Module 10 Ethnobotany

Caffeine

-Caffeine is found in a large variety of plants -It is The most widely used alkaloid (90% of U.S. adults consume it in many different ways!) -The closely related chemicals include mateine & guaranine --they are both stimulants

What is a Shaman's point of view on Plant chemicals/ secondary metabolites?

-The shaman believes that the plants make these for us or that out god directed the plants to make these for us.

Scoville scale

-also known as Scoville Heat units -it is based on the concentration of Capsaicin

Pros of cinammon

-it was used back then as a preservative. -but it has been recently studied that has antimicrobial and anti fungal effects

How have plants influence recent drug discovery?

1. Cancer research: In the 1500 - present, the national cancer institute has been examining plants and chemicals from over 25 countries. --> 400,000 plants from over 25 countries --> 80,000 chemicals have been screened

True or False Sharing knowledge of plants and medicine was one of the big things that makes the even things like moving out of the Dark Ages.

True

which of the following is NOT true about the class of phytochemical known as alkaloids? a. alkaloids such as ephedrine can be used as stimulants b. the alkaloid cocaine is derived from the coca leaf c. Strychnine is a toxic alkaloid d. Theobromine is the alkaloid derived from Strychnos nux

d. Theobromine is the alkaloid derived from Strychnos nux Theobromine is related to caffeine and the Strychnos nux is related to the Strychnine

Age of Exploration was driven primarily by ____

driven by need for cheaper spice routes to the Orient. -Primarily pepper and cinnamon

true or false Chocolate is a stimulant.

true

_______ is one of the most significant contributions of the time to the description of medical plants.

'De Materia Medica' is a book published by Dioscorides in AD 77. -it had over 600 medical uses of plants used as a reference for over 1500 years.

Timothy Plowman

- he is the world expert on Erythroxylum (coca) - had research funded by USDA until cocaine started getting bad and being a taboo. -His research was about the medicinal effects of the coca leaf: --found antimicrobial properties, improves oxygenation levels, treats motion sickness and altitude sickeness.

how was capsin measured?

-Capsaicin is measured with the Scoville Scale -now we grade it with HPLC (high pressure liquid chromatography) -they used to do organoleptic techniques (aka they would taste it!) ---- they would take the dried peppers (seeds or no seeds included, grind it up, extract it in alcohol and add it to sugar solution at a certain contrencation

One of the most famous phenols are __________________

-Capsaicin: -Active ingredient in hot peppers Genus: Capsicum

what crops did columbus bring back in the first time he went? what about the second time? were these the crops he was looking for?

-He originally was looking for pepper and cinnamon in the Orient. --------------------------- First time: He came back with corn, cotton & tobacco Second time: potatoes, cocoa, & rubber

What did Schultes have to do with rubber?

-He studied Rubber trees during WWII which helped revolutionize the production of rubber and water proofing.

Cocaine

-It is extracted from the leaf of coca and has been used for about 3000 yrs. -It is traditionally used to prevent: Fatigue (chew), hunger, nosebleeds, & altitude sickness - chemical compounds that make cocaine were Isolated from coca in 1855 Early topical anaesthetic for the gums/ other topical uses (pre-Novacaine) -it is Popular in beverages (Cocawine, Coca-Cola.. in low doses) until early 1900s

Southeastern Ethnobotany

-Native Americans had a very rich tradition of knowledge of plants and their medicinal abilities. -they have shamans that are the ones w/ the knowledge and practice. -There are very little written record of the Native American uses of medicinal plants. -there is a huge effort right now towards putting all of that stuff in writing before a lot of the Elder people die off. (bc there could be a huge generational cultural loss.. especially in the trail of tears.) -Plants of the Cherokee (2004) is one of the books where they recorded a lot of info that Native Americans had. -They did Readily adopted European imports (i.e. dandelion)

Who is considered the Father of ethnobotany?

-Richard Evans Schultes.

Strychnine & Curare

-They're alkaloids -the're both from the genus Strychnos Strychnine: One of the most bitter known chemicals -As little as 5mg can kill a person -It is used as pesticide bc it is toxic to insects at a low dose -Strychnos nux vomica -------------------- Curare: -Strychnos toxifera is one of the main components in Curare. -Curare it is dart poison used by Indigenous cultures to hunt their prey. -Strychnos toxifera is a Source of tubocurarine ( a powerful muscle relaxant and the active compound in curare) -tubocurarine is used in open heart surgery bc has reversible effect that stops the heart so that surgeons can work on it. -- a synthetic version can be made.

Age of Exploration

-Time period during the 15th and 16th centuries when Europeans searched for new sources of wealth and for easier trade routes to China and India. -Resulted in the discovery of North and South America by the Europeans.

