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Kala CP. Aboriginal uses and management of ethnobotanical species in deciduous forests of Chhattisgarh state in India. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2009 Aug 4;5:20. PMID: 19653889; PMCID: PMC2729299.

Chandra Prakash Kala of the Indian Institute of Forest Management reports on a comprehensive ethnobotanical survey of rural Surguja, a biodiverse region of rich deciduous forests in the Chhattisgarh state of central India. 

The people of this region have developed herbal remedies over centuries, perhaps millennia, for a number of tropical maladies. Here’s one extract from the article, in which Kala discusses plant products used for cobra bites, scorpion stings, and mosquito protection:

"Many species of snakes including cobra were found in the study area, and snakebite was one of the frequent problems. In case of snakebite, the person was treated by some specialized expert, who used some plant species and also chanted some spiritual words while curing snakebite. Diospyrus melanoxylon Roxb., Elaeodendron glaucum Pers., and Garura pinnata were some of the important plant species used for curing snakebite. Similarly, the scorpion bite was treated by using the leaf paste of Achyranthus aspera L., and tuber of Urginea indica Kunth. The Surguja district is a mosquito prone area, and death by malarial fever is a common phenomena. The local people spend most of the time in the forest for rearing of their livestock, collection of fuelwood, fodder, medicinal and edible plants. To keep mosquito away from their body, they rubbed leaves of Chloroxylon swietenia DC. on the exposed body parts and also put its twigs on the head and back."

Kala documents 73 ethnobotanical species used as medicines, food, tonics, dyes, beverages, fish poisons, and mosquito repellent. She also proposes screening and standardizing compounds according to medicinal potency and nutritive values, and developing sustainable harvesting and production practices that make fair-trade use of local resources and knowledge rather than exporting plant products in raw forms. [Read the article.]

CAMWatch: Posts about free-access, peer-reviewed articles on aspects of complementary medicine theory, practice and policy (about the blogger).This blog is not a source for medical advice.

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Liu Y, Dao Z, Yang C, et al. Medicinal plants used by Tibetans in Shangri-la, Yunnan, China. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2009 May 5;5:15. PMID: 19416515.

Researchers at Chinese Academy of Sciences, China College of Life and Environment Sciences, and China University for Nationalities inventoried traditional medicinal plants used by Tibetans in the county of "Shangri-La" (formerly Zhongdian), Yunnan Province, Southwest China.

The authors note an impending loss of traditional Tibetan medical knowledge, and attribute it to the voluntary adoption of dominant Han ways by all but the most elderly Tibetans. Two ethnobotanical field surveys are undertaken, often hampered by lack of access to expert herbalist guides.

Still, work is accomplished. From the results section:

"Sixty-eight medicinal plant species in 64 genera of 40 families were recorded and collected. Among them, 23 species were found to have medicinal values that have not been recorded in any existing Tibetan literatures before, and 31 species were recorded to have traditional prescriptions. Moreover, the traditional preparations of each species and some folk medicinal knowledge were recorded and analyzed. These traditional prescriptions, preparations, new medicinal plants and folk medicinal knowledge and principles were discovered and summarized by local traditional Tibetan healers through times of treatment practices, and were passed down from generation to generation."

Medical applications included dysentery, gastropathy, cold/fever, and rheumatism/arthritis, among others.

In the conclusion, the authors note that the disappearance of Tibetan traditional medical knowledge "would be a great loss not only to the Tibetan cultural wealth but also to the great cultur[al] diversity of China." Choices made by Tibetans themselves, rather than government policies, are held to be the cause:

"…most traditional Tibetan healers were found to be almost 70 years old, and their descendants are scarcely willing to inherit this traditional profession and the precious traditional knowledge handed down. They prefer other jobs with more income instead. They believe that the traditional medicines are not so indispensable to their life nowadays and their reasons are given as follows: 1) the medical treatment of Han community is more advanced and has better condition than the traditional ones; 2) Tibetan became more and more dependent on the money-consuming substances outside their village, but traditional healers didn’t earn much."

A note in the methods section could shed some light on those observations. The field researchers elected to consult only with "official workers, traders and local healers who have to contact with different people very often," and only with those who speak Mandarin: "So we all speak mandarin and didn’t use any interpreters in communicating." I’m not an ethnobotanist, but that does not strike me as a great way to learn from indigenous herbalists in Tibet.

CAMWatch: Posts about free-access, peer-reviewed articles on aspects of complementary medicine theory, practice and policy (about the blogger).This blog is not a source for medical advice.

