Traditional knowledge/medicine

The use of plants for medicinal purposes is an ancient practice. Nature, with its wealth of traditional knowledge has been the source of inspiration for numerous drugs currently used for the improvement of life as well as treatment for a cure. Considering the beneficial role of many plants and fruits, they were included in the human diets. In many instances, the knowledge of the underlying mechanism of action of a particular natural product is incomplete. Continuous investigation can lead to new mechanisms and new structures, which may open up entirely new windows and perspectives. For instance, before the discovery of apicidin and bispyri-dinium diene, it was believed that unless there is a classical chelator for zinc ion, it cannot be a HDAC inhibitor. SAHA has been approved by FDA, which is inspired from the natural product trichostatin. The natural product, romidepsin has also been approved by FDA and many are on clinical trials. Currently, isozyme-selective inhibition for HDAC is at its nascent stage. The invention of some novel molecules or invention of some novel natural product structures with synthetic modifications will solve the problem. 

Alterations in consciousness induced by such plant chemicals include hallucinations or visions, experienced in euphoric trance-like states and often interpreted as spirit contact or possession, inspiration and enlightenment, self dissolution or cosmic union. As for traditional plant medicines, selection of plants of the gods and appropriate dosage was empirical, based—long before any neuropharmacological knowledge—on a process of trial and error. It is remarkable that identification of the active constituents of these plants in the last century has demonstrated interactions with key transmitter systems implicated in the neurobiology of consciousness. 

In the sections Associated disorders in western medicine, some disease names are mentioned. However, it should be borne in mind that a disease in western medicine may involve more than one syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine. As such, the diseases mentioned here are only intended to help the reader to understand the syndrome and to have some corresponding orientation in western medicine. The principles, methods and strategies introduced in each chapter of this book are abstracted from a large number of formulas, integrating the knowledge of single herbs, herbal combinations, syndrome differentiation, treatment methods and treatment sequence. They are the essential part of this book. 

For students and junior practitioners, this book offers a method of learning formula composition in a clear and concise fashion. For experienced practitioners, this book offers a comprehensive discussion of various syndromes and their differential diagnoses, as well as treatment methods and strategies that may bring a deeper understanding of the theories of traditional Chinese medicine and help to improve their diagnostic skills and their knowledge of appropriate herb selection, as well as their... 

The Suriname project has increased the knowledge of the flora of the region (as noted above), helped prevent the loss of traditional knowledge of plant-derived medicines, provided educational opportunities for Surinamese scientists and students that emphasize the benefits of intact forest ecosystems, and promoted sustainable economic development in Suriname s interior. A growing interest and support within the national government is also apparent, as can be seen by the recent rejection of large-scale timber concessions. The following specific achievements have been made in the area of biodiversity conservation. 

The commercial value of traditional medicines has highlighted the need to protect traditional knowledge from biopiracy . Some would have traditional medicine protected under new or existing forms of intellectual property rights whereas others object to that concept on ethical, economic or other reasons including, as mentioned above, that protection may limit access at a time when increased levels of healthcare are needed. 

The commodification of traditional knowledge poses problems that also transcend intellectual property considerations since, in indigenous communities, medicinal plants can have cultural, symbolic and ritual values that go beyond a simple medicinal or economic use. Thus, the cultivation of a plant outside its natural habitat and the capture of its medicinal properties into a commercial product can generate mistrust, inequality and betrayal because the loss of the cultural value is not addressed by any monetary compensation. These problems have been exemplified by the development of Hoodia gordo-nii,46 a sacred life force of the South African San, which was turned into a commercial slimming aid .47... 

This exchange between the traditional shamaness and the modern chemist constituted a respectful completion of the cycle of discovery and an honoring of the ancestral roots of knowledge. It is in marked contrast to the usual exploitative approach of contemporary pharmaceutical science, which seeks to isolate the chemical principles in traditional plant medicines and then proceeds to market those with no regard to the treasury of wisdom maintained by traditional shamans and healers. 

Ayyanar, M. and Ignacimuthu, S. (2005). Traditional knowledge ofKani tribals in Kouthalai of Tirunelvelli hills, Tamil Nadu, India. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 102 246 - 255. Dhar, U., Manjkhola, S., Joshi, M., Bhatt, A., Bisht, A.K. and Joshi, M. (2002). Current status and future strategy for development of medicinal plants sector in Uttaranchal, India. 

Figure. 2. Age wise percentage of traditional knowledge of medicinal plants used in traditional health care system.

Practices of indigenous medicines occur in circumscribed parts of the world where traditional knowledge is still honored (Amazonia, sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania, etc.). Phytotherapy is very much a part of these customary practices, and it usually follows that when a remedy is widespread in acceptance, its efficacy and safety has a sound therapeutic basis. As evidence of this worth spreads, it is not unusual for it to be incorporated into other established forms of herbalism or phytotherapy. Neo-Western herbalism is particularly prone to adopting these remedies. 

Medicinal plants are an important element of indigenous medical systems in most countries. These resources are usually regarded as part of a culture s traditional knowledge. For many years, Europe has benefitted from exchange with other continents, and many of the pure natural products and some of the phytotherapeutic preparations used today are derived from plants used in... 

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