Nature Helps...: How Plants and Other Organisms Contribute to Solve Health Problems PDF
Preview Nature Helps...: How Plants and Other Organisms Contribute to Solve Health Problems
Parasitology Research Monographs Volume 1 Series Editor: Heinz Mehlhorn Department of Zoomorphology Cell Biology and Parasitology Heinrich Heine University Universita¨tsstrasse 1 40225 Du¨sseldorf Germany For furthervolumes: http://www.springer.com/series/8816 . Heinz Mehlhorn Editor Nature Helps... How Plants and Other Organisms Contribute to Solve Health Problems Editor Prof.Dr.HeinzMehlhorn DepartmentofZoomorphology CellBiologyandParasitology HeinrichHeineUniversity Universita¨tsstrasse1 40225Du¨sseldorf Germany [email protected] ISSN2192-3671 e-ISSN2192-368X ISBN978-3-642-19381-1 e-ISBN978-3-642-19382-8 DOI10.1007/978-3-642-19382-8 SpringerHeidelbergDordrechtLondonNewYork LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2011930797 #Springer-VerlagBerlinHeidelberg2011 Thisworkissubjecttocopyright.Allrightsarereserved,whetherthewholeorpartofthematerialis concerned,specificallytherightsoftranslation,reprinting,reuseofillustrations,recitation,broadcasting, reproductiononmicrofilmorinanyotherway,andstorageindatabanks.Duplicationofthispublication orpartsthereofispermittedonlyundertheprovisionsoftheGermanCopyrightLawofSeptember9, 1965,initscurrentversion,andpermissionforusemustalwaysbeobtainedfromSpringer.Violations areliabletoprosecutionundertheGermanCopyrightLaw. Theuseofgeneraldescriptivenames,registerednames,trademarks,etc.inthispublicationdoesnotimply, evenintheabsenceofaspecificstatement,thatsuchnamesareexemptfromtherelevantprotectivelaws andregulationsandthereforefreeforgeneraluse. Coverdesign:deblik,berlin Printedonacid-freepaper SpringerispartofSpringerScience+BusinessMedia(www.springer.com) Preface or why such a book Nature helps ... – of course – at first itself. All living organisms (bacteria, fungi, plants,andanimalsincludingprehistorichumans)hadandstillhavetosurvivethe struggle for life, since for millions of years they have been in competition with manyindividualsoftheirownspeciesandwithevenhighernumbersofcompetitors belongingtotherestofthelivingsystem,iftheyfitprincipallyintotheconditions givenataparticularplaceonEarth. This constant need to be always somewhat better / fitter than competitors was andisthemotorofevolutionthatledandleadstounbelievablevariationsinbody shape, astonishing physiological adaptations, and many other admirable abilities. Thus,thousandsofskilfulmethodsofdefenseagainstattacksfromthesurroundings havebeendeveloped.Forexample,toxicsubstancesandrepellentsevolvedthatare used to keep predators away from engorging such individuals. Other species developedmedicalremedies,whichsupportthewound-healingprocessorincrease thesuccessofreproductionrespectivelyallowsafastergrowthrateunderfavorable conditions.Othercompounds(e.g.,prohibitorsoffreezingor“overheating”)helped survivalinpoorconditionssuchasicywintersorextremeheat.Thesefacilitieshave been developed over millions of years and all species that had not been able to develop such facilities, are today no longer visible as they have returned to the general pool of molecules and elements on Earth. Thus nature is cruel to all members that are not flexible in the sense described above, and nature eliminates themforthesakeofthesurvivors. Of course nature takes its steps slowly by testing the chances and benefits of more or less occasional mutations of single individuals in a given biotope under changingenvironmentalconditions. Itisnotmuchlongerthan100,000yearsagothathumanswerethrownas“last- minuteman”(ontheverylateeveningofthesixthdayofcreation)intothebattlefor survivalonEarth.ThissendingtoEarthwasnotonlydonebyGodsaying“Goto Earth,ruleitandproducesuccessors,”buthumanswerealsoequippedwithasmall dose of the divine spirit of recognition – of course some received greater insight, while others received less of this spirit. In any case, the “gifted dwarfs”, i.e., humans,developedthe skillsof observationand mental preservation ofimportant and/or useful events or they recognized helpful facilities of plants and animals in theirsurroundingsfromtheirearlybeginnings. v vi Prefaceorwhysuchabook Through combination of these empirical observations and by analysis of their background some of these human “skilful dwarfs” used the abilities of plants and animals (later also those of fungi and bacteria) to develop products and measures for survival of diseases or of other critical conditions, which would have killed nonadaptedcompetitors. Of course plants were first recognized by mankind as beneficial in times of disease. Wise women or magicians – often accused of practicing diabolical witchcraft – have learned over thousands of years to prepare extracts or to use wholeplantsortheirfruitsasmedicamentsorasimportantcontributionstodaily food. Attheverybeginning–apartfromtheisolationofextracts–nobodyreallyknew theactivecompoundsinplants,forexamplenobodyknew,whythepowderofthe South American Cinchona tree helped as a powerful remedy against the