Folk drugs

The first stages of development of the modern pharmaceutical industry can be traced back to the turn of the twentieth century. At that time (apart from folk cures), the medical community had at their disposal only four drugs that were effective in treating specific diseases ... 

This past year I developed a whole series of infections and wasn t functioning at all. I never told my folks, but the doctors were quite seriously worried about my condition. They put me on a lot of antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial drugs, which weren t really good for me but they didn t have a choice. I was wasting away. My spine was affected, I got a slipped disk, and had to wear a neck brace and stay in bed for months. 

Folke, S. (2000). Drug safety in relation to efficacy the view of a clinical pharmacologist. 

B. Testa, J. M. Mayer, Concepts in Prodrug Design to Overcome Pharmacokinetic Problems , in Pharmacokinetic Optimization in Drug Research Biological, Physicochemical, and Computational Strategies , Eds. B. Testa, H. van de Waterbeemd, G. Folk-ers, R. Guy, Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta, Zurich, 2001, p. 85-95. 

Although pharmaceutical drugs are now widely used worldwide, many ethnic cultures have retained their own folk medicines. In certain instances, these folk medicines exist side by side and are complemented by pharmaceutical drugs. 

Traditionally, lead compounds have been discovered in one of two ways. The hrst is one of trial and error. This is the way many plant and animal products and minerals have been found to be effective in the treatment of some medical disorder. For example, no one knows when the hrst person learned that chewing on the bark of the willow tree [Salix alba) helped relieve pain and reduce fever, but willow bark has been used in many cultures for untold centuries for just that purpose. Today we know that the active ingredient in willow bark is a derivative of salicylic acid (CgH4(OH)COOH), which today is sold commercially as aspirin or one of its analogs. Drug researchers continue to rely heavily on the study of folk medicines—a science known as ethnopharmacology—for the discovery of new plant and animal products that may have medical applications in the modern world. Indeed, scientists have discovered that the medical... 

Quinghaosu is the latest fundamental discovery in this area and is a heterocyclic compound that does not have a nitrogen atom in its structure. It is taken from a Chinese folk medicine. It is isolated from the plmt Artemisia annua. It is amazing that this compound, which is completely different than the other drugs described in this chapter in terms of structure, exhibits the exact same therapeutic effect. The main interest in quinoghaosu is based on the fact that it is active against resistant forms of malaria caused by P falciparum, and even its cerebral forms. Synonyms of this drug are artemisine, artemisinin, and others. 

Yovo et al. stated that these alkaloids act via inhibition of ganglionic impulse transmissions of the sympathetic nervous system. It is evident that each alkaloid has its own effect. Anagyrine caused skeletal deformity in foetuses when pregnant cows consumed toxic lupines . On the other hand, some quinolizidine alkaloids are used as a drug in folk medicine". They probably have chronic toxicity. However, adequate knowledge about the chronic toxicity of these alkaloids and especially of chronic toxication across generations is not available. The premise that quinolizidine alkaloids have not produced hereditary symptoms has not been checked with total reliability. 

Crude opium has been used in the past as a sleep-inducer and in folk medicine for many purposes and smoked for the feeling of pleasure. The last use has lead to drug dependence and unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. 

Historically, plants and other living creatures have been used as medical treatments, and early chemically produced drugs were based on or identical to compounds extracted from natural sources. Nature continues to provide modern drugs, and searches stiU begin with systematic laboratory testing or by following clues from traditional folk healers. Modern chemical methods are used to improve upon what is foimd in nature. Some of these drugs, such as paclitaxel, provide major improvements in medical care. 

Bhattarai, N. K. Folk anthelmintic drugs of Central Nepal. Int J Pharmacol 1992 30(2) 145-150. 

Holdsworth, D. and B. Wamoi. Medicinal plants of the Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea. Part I. Int J Crude Drug Res 1982 20(4) 169-181. Singh, Y. N., T. Ikahihifo, M. Panuve, and C. Slatter. Folk medicine in Tonga. A study on the use of herbal medicines for obstetric and gynaecological conditions and disorders. J Ethnopharmacol... 

Kato, Y., E. Ueda, T. Kyoko, A. Yukiyo Nagaoka, S.Iwashita, S. Ninomiya, and N. Kato. Asarinin in sesame oil. Pharmazie 1980 35(12) 808-809. Dixit, R. S., And H. G. Pandey. Plants used as folk medicine in Jhansi and Lalitpur sections of Bundelkhand, Uttar Pradesh. Int J Crude Drug Res 1984 22(1) 47-51. 

ZO090 Morton, ]. F. Current folk remedies of northern Venezuela. Q J Crude Drug Res 1975 13 97-121. 

Bhattarai, N. K. Herbal folk medicines of Kabhrepalanchok district, central Nepal. Int J Crude Drug Res 1990 28(3) 225-231. 

Commercial natural drugs and folk medicines Ofiicially, about 25% of the most prescribed drugs derive directly or indirectly from natural products, which is probably an underestimate because of biopyracy (Carlson 1997). 

Reserpine, used as a folk medicine in India, was found to have antipsychotic properties at about the same time as CPZ. Both agents affected the dopaminergic system, albeit in different ways, but the functional results were similar (i.e., lowering dopamine activity). This phenomenon has continued to be an important factor in hypotheses about the mechanism of action of these drugs and for biological theories about the pathophysiology of psychotic disorders. 

As you might suspect a great number of drugs and poisons can be isolated from natural sources. These were the materials of ancient folk medicine and witch doctors, of healing and war. With the advent of modern chemistry the structural nature of each compound could be analyzed atom by atom and similar structures (analogues) could be constructed and tested for their activity. 

The group of organic bases known as alkaloids (B-81MI10603) includes the active principles of some of the oldest remedies used in folk medicine, and many of them still have important uses. The manufacture of such compounds by total synthesis is usually unattractive, but some, for example morphine, undergo chemical manipulation to give drugs with improved properties, and some have served as models for simpler synthetic compounds. 

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