Utilisation of Ethno Biology Knowledge: China and India

Read this article to learn about Utilisation of Ethno Biology Knowledge. After reading this article you will learn about: 1. Utilisation of Ethno biology Knowledge in China 2. Utilisation of Ethno Biology Knowledge in India.

Utilisation of Ethno biology Knowledge in China:

Traditional Chinese Medicine remains largely obscure to the Scientific Community. There are large Chinese Traditional Formulations for basic to higher level diseases, which involves the for­mulation of various crude extracts concocted to the type of ailments.

The Chinese use the method of combining the drugs based on the characteris­tic of the drug to increase or decrease the body heat, those for the general maintenance of the body and the like.

In spite of the less knowledge of the outside world to the Chinese Medicine, the modern utili­sation of “Ginseng” at present in various Pharma­ceutical Formulations is an indication of the va­lue of ethno medical advances the country has gained.

The utilisation of chemotaxonomic prin­ciples to related species of those plants used in traditional Chinese medicine has yielded an ap­proach which can be used for the development of new drug moieties.

Each herbal drug contains di­verse families of chemical compounds, where each family comprises structurally related mem­bers that act with low affinity at multiple molecu­lar targets. The multicomponent, multi-target approach of traditional Chinese medi­cine has yielded promising drug moieties.

To cite, the identification of compounds like “iris-quinone” from Iris lactea pallasii and Zhuling polysaccharide from Polyporus umbellate and indirubicin and their prospective utili­sation in the antineoplastic therapy is overwhel­ming. Also further studies are in the process in the antineoplastic therapeutic segment on plants like Cephalotaxus hainanesis and Camptotheca accuminata.

In the line for identification of drugs for the ischemic heart disease, plants like Fructus Forsythiae and Caulis Polygoni multiflori has yielded active principles “Lianqiao” and “Shouwuteng” which can block the activity of the initiator caspase-8 as well as the effector caspase-3 and caspase-7 in a dose-dependent manner.

In particu­lar, activation of caspases is a critical step in neu­ronal apoptosis which lead to the activation of cell death programs during the ischemic Stroke, Utili­sation of Nuclear magnetic resonance and fluo­rescence assays, to identify the active principles from the aqueous extracts have been carried out.

“Gossypol“, a male contraceptive, has shown an antifertility effect in 99% of 8000 cases stu­died; however, hypokalemia and irreversibility of spermatogenesis were reported in some cases. Plants like Radix Trichosanthis and lilac daphne terpine are used as traditional abortifacients.

Another Chinese traditionally used plant “Muching” which has been highly effective in treating chronic bronchitis. Salvia miltiorrhiza, used in ancient times to activate blood circulation, is used to treat coronary artery diseases and has proved effective in 87% of angina pectoris cases are re­ported in literature.

Utilisation of Ethno Biology Knowledge in India:

The utilisation of Ethno biology knowledge in In­dia can be evidenced by the modern Medicinal use of “Vasicine” from Adothoda vasaica utilized as cough suppressant and mucokinetic. The use of glycosides from the plant senna namely Sennosi­de groups are widely used as laxatives.

Further the utility of the plants like tulsi, neem, turmeric, Sarasparilla, species of Solanum like S.trilobatum, S.xanthocarpum are reported traditionally. Further many terrestrial herbs like oldenlandia, mimosa, Shrubs and trees like datura, ficus, terminalia, pavatta, smilex are the few of the abundant resour­ces sited in the traditional medicinal use.

The tra­ditional practice in India like Siddha, Ayurveda, Unani, system of medicine endorse the utilisation of the plant, mineral and animal sources for va­rious ailments. The herbal practices are closely associated with the cultural integrity of the indivi­dual place in India. Say the Holy Basil, turmeric is culturally a sanctified species utilized in impor­tant cultural and religious practice.

Plants like Plumbago zeylania, Hemidem indicus, Acorus calamus, Camellia sinensis, Terminalia chebula, Terminalia bellerica, Hollorheana antidysenterica, Lawsonia inermis, Mangifera indica, Punica granatum , Cichorium intybus , Delonix regia traditionally merits activity.