malaria fever or why extracts of the bark of the willow (Salix spp.) suppressed fever and decreasedheadache. As soonasthe methods ofchemistry allowed theanalysisof details and synthesis processes had been evaluated, medicaments or insecticides etc.,basedonpurechemicalsweredeveloped(e.g.,quinineandacetylsalicylacid instead of bark powders of Cinchona or Salix). This industrial production of chemotherapeutical remedies still flourishing after 100 years, however, led to the loss of the details of the mostly orally transmitted knowledge on the abilities of many plants and animals, but also led to the discovery of the effects of useful bacteriaandfungiashighlyeffectiveantibiotics. Since these chemicals were very pure and often based on a single active ingredient,infectiousbacteria,fungi,orparasitesdevelopedincreasingresistances againsttheseagents,asoccurredinthecaseofMRSA(multiresistantStaphylococ- cusaureusstrains)wheretheefficacyofchemicalmedicamentsbecameverylowor even lost. These events make it understandable, why Jean Jacques Rousseau’s original cry “Back to nature – retour a` la nature” resonates even more loudly today. This stimulates many scientists to test the efficacies of plants and animals againstadverseimpactsthatmayaffectplantsandanimalsandrespectivelyendan- gerhumans. Thewaveofrelevantplant-basedpapersinmanyscientificjournalsisgrowing daily, so that single results can hardly be seen. This is due to the fact that many authors prefertocollectpublishedpapersasgoodiesfor their career andforgetto developfromtheirresultsusefulremediesforsociety. Thepresentbookpresentssomeselectedreportsontheefficaciesofplantsused asmedicaments,insecticides,and/orparasitizides.Italsoincludesexamplesofthe practical aid given by animals in the fight against pests or describes their use as remediesandtodiagnosediseases. Some chapters show how extracts or particular stages of animals contribute to human or animal health, help in healing wounds, or aid the police in finding the murderer(incaseitisnotthegardenerasusual). These 15 chapters should stimulate more scientists to think about similar studies hopefully leading to successful products, but they also show the risks that may arise in times of worldwide globalization and regional climate change, Prefaceorwhysuchabook vii when species of fungi, bacteria, plants, and animals are introduced willingly (e.g., as “biofighters” against crop pests) or unwillingly into other environments (ashiddenpassengersinsidethebodiesoftouristsorinsidecontainerswithgoods ofanykind). Du¨sseldorf HeinzMehlhorn May2011 . Contents 1 IndigenousTraditionalMedicine:PlantsfortheTreatment ofDiarrhea ................................................................ 1 ClaraLiaCostaBrandelli,RaquelBrandtGiordani, AlexandreJose´ Macedo,GeraldoAttilioDeCarli,andTianaTasca 2 EfficaciesofMedicinalPlantExtractsAgainstBlood-Sucking Parasites .................................................................. 19 A.AbdulRahuman 3 NaturalRemediesintheFightAgainstInsects ........................ 55 NorbertBecker 4 TheNeemTreeStory:ExtractsthatReallyWork .................... 77 HeinzMehlhorn,KhaledA.S.Al-Rasheid,andFathyAbdel-Ghaffar 5 TheEfficacyofExtractsfromPlants–Especiallyfrom CoconutandOnion–AgainstTapeworms,Trematodes, andNematodes .......................................................... 109 HeinzMehlhorn,Gu¨lendemAksu,KatjaFischer,BiancaStrassen, FathyAbdelGhaffar,KhaledA.S.Al-Rasheid,andSvenKlimpel 6 Curcumin:ANaturalHerbExtractwithAntiparasitic Properties ................................................................ 141 Md.ShahiduzzamanandArwidDaugschies 7 MarineOrganismsandTheirProspectiveUseinTherapy ofHumanDiseases ...................................................... 153 SherifS.EbadaandPeterProksch 8 BenefitsandFailureofImportedAnimalsintheFight AgainstPests ............................................................ 191 VolkerWalldorf ix x Contents 9 HelminthTherapytoTreatCrohn’sandOtherAutoimmune Diseases .................................................................. 211 JeffBolstridge,BernardFried,andAdityaReddy 10 InsectsHelptoSolveCrimes ........................................... 227 JensAmendt 11 “LivingSyringes”:UseofHematophagousBugsasBlood SamplersfromSmallandWildAnimals .............................. 243 Andre´ Stadler,ChristianKarlMeiser,andGu¨nterA.Schaub 12 Xenodiagnosis ........................................................... 273 ChristianKarlMeiserandGu¨nterA.Schaub 13 BlowflyStrikeandMaggotTherapy:FromParasitology toMedicalTreatment .................................................. 301 HeikeHeuerandLutzHeuer 14 ExtractsfromFlyMaggotsandFlyPupae asa“WoundHealer” ................................................... 325 HeinzMehlhornandFalkGestmann 15 LivingMedication:OverviewandClassification intoPharmaceuticalLaw ............................................... 349 HeikeHeuer,LutzHeuer,andValentinSaalfrank Index .......................................................................... 369
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