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Long C, Li S, Long B, Shi Y, Liu B. Medicinal plants used by the Yi ethnic group: a case study in central Yunnan. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2009 Apr 23;5:13. PMID: 19389251

Researchers at Chinese Academy of Sciences, Minzu University of China, Yunnan Agricultural University, and Chuxiong Research Institute of Yi Medicine and Pharmacology inventoried traditional Yi medicinal plants in Chuxiong, central Yunnan Province, Southwest China. From the results:

"One hundred sixteen medicinal plant species were found to be useful by the local people in the treatment of various diseases or disorders, especially those relating to trauma, gastrointestinal disorders and the common cold. Among these 116 species, 25 species (21.55%) were found to have new curative effects and 40 species (34.48%) were recorded for their new preparation methods; 55 different species were used in treating wounds and fractures, and 47 were used to treat gastrointestinal disorders. Traditional Yi herbal medicines are characterized by their numerous quantities of herbaceous plants and their common preparation with alcohol."

Speaking of alcohol:

"Traditional Yi medicine is especially characterized by its use of alcohol. The Yi people adore alcohol, and it has come to symbolically represent this cultural minority due to its significance in their lives. Home-made alcohol is the most important beverage for the Yi: it is used daily, for ceremonies and holidays, served to respected guests and friends, and is the most common method of administering plant medicines. The practice of combining plants and alcohol has a long history in Yi medicine."

The authors are motivated by a desire to preserve "indigenous knowledge, and folk knowledge in particular," which "continues to be impacted by mainstream culture and decreasing biodiversity; traditional practices using specific medicinal plants decreases more quickly than that of the general biodiversity. It is thus urgent and necessary to prevent the further loss of the specialized knowledge of minority peoples."

 

CAMWatch: Posts about free-access, peer-reviewed articles on aspects of complementary medicine theory, practice and policy (about the blogger). This blog is not a source for medical advice.

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Kunwar RM, Bussmann RW. Ethnobotany in the Nepal Himalaya. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2008 Dec 2;4:24. Review. PMID: 19055723

Investigators at the Ethnobotanical Society of Nepal and Missouri Botanical Garden partnered for this comprehensive review of indigenous knowledge and use of plant resources in Himalayan Nepal. Their analysis included more than 200 studies focusing on ethnobotany, ethnomedicine, and diversity of medicinal plants, carried out over the past three decades.

The article underscores the importance of diverse Himalayan flora to medical systems throughout Asia:

"Asia represents one of the most important centers of knowledge with regard to the use of plant species for treatment of various diseases. Examples are the Ayurveda, Amchi (traditional healing system of Tibet and mountain areas of Nepal), Siddha, Unani, and Chinese systems of medical care. Folklore medicinal systems (traditional healing and faith healing) are also important in Nepal. In this context, it is interesting to note that the Himalayan medicinal plants are the major contributors to the aforementioned systems. The topographical characteristics of the Himalayas have resulted in a variety of ecological niches that host diverse medicinal plants. It has been estimated that the Himalayan region harbors over 10,000 species of medicinal and aromatic plants, supporting the livelihoods of about 600 million people living in the area. The Nepal Himalayas include about 2,000 species with medicinal and aromatic values, and more than 1,400 of these are known to be used locally particularly as medicines."

The authors approach ethnobotany and ethnomedicine as integral elements of the public health, culture, environment, and economies of the Himalayas, concluding that "Enhancing the sustainable use and conservation of indigenous knowledge of useful and medicinal plants may benefit and improve the living standard of poor people."

CAMWatch: Posts about free-access, peer-reviewed articles on aspects of complementary medicine theory, practice and policy (about the blogger). This blog is not a source for medical advice.

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Tilburt JC, Kaptchuk TJ. Herbal medicine research and global health: an ethical analysis. Bull World Health Organ. 2008 Aug;86(8):594-9. PMID: 18797616

Analysts from the National Institutes of Health and Harvard Medical School describe an ethical framework for research in herbal medicine. Employing an example case of Africa Flower as an investigative therapy to slow progression to AIDS, they develop a framework for ethical decision making based on key criteria of social value, scientific validity and favorable risk-benefit ratio:

"Cases like these present challenging questions related to the role of traditional herbal medicines in public health. In general, international research on traditional herbal medicines should be subject to the same ethical requirements as all research related to human subjects. An ethical framework previously outlined by Emanuel et al. and revised for international research offers a useful starting point for thinking about the ethics of international traditional herbal medicine research. This framework includes eight ethical requirements for clinical research. These ethical requirements are universal and comprehensive but must be adapted to the particular social context in which the research is implemented. Of these, fair subject selection, independent review, informed consent, and respect for enrolled subjects have been discussed previously in the literature on the ethics of global health research and raise few issues unique to international traditional herbal medicine research. However, social value, scientific validity, and favourable risk-benefit ratio raise specific challenges in international herbal medicine research that have not been adequately discussed."

