically supported
active compounds in medicinal plants
- secondary plant products: alkaloids and glycosides
- alkaloids: 3000 identified, dominant in Fabaceae (bean family), Solanaceae (nightshade family; aka poisonous plants and tomatoes), and Rubiaceae (coffee family)
- cardioactive glycosides: effect contraction
- saponins: progesterone precursor and cortisone
Foxglove
- contains digitalis glycosides: used by millions to slow heart rate with increased blood pumped
- english fold remedy for dropsy: fluid accumulation from congestive heart failure
salicylic acid:
- extracted from willow inner bark, contain salicilin which is a glycoside of salicylic acid
- synthetic production: acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) by Bayer chemist
- properties: anti-inflammatory; analgesic, reduces risk of a second heart attack when given at low doses.
Rubiacea family
- from fever bark tree
- produced alkaloid quinine: first effective treatment for malaria (synthetic chloroquinine)
- quinine water and gin were used by british colonies
- artimisin: from sweet wormwood- a terpene also toxic to malaria parasite
where is malaria prominent around the world
Africia and India
snakeroot uses
- alkaloids: reserpine from the root, used as a tranquilizer for schizophrenia, also a treatment for hypertension
aloe
- used for 1000s of years for skin conditions
- soothing component, may promote dermal cell growth and inhibit bacterial infections
- found in many lotions, oils, sunscreens, and bath oils
Ephedra
- gymnosperm used for many years as a decongestant and CNS stimulant similar to adrenaline
- synthetic compounds found in decongestant, weight control supplements, and in energy boosters.
- pseudoephedrine: used to make meth
TC: abuse of products contains ephedra extracts has led to increased concerns about unregulated marketing of herbal remedies. should increased regulation occur?
??
madagascar periwinkle
- source of vinblastine and vincristine- treats leukemias and lymphomas
- can be used as a chemo agent to black spindle formation, decreases mitosis
pacific yew; taxus brevifolia
- chemotherapeutic terpene taxol is isolated from bark. used for breast and ovarian cancer
- concern of overharvesting old growth trees on the cost of the pacific NW in US till taxol is synthesizes
TC: the success of Taxol in treating ovarian and breast cancer has renewed interest in search for medicinal plants. at the same time, forest destruction is eroding the biodiversity of the planet. what steps can be taken to ensure that useful plant species will be preserved:
- can continue to make taxol synthetically instead of extracting it from plants
- provide incentives to maintain natural areas that are valuable, ex. trade products
herbal medicine in the US
- 40% of US uses alternative medicine
- herbal medicine is considered an alternative
- future of herbal medicine can improve: may be another option due to mistrust in medicine, herbal remedies may be reliable and pose less health risks
