Traditional use as proof of safety and efficacy Robert ANTON Summary

21 Pages·2013·5.11 MB·English

Traditional use as proof of safety and efficacy
Robert ANTON
Emeritus Professor of the University of Strasbourg
Member of national Academies of Pharmacy and Medicine
[email protected]
Botanical in food supplements, Ministero della Salute
International Conference, Rome, April 18th 2013
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Summary
I. What does tradition means ?
II. Criteria to evaluate the traditional knowledge
III. Evidence coming from the traditional experience
IV. Availability of bibliographic data
V. Limits of the concept of tradition
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1. A long history of use and the modern science
Young girl Papoue from
New Guinea
(Photo A. Newman)
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2. Many traditional food supplements
and drugs used in all the world
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3. The traditionI .is aI precious guide
Materia medica: compendium of real clinical observations:
China, Guyana, India, Madagascar, New Caledonia…
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4. A proof of efficacy:
history of use and modern science
XVI e century: clinical trial of
aerial parts of spirea (Spirea ulmaria, Rosaceae)
antipyretic

salicylic aldehyde glycoside
Hippocrates 500 b.c.
(Salix alba, Salicaceae), bark
antalgic
salicylic alcohol glycoside
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4. A proof of efficacy:
History of use and modern science
 Gerhardt : acetylation of salicylic acid (1853)
 Anti-inflammatory- antirheumatic (prostagladines) (1971)
 Platelets aggregation inhibition (1985)
 Colon cancer prevention (1997)
COOH COOH
OH hémisynthèse OCOCH
3
métabolisme
salicylic acid acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin)
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5. Ethical drugs and molecular models
Artemisia (artemisinine), Belladonna (atropine),Camptotheca

(camptothecine), Catharanthus