CAMWatch: Posts about free-access, peer-reviewed articles on aspects of complementary medicine theory, practice and policy (about the blogger). This blog is not a source for medical advice.

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Devi KP, Suganthy N, Kesika P, Pandian SK. Bioprotective properties of seaweeds: in vitro evaluation of antioxidant activity and antimicrobial activity against food borne bacteria in relation to polyphenolic content. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2008 Jul 10;8:38. PMID: 18613983

With a view to developing safer food preservatives, researchers in Tamil Nadu have elucidated, for the first time, the antioxidant properties of ten edible seaweeds:

• Gelidiella acerosa (Rhodophyta)
• Gracilaria edulis (Rhodophyta)
• Turbinaria conoides (Phaeophyta)
• Padina gymnospora (Phaeophyta)
• Chondrococcus hornemanni (Rhodophyta)
• Hypnea pannosa (Rhodophyta)
• Dictyota dichotoma (Phaeophyta)
• Jania rubens (Rhodophyta)
• Sargassum wightii (Phaeophyta)
• Haligra sps.

The authors turned to the waters of the Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Preserve for their study, which could be of signal scientific and commercial importance. From the Background:

"Refrigerated, ready-to-eat products, especially dairy foods, have become increasingly popular in recent years because of their convenience. Many pathogenic organisms spoil such foods, reducing their shelf life and often leading to food poisoning. It has been estimated that as many as 30% people in industrialized countries suffer from a food poisoning every year. In addition to microbial contamination, all packed and refrigerated food also undergoes gradual changes during storage, due to auto oxidation which releases reactive oxygen species (ROS) including free radicals like superoxide anion (O₂^•-) and hydroxyl radicals (OH^•) and non-free radical species like singlet oxygen (¹O₂) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) into the food. These ROS induce peroxidation of lipids (polyunsaturated fatty acids) generating secondary oxidants like heptanol and hexanal, which contributes to oxidative rancidity, deteriorating the flavor of the food. These not only cause a loss in food quality but are also believed to be associated with carcinogenesis, mutagenesis, arthritis, diabetes, inflammation, cancer and genotoxicity. To overcome these problems a wide range of synthetic antimicrobial agents (sodium benzoate, calcium benzoate, sorbate) and synthetic antioxidants (butylhydroquinone, propyl gallate, butylated hydroxy toluene (BHT), butylated hydroxy anisole (BHA), have been used as food preservatives. However, these preservatives can cause liver damage and are suspected to be mutagenic and neurotoxic. Hence, most consumers prefer additive-free foods or a safer approach like the utilization of more effective antioxidants and antimicrobials of natural origin. Recently, various phytochemicals like polyphenols, which are widely distributed in plants, have been reported to act as free radical scavengers and antimicrobial agents. Marine plants, like seaweeds, also contain high amounts of polyphenols. For example, high concentrations of polyphenols such as catechin, epicatechin, epigalloctechin gallate and gallic acid are reported in the seaweed Halimada (Chlorophyceae). Since many types of seaweed have still to be investigated, we were prompted to take up this study. The Gulf of Mannar is a Marine Biosphere Reserve situated along the east coast of India and Sri Lanka, an area of about 10,500 sq. km which has a luxuriant growth of about 680 species of seaweed belonging to the Rhodophyta, Pheaophyta and Chlorophyta, in both the inter-tidal and deep water regions. Seaweed constitutes a commercially important marine renewable resource. Sargassum, Padina, Dictyota and Gracilaria sps. Are used by common people as fertilizers, food additives and animal feed. The sulphated polysaccharides of Sargassum act as a potent free radical scavenger and anticancer agent. Gelidella and Gracilaria sps are widely used for the production of agar and for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. The methanolic extract of brown seaweeds such as Ecklonia cava and Hizikia fusiformis exhibit potent antioxidant activity. Although seaweeds possess wide application in food and in the pharmaceutical industry, the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of many types of seaweed in the South Indian coastal area are still unexplored. The main objective of the present study is to evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of seaweeds obtained from the Thondi, South Coastal Area of Tamil Nadu, India."

