AN UPDATE OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY

KARIM YAR ABBASIINSTITUTE OF

HORTICULTURAL SCIENCES

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY

“the scientific study of materials used by ethnic and cultural groups as

medicines”

A branch of ethno botany the study of use of plants as medicines

A multidisciplinary subject involving anthropologists,botanists,chemists and pharmacologists.

HISTORICAL DIMENSION The term ethno pharmacology 1st time

used in 1967. In early 19th century isolation of some

opium alkaloids was a key event in development of modern pharmacy

A significant increase in ‘hit rate’ for discovery of novel active compounds

90% of estimated 250,000 species of flowering plants still awaiting for scientific investigation

THE PROCESS OF DRUG DISCOVERY USING ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY

VARIOUS STAGES INFORMATION SOURCES SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION Extraction Tests for activity Chemical examination

INFORMATIN SOURCES People are reluctant to give away

knowledge which is regarded as ‘protected’ in some way

Information provided often need clarification and translation into scientific terms

Definition of disease state in medical terms may not be easy

EXTRACTION

The extract used for testing should approximate as closely as possible to that obtained by traditional process used

Much research is not relevant to traditional use because it has concentrated on extracts made with non polar solvents such as ether and choloform.

TESTS FOR ACTIVITY

BIOASSAY CLINICAL TRIAL UNDER ETHICAL

CONSIDERATION. BIOLOGICAL TESTING

INTERESTING RESULTS e.g Catharanthus roseus

CHEMICAL EXAMINATION

Chemical examination should linked with tests for biological activity.

Chemotaxonomic consideration can often provide a reasoned guess.

THE VALUE OF ETHNOPHAMACOLOGICAL APPROCH

Efficacy and safety Economic and sociopolitical

consideration

PROBLEMS

Reliability of information Biological variation Loss of species Loss of knowledge The need for dereplication Intellectual property right issues

QUESTIONS

FUTURE TRENDS MONOPLY OF MULTINATIONALS

THANKS

ALLAH HAFIZ