Nutrition Science News, May 2000
Tropical Remedies
by Daniel T. Wagner, R. Ph.
"For every ailment on Earth, God has provided a cure. Our task is to find them." -Don Etigio Panti, 1893-1996, Shaman of Belize
Ethnobotanists, holistic doctors, herbalists and other rainforest trekkers have long believed traditional healers could offer the Western world valuable information about their native plants' medicinal properties. But too often, the medical profession or pharmaceutical companies have ignored or discredited the potential medicines the forest provides. More frequently now, however, drug manufacturers are making their way into the wild, sending bioprospectors and scientists to scour the forests, commiserate with the healers and glean knowledge about their precious plants. They hope to find clues to cures or perhaps uncover the next blockbuster drug.
In contrast, many enlightened researchers are seeking to unlock the secrets of rain-forest botanicals without violating indigenous peoples' cultural ways. They are the vanguards of this new "old" science. Their passion is threefold: to investigate plants for medicinal use, to research active chemical compounds that may verify medicinal plants' traditional uses, and to raise awareness of and respect for this ancient healing wisdom. If they cash in on a hit that develops into a pharmaceutical drug, all the better to fund future explorations.
Their explorations have revealed many plant medicines with healing potential in today's high-tech medical community. Some of the remedies rediscovered in the rain forest and making their way to pharmacy and natural products store shelves across the country are reviewed here.
CAT'S CLAW (Uncaria tomentosa) Also known as una de gato, this woody vine was used for centuries by the Ashaninka Indians of Peru to treat arthritis, cancer, diabetes, infections and ulcers. Traditional healers believe it has life-giving properties. Although in Europe and Peru the herb is considered a promising treatment for viral diseases such as herpes, shingles and AIDS, there are no controlled clinical trials to support these applications.
Preliminary studies indicate that the active constituents of cat's claw, particularly the quinovic acid glycosides from the root, have anti-inflammatory activity.2 Other constituents of the herb have a pronounced immunostimulating effect both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, another of the plant's alkaloids, pentacyclic oxindole, was shown in a cell study to trigger the release of an as yet unknown substance from human endothelial cells. This resulted in increased numbers of B and T lymphocytes and inhibited lymphoblasts.
GUGGUL The mukul myrrh tree (Commiphora mukul), native to tropical India, produces a sap from which guggul extract is produced. Its traditional use for high cholesterol dates back to 600 B.C. When tested in several clinical trials, a standardized guggul extract effectively lowered cholesterol by 11 percent and triglycerides by 17 percent. Guggul extract can also raise HDL (good) cholesterol while lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Full benefits take about four weeks, but guggul's use appears to be safer than prescription statin drugs, which can have negative effects on the liver.
JACKASS BITTERS (Neurolaena lobata) The leaves of this common Central American plant contain a potent anti-parasitic agent (sesquiterpene dialdehyde) that is active against amoebas, candida, giardia and intestinal parasites. Traditionally, the herb is taken internally as a tea or a wine. Research also indicates that jackass bitters help regulate blood sugar levels, which can help diabetics manage their condition. An animal study showed that a jackass bitter tincture was able to lower blood-glucose levels.
MACA ROOT (Lepidium meyenii) This plant, though not a rain-forest remedy, comes instead from the Peruvian Andes, where it has a rich history of use, For centuries Peruvians have used this cabbage family plant as a cure-all. It is popular with middle-aged and elderly men because it is believed to improve physical strength, increase fertility and reduce stress. Although it contains no hormones, the plant's alkaloids are said to balance the hypothalamus and pituitary glands and support optimal function of the adrenals, ovaries and testes.
In a recent mouse and rat study, Chinese researchers divided the animals into experimental and control groups to test whether a purified lipidic maca extract would effect the animals' sexual behavior. At the end of the 22-day study, researchers concluded that oral administration of maca extract enhanced sexual function as measured by the frequency of the animals' intercourse and the decrease in latent period of erection in rats with erectile dysfunction. More research is needed, however, before maca can be widely recommended for its aphrodisiac effects.
PAU DARCO (Tabebuia spp.) This family of trees is native to the West Indies and Central and South America. Brazilian Indians are said to use a tea brewed from the inner bark to treat cancer, diabetes, rheumatism and ulcers, among other conditions. Pau d'arco, also called lapacho, does contain the cornpounds lapachol, beta-lapachone and xyloidine, which have both anti-candida and anti-cancer properties.