CAMWatch: Posts about free-access, peer-reviewed articles on aspects of complementary medicine theory, practice and policy (about the blogger). This blog is not a source for medical advice.

technorati tags: complementary and alternative medicine integrative medicine

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Ried K, Frank OR, Stocks NP, et al. Effect of garlic on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2008 Jun 16;8:13. Review. PMID: 18554422

Researchers at the University of Adelaide reviewed 25 studies investigating the effect of garlic preparations on blood pressure dating from 1994. The data showed that garlic preparations are superior to placebo in reducing blood pressure in people with hypertension.

From the discussion: 

"Our findings of the effect of garlic preparations on SBP/DBP [systolic/diastolic blood pressure] are comparable to the hypotensive effects of commonly-prescribed blood pressure drugs, e.g. beta-blockers of 5 mm Hg for SBP, angiotension converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) of 8 mm Hg for SBP, and angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonists of 10.3 mm Hg for DBP. Our findings may have implications at a population level, where a reduction of 4 to 5 mm Hg in SBP and 2 to 3 mm Hg in DBP has been estimated to reduce the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality by 8–20%. While our study focuses on the short-term effects of garlic on blood pressure, larger scale long-term trials are needed to test the effectiveness of garlic on cardiovascular outcomes."

CAMWatch: Posts about free-access, peer-reviewed articles on aspects of complementary medicine theory, practice and policy (about the blogger). This blog is not a source for medical advice.

technorati tags: complementary and alternative medicine integrative medicine hypertension

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Szczurko O, Boon HS. A systematic review of natural health product treatment for vitiligo. BMC Dermatol. 2008 May 22;8:2. PMID: 18498646

Orest Szczurko and Heather Boon of the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, have written a comprehensive baseline review of research in the use of vitamins, herbs and other supplements in the treatment of vitiligo. They didn’t find a compelling evidence base, but found two approaches that warrant further investigation, L-phenylalanine used with phototherapy, and monotherapy with oral Ginkgo biloba.

From the discussion: 

"Two areas are particularly intriguing. First, well designed clinical trials should attempt to replicate the studies utilizing L-phenylalanine in conjunction with phototherapy treatment. Several small clinical trials published so far provide positive results consistently with replication, but larger more definitive trials are necessary. Second, the use of Ginkgo biloba alone for the treatment of vitiligo holds potential promise. The use of Gingko biloba without phototherapy is likely to avoid the adverse reactions and unknown long term risks associated with phototherapy. If effective, Ginko biloba would also be a less costly and easier treatment for vitiligo."

CAMWatch: Posts about free-access, peer-reviewed articles on aspects of complementary medicine theory, practice and policy (about the blogger). This blog is not a source for medical advice.

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Takegawa Y, Ikushima H, Ozaki K, et al. Can Kampo therapy prolong the life of cancer patients? J Med Invest. 2008 Feb;55(1-2):99-105. PMID: 18319551

It seems to work. From the conclusion:

Modern cancer treatment, which involves surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, inflicts great suffering and requires stoic endurance on the part of the patients. Kampo was introduced into cancer therapy to improve patient quality of life, but has also been found therapeutically useful in itself. The results of our study indicate that concomitant Kampo has a significant positive effect on survival time.

We expect that cancer treatment in the 21st Century will maximize the patient’s own natural healing abilities, and that concepts will be changed and further efforts will be made to decrease the difficulties of cancer therapy for the patient.

CAMWatch: Posts about free-access, peer-reviewed articles on aspects of complementary medicine theory, practice and policy (about the blogger). This blog is not a source for medical advice.

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Lee BC, Kang SI, Ahn YM, et al. An alternative therapy for graves’ disease: clinical effects and mechanisms of an herbal remedy. Biol Pharm Bull. 2008 Apr;31(4):583-7. PMID: 18379045

From the introduction:

Graves’ disease, the most common cause of hyperthyroidism, is an autoimmune disorder. Antithyroid drugs have been selected as the first-line treatment of Graves’ disease in Korea, Japan, and European countries. However, antithyroid drugs such as methimazole (MMI) and prophylthiouracil (PTU) have limitations in clinical applications because of their side effects. In this study, we performed a clinical trial and in vitro study to investigate the clinical effects and action mechanism of Ahnjeonbaekho-tang (AJBHT), an herbal remedy for Graves’ disease.

CAMWatch: Posts about free-access, peer-reviewed articles on aspects of complementary medicine theory, practice and policy (about the blogger). This blog is not a source for medical advice.

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