Well gee-whizz thanks for the massive response guys...
Right well here is my essay, bear in mind that i just have to write this out as well as i can in 45 mins thats whay its not all that long. Also feel free to remark on spelling, grammar and content. I am not an especially bright person, i'd like the help.
![:\](https://bluelight.org/xf/BL_Images/Orig_Emoji/wrygrin.gif "wry grin :\")
Medicinal plants as new sources of therapeutics:
Traditionally, before modern culture developed and scientific methods were used, most, if not all medicines were single plant or multiple plant synergistic mixtures. These would be referred to as; ‘tinctures’, ‘brews’, ‘cures’ or many other colloquial terms. These would have come about from trial and error; these anecdotal reports spread by word of mouth and were handed down through the generations, often being changed along the way, for the worse or the better. Modern science, along with our reporting and recording methods have changed this, we can retain more and more information; we are after all entering the ‘age of information’. The internet and other forms of communication means that word can ‘spread the word’ much more efficiently; it is indeed a world-wide-web.
Our scientific methods lead to the beginning of modern pharmacognosy and medicine. I think somewhere along the line we became ignorant of the traditional medicines, arrogantly thinking modern methods of combinational chemistry were superior. We now know that combinational chemistry has its limits and that the massive quantities of plant lead compounds out there, which are organic and compatible with human physiology is astonishing. Of all the plants we know, only around ten percent have been studied in any meaningful way. Traditional medicine is also making a huge comeback, medicine men and mystics from both the old and new world are being taken a little more seriously, anecdotal reports make compound targeting easier. Combining modern recording and clinical testing with these traditional medicines can bring meaningful results.
There are various ways of finding these new lead compounds; anecdotal/historical reports from indigenous peoples around the world, random screening (inefficient) and random sampling targeted screening which is more efficient. Isolating compounds from plants is also a lot easier and more cost effective than combinational chemistry means. Isolation of essential oils and compounds can be completed through simple A—B extraction using Acid/base techniques and using various polar/non-polar solvents, some processes are slightly harder, such as de-fatting of various grasses and cacti.
In these times of so called ‘super-bugs’ and untreatable viruses, plant lead compounds are even more important. Nearly all plant essential oils have antibiotic properties of some sort. Also as lifestyle ‘conditions’ are making more and more of an impact on the health service, and the major diseases of yesteryear are in decline (polio, measles, mumps, etc) due to vaccination and antibiotics, we also need to start looking more at plant (phyto) compounds. Cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease, diseases of ageing are all being treated with plant compounds; and new leads are being explored all the time. Interestingly, mental health is also more a part of the health service than ever before (in 1998 at least twelve percent of the budget, not to mention the time general practitioners spend in practice with patients); depression (bi-polar/uni-polar), anxiety disorders, addiction, ME (which I believe is a mental health disorder) schizophrenia, post traumatic stress disorder and other affective disorders are all being treated or are being trialled with phytocompounds.
We are now even looking into using entheogens and hallucinogenic compounds in treatment of disorders of the mind. The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic studies (MAPS) is engaged with these studies. Psilocybin usually from Stropharia cubensis (well actually psilocin, psilocybin is a pro-drug and it is believed that it breaks down in the body to psilocin, which causes the serotonergic 5-HT2 agonistic effects) is being researched for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) along with fear of death in cancer (or other terminally ill patients). Marijuana (Cannabis sativa/indica) which has been used by man for centuries is being researched for nausea in chemotherapy patients and easing multiple sclerosis (MS) in the forms of the brand drugs Marinol and Sativex respectively. The African hallucinogen/stimulant Ibogaine from the tree Tabernathe iboga is being researched with very good results into heroin and alcohol addiction. Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA the psycho-stimulant, pseudo-hallucinogen) which in its original patent from the pharmaceutical giant Merck came from sassafras root (used as an old herbal tea remedy we know now is hepatotoxic), distilled into the essential oil Safrole, is now being researched into helping people with PTSD (in Spain and Switzerland). These studies are very much hampered by people’s prejudices and the media demonising these substances. Ayahuasca (a N,N- Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) + monoamine oxidase inhibitor mixture) has been used by the South American UDV and Santo Daime churches for years to deal with emotional/mental problems is also now being used for transpersonal psychotherapy. The main reasoning for these substances being used is their ability to produce divine experiences (the name Entheogen translates from Latin to ‘in the presence or in god’), emergent reactions, death-rebirth experiences, Aldous Huxley would call it ‘cleansing the doors of perception’. A promising treatment for obesity has been uncovered in the form of an African cactus called Hoodia gordonii (a tribal remedy for hungry hunters), initial studies show it may contain a compound which mimics the structure of glucose and fools the brain of said person into believing they don’t need to eat. 5-HTP, the precursor to serotonin in the brain has proved useful in treating insomnia and mild depression; which is found in the seeds of Griffonia simplicifolia. Anecdotal reports also claim it is useful in the treatment of the MDMA ‘crash’ (depression after use) and so may be of use in MDMA psychotherapy. I’m sure if you are reading this now, you probably believe I’m some sort of drug fuelled propaganda machine, this is not the case; I’m simply open minded (something very important in science, I think you’ll agree).
What I’m trying to say is that I think pharmacologists should explore all the known anecdotal reports from tribes and societies around the world (old and new world) as these studies make targeting much easier, yes, a lot of these remedies may not work in the slightest and may in fact do more harm than good but eons of folk medicine must count for something. Our exploration of these phytocompounds has barely started; Mother Nature still has a lot to offer us.