Despite promising preliminary animal research, a study testing the herb's anti-cancer properties in humans showed that as soon as effective plasma levels were attained, undesirable side effects required the testing be stopped. These effects included anemia, moderate to severe nausea, vomiting, and bleeding. Lapachol's toxicity has prevented further human research into the plant's antibiotic, anti-cancer and antimalarial properties. Beta-lapachone, however, continues to he researched because it has a better side effect profile and appears to act similarly to a new class of antitumor drugs.
RED GUMBOLIMBO BARK (Bursera simaruba) This tree is one of the most abundant species in Belize and other parts of Central America. In that area, it has been used successfully for internal and external infections. Tea made from the bark is a traditional remedy for urinary tract infections. A promising application for gumbolimbo bark is treating psoriasis, eczema, insect bites and skin fungus. The raw compound can be mixed with aloe (Aloe vera), vitamin E, and cortisone or calendula (Calendula officinalis) to make an efficacious topical cream.
Researchers at the Jos University Teaching Hospital in Jos, Nigeria, conducted a double-blind Study in 1999. Eight patients were divided into two groups: those with chronic eczema and those with dermatitis, characterized by inflammation, itching and hyperpigmentation. Patients were given 60 g of salve containing gumbolimbo bark and instructed to apply the cream lightly to affected areas morning and evening after bathing. Progress was checked weekly. After three weeks of treatment all patients in both groups except one in the hyperpigmentation group showed complete remission of symptoms.
WILD YAM (Dioscorea spp.) This annual vine produces tubers and grows in tropical and warmer temperate climates. In the 1930s, the glycoside diosgenin was isolated from the Dioscorea family of plants. This glycoside, along with botogenin, has elements that can he altered in laboratories to produce steroid hormones. Ultimately, these plant-derived chemicals were used to develop steroid drugs including oral contraceptives and corticosteroids. The Mexican wild vain species (Dioscorea composite) is said to have higher estrogenic activity than D. villosa (See NSN 1999 Aug;4(9):378).
Today wild yam cream, capsules and liquid supplements are marketed to women for relief of menopausal and perimenopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness and night sweats. Unfortunately, there is no research to support these claims and, in fact, the synthesis of diosgenin to various steroidal compounds does not occur in the human body.
The Importance of Preservation
The indigenous healers practicing in many parts of the world arc a great resource for health-sustaining and disease-fighting medicines.
"Tribal knowledge represents thousands of years of human experience," says Paul Alan Cox, Ph.D., ethnobotanist and director of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens in Hawaii. Cox says that more than 50 drugs worldwide were "discovered" by indigenous peoples' shamans and tribal healers.
But this knowledge could disappear if safeguards are not established and implemented.
In addition to destruction of the world's tropical rain forests, languages and
cultures of indigenous peoples are also disappearing. During this century, more
than half of the world's 6,000 languages may vanish, and with them important
skills and knowledge.
"We are on the precipice of losing a vast amount of knowledge. If we do not
garner this wisdom in the next 20 years or so, then it will be as if the library
burned down -- it will he lost forever," says Mark Plotkin, Ph.D., ethnobotanist
and director of the Amazon Conservation Team, headquartered in Arlington, VA.
Many herbalists, ethnobotanists, ethnopharmacists and medical researchers believe
it is important for scientists to look beyond the Western tradition of scientific
knowledge and consider the value of tribal knowledge. It would he short-sighted
to lose this knowledge now that there are tools to evaluate herbs as sources
of new drugs and healing techniques. A Cox colleague calculated that the commercial
value of tropical rain-forest drugs as yet undiscovered could be more than $150
billion.
For years, pharmaceutical companies resisted investing money, time and labor
into rain-forest research. In fact, according to the American Botanical Council
of Austin, Texas, there were no major pharmaceutical companies investing in
rain-forest product research in the early 1980s. Today, however, more than half
of the world's 250 pharmaceutical manufacturers have research-based programs
involving bioprospecting, sample collection and laboratory testing of jungle
plants. Finally, many of the indigenous healers are being looked at with more
respect and dignity for their time-honored knowledge.
Daniel T. Wagner, R.Ph., M.B.A. and herbalist, is owner of Nutri-farmacy
in Wildwood, PA.
REFERENCES
See Nutrition Science News May 2000, page 204.
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