Vincristine, vinblastine

-alkaloids -It is used in cancer chemotherapy -They're Mitotic inhibitor (-it blocks rapidly dividing cells) Treatments of: -non-Hodgkin's lymphoma & forms of Leukemia -Derived from Madagascar Rosy Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) -it was Discovered in '60s using 'folk remedies' but we now make it synthetically

Morphine and Codeine

-alkaloids -Principle components in Opium -Morphine was one of the first drugs that was isolated by the plant. -In 1803, they made a crystalized form of from the latex of poppies (Papaver somniferum) -Morphine is ~10 times stronger Medical uses: Pain relief Cough suppressant Diarrhea

Phenols

-alkaloids most popular: Capsaicin -it is the active ingredient in hot peppers (Genus: Capsicum) -Capsaicin is measured with the Scoville Scale -now we grade it with HPLC (high pressure liquid chromatography) -they used to do organoleptic techniques (aka they would taste it!) -it is also used for pain relief & non-lethal force (pepper spray) ~5,000,000 SHU's (scoville heat units)

why was he considered the Father of Ethnobotany?

-bc he studied so many things, learned so much, he was the pioneer of many researchers, etc. -also he taught and had a lot of pupils that went on to being famous ethnobotanists themselves. ex: Mark Plotkin.

Pepper spray is the concentrated form of which phenol?

-capsaicin

______ was used as a early topical anesthetic before we used Novocaine

-cocaine

Doctrine of Signatures

-concept found in medival folklore that claimed that the creator has intentionally created plants to look like the parts of the body they could be used to cure ex: like the Mandrake

Negative things with Morphine

-extremely addictive -there is an addiction epidemic -some communities only have poppy extract as their form of pain relief bc they can't legally produce morphine ---- the solution isn't as easy as we would think. -some areas only have

Richard Evans Schultes.

-harvard professor -he was a anthropologist, ethnobotanist and a botonist. - He is considered the "Father of Ethnobotany". -He studied a lot of things (all of them are in next slide) -he studying a lot of plants for different uses and he would and isolate and understand the chemicals in the plants.

heroin

-heroin is a street drug made from latex of opium poppies

How did Witches and herbalists came about?

-if a woman that wasn't a monk (obviously) was a healer and had an extensive knowledge of herbal plants that was effective BUT the healing had nothing to do with prayer and the church, it was seen as heresy.

Ephedrine

-it is a type of amphetamine -comes from Ephedra sinica (aka Ma-Huang or Mormon Tea.. mormons don't drink caffene so they would drink this tea.. but this stuff if so much stronger lol) Usages: -stimulant to keep people away and aware -it is a treatment for bronchitis -it used to be in a lot of herbal medicines for bronchitis. -it was in a lot of weight loss products bc it is a stimulant with apetite repressive -Ephedrine is a pre-cursor to pseudoephedrine & amphetamines -Pseudoephedrine was found in cold medications but it got banned (bc people were buying it in huge dosages and making meth) ----you can still find it but it is registered.

Quinine

-it is an alkaloids - it comes from Cinchona officinalis -Anti-malarial drug and other fevers. -There is a Synthetic version available since 1944 -Quinine bark still a major worldwide source of Quinine -it is what makes tonic water bitter. -people would drink gin and tonics when they had malaria

What was the Canon of Medicine (~1025 AD)?

-it was a encyclopedia of medicine written by physician-philosopher: Avicenna (or Ibn Sina) -it was used as a standard medical textbook through the 18th century in Europe. -had extremely detailed use of many medicinal plants and other tinctures -the translation to Latin marked Europe's exit from the Dark Ages.

In the middle ages, how was Botany and Medicine practiced?

-it was practiced in monasteries and performed in monks. -but, health was dependent equally on medicine and prayer.

how did all of the struggles that the native americans were put in (like the Trail of Tears) impacted their ability to pass down knowledge??

-many of the cherokee were driven of their land. -they left the native plants of their elders and ended up in places with very different species of plants. -they did keep using plants through oral tradition. -Readily adopted European imports (i.e. dandelion) -so, now there are a lot of people who are working with them to record and maintain their knowledge.

What is the ecologist's point of view why plants have these chemicals/ secondary metabolites?

-plants make these to defend themselves and humans have been able to use them for benefits (flavoring, medicine, etc.)

___________ was one of the important things towards that helped start thinking of a more knowledge based approach when it came to treating human illnesses.

-sharing written knowledge (globally and to everyone) of plants was one of the very important stages of the beginning to move towards a more knowledge based approach when it came to treating human illnesses.

what contributes to the toxicity of chocolate for dogs?

-the darker the chocolate, the more toxic it is. -bc the more concentrated, pure chocolate there is. -the more concentrated= the more theobromine in it... it is bad for dogs!

What is the difference between a toxin or poison and a medicine?

-the dosage!

Plant Chemicals

-these chemicals classified into Secondary metabolites -they are though to be evolved as Adaptive way of plant defense against insects -There are many phytochemicals have human uses

Peyote & Mescaline

-they are also alkaloids -hallucinogens. - illegal and only legal for religious practices -Used by Native Americans for over 3000 years -As of 2006, ruled federally legal for specific religious uses State laws can still prohibit it -Still the "Native American Church" has ~250,000 members Active ingredient is mescaline, a schedule I drug in U.S -Richard E. Schultes studied this.

what are secondary metabolites?

-they are organic compounds produced by bacteria, fungi, or plants which are not directly involved in the normal growth, development, or reproduction of the organism. -chemicals/compounds that are not part of their normal growth -these chemicals are the ones that we have discovered to have benefits for diseases like cancer.

where are these plant chemicals produced and stored?

-they are produced in the leaves or roots and stored in leaves or roots.

Medieval Folklore & Herbals

-they had interesting treatments -there are a lot of record accurate descriptions of plant uses that can be found in many of their records. Doctrine of Signatures is a concept in a lot of Folklore. -it was the idea that some plants may look like humans and if the plant has an enlargement in a certain area that looks like/corresponds to a human part, that the plant is meant to treat that specific. ex: if a ginseng root looks like a human body and the lower part is odd/enlarged then it is used to treat issues for the lower body.

Taxol

-this drug doesn't have many side effects compared to the other ones. -the bad thing with this drug is that The Pacific Yew tree is endangered!!!! So not many -they are working on synthesizing Taxol to not rely on the plant only but it would be lab made!

What are 4 major categories of chemicals found in plants?

1. Alkaloids -Majority of psycho-active drugs, many are toxin & analgesics (anesthetics) 2. Phenols 3. Terpenoids 4. Glycosides

What are some of Richard E Schultes' students that grew up to be very succesfull in that field.

1. Mark Plotkin - he wrote: Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice (1991) 2. Wade Davis - -wrote: The Serpent & The Rainbow (1988) and One River (1996) -he is into ethnoecology 3. Timothy Plowman - - he is the world expert on Erythroxylum (coca) - had research funded by USDA until cocaine started getting bad and being a taboo. -His research was about the medicinal effects of the coca leaf: --found antimicrobial properties, improves oxygenation levels, treats motion sickness and altitude sickenes.

Amphetamines/Ephedrine

Ephedra sinica (Ma-Huang, Mormon Tea) -it is traditionally used as a stimulant and treatment for bronchitis Ephedrine is a pre-cursor to pseudoephedrine & amphetamines Pseudoephedrine in cold medications banned

True or false The Cherokee have extensive knowledge of the uses of plants, particularly medicinal plants and they avoided plants that were introduced by the Europeans such as Dandelions.

FALSE!!! -they readily adopted European imports such as the dandelion.

What did Richard Evan S. study?

He studied the uses of: -Peyote in Oklahoma -Ayuhuasca (Yagé) ceremonies - Banisteriopsis caapi -Hallucinogenic mushrooms (psilocybin) -Dart poisons (curare) -Fish poisons (rotenone) -Rubber trees during WWII -Thousands of other plant medicines

Timeline of Globalization and Columbus

In the 1500s: -This was in the Age of Exploration. (15th and 16th century) -He was funded for him to find another sea route to get to get to the Orient. -He got confused and ended up in the Americas. -Columbus returns from New World with corn, cotton & tobacco -He later came back with: potatoes, cocoa, & rubber Then, in the 1700s: -Rise of Colonialism and we see plantation development of Tea, Coffee, & Sugar

Alkaloids

Majority of psycho-active drugs, toxins, & analgesics (anesthetics/ numbing) -Alkaloids are BITTER bc: -plant is making these as anti feeding.. aka to stop insects from eating it. ex: that is why coffee bean is bitter if u bite it. Examples of Alkaloids: Caffeine & Theobromine Morphine & Codeine Nicotine Cocaine Quinine & Strychnine Amphetamines, & Ephedrine Lysergic Acid & Mescaline Vincristine & Vinblastine

what are the medical uses of morphine and codeine?

Medical uses: (properly managed/ prescribed!!) Pain relief Cough suppressant Diarrhea

Origins of Ethnobotomy

Neanderthal: -humans have been using plants as medicine for over 60,000 years. -in 3500 BCE, there was a neanderthal that was found with 8 species of plants (some are still used today) Ancient Egypt: -1550 there was a recording of 700 medicinal formulas in papyrus China: -Chinese medicine dates to at least 2700 BCE -They had early uses of ephedrine (Ma-Huang) India: -They have Indian Ayurvedic medicine which focuses in disease due to imbalance and uses plants to balance back. -this type of medicine is suspected to have happened 1900 BCE -There were early uses of turmeric, camphor, & neem oil Shamans: -since 12000 BCE (we don't 100% know if they started way before this date bc we don't have any recorded history but anything can be possible.) -it was through oral tradition -Uses of plant mixtures for 'vision quests' due through oral tradition. Theophrastus (~300 BCE) -this was the 1st reports of plants brought back by from Asia by Alexander the Great The plants included: -Cinnamon (spice that have antimicrobial and antifungal effects BUT it was used as a preservative in that time) -cotton (used as a lighter clothing fabric) -black pepper (used as preservative) Dioscorides (AD 77) -he published a book called 'De Materia Medica' -It has over 600 medical uses of plants used as a reference for over 1500 yrs.

There is a complex interaction between indigenous plants and peoples some of them are:

Plants are used for: Food Shelter Clothing Medicines Religious ceremonies

What are some important recent plant discoveries?

Rosy Periwinkle: -it is a toxic plant that was found effective in treating leukemia & Hodgkins lymphoma. -The medications: Vincristine & vinblastine were the ones made from synthesized chemicals from this plant. -it is being researched to see if it can help other cancers. Pacific Yew: -it is a tree that its bark was found to be a natural-source cancer drug -Taxol is the name of the drug produced from this bark. -It is used to treat ovarian (it was very difficult to treat), breast, & lung cancers -unfortunately, this tree is endangered! so, isn't much of this drug!

What is ethnobotany?

Study of uses of plants by humans -there are a lot of coorelations -its not just medicine!! ex: for dyes and other uses.

what crops resulted from the rise of colonialism?

Tea, Coffee, & Sugar

____________ was a student of Richard E. Schultes that studied and researched about coca leaf and all of its positive effects.

Timothy Plowman.

What happened in the 1700s?

We have the rise of Colonialism. Tea, Coffee, & Sugar

Theobromine

a alkaloid -Theobromine is closely related to caffeine -it is the active ingredient in chocolate -chocolate can also be a stimulant -it was considered the "Food of the Gods" - Theobromine an Active ingredient in chocolate ---the more darker the chocolate, the more Theobromine. -theobromine is what dogs are toxic to.

Derived from the rosy periwinkle, vincristine and vinblastine are used to treat: a. Hodgkins Lymphoma b. ovarian cancer c. breast cancer

a. Hodgkins Lymphoma and leukemia!

_________ was once included in Coca- Cola, while _____ is found in tonic water a. cocaine; quinine b. quinine; cocaine c. cocaine; caffeine d. caffeine; theobromine.

a. cocaine; quinine

Plant phytochemicals that are often studied in ethnobotany are thought to often serve what ecological role for a plant? a. defensive compounds (anti-herbivory) b. primary metabolites (used in photosynthesis) c. aids in nutrient acquisition.

a. defensive compounds (anti-herbivory) plant chemicals are thought to be as a defense! *remember they are secondary metabolites

The age of exploration was driven by a search for easier routes to access which of the following? a. sugar b. cinnamon c. rubber d. corn

b. cinnamon and pepper

Which of the following would not be considered an ethnobotanical study? a. recording the different types of peppers use to flavor stews in Oaxacan cuisine b. Studying indigenous music as a form of healing c. studying the effectiveness of ginkgo for the improving memory d. studying the types of plants used to make roofing material in Tonga

b. studying indigenous music as a form of healing -it has nothing to do with plants and how they are used.

why was Pseudoephedrine in cold medicines banned?

bc people were buying it in huge dosages and making meth -they were not regulated by the FDA so people were consuming it so much which lead to ppl having heart attacks (bc it is a stimulant that increases heart rate) -it was hard to regulate the strenght and the amount ppl were taking

Why can't we set a clear "furtherest back" date for the earliest uses of plants as medicines by humans? a. There aren't many archeological finds that can be used to indicate human uses of plants. b. there are no written records of medical plant uses more than 500 years ago. c. We don't have records for many of the cultures that have used medical plants for thousands of years.

c. We don't have records for many of the cultures that have used medical plants for thousands of years.

Many alkaloids taste ________ a. salty b. sour c. sweet d. bitter

d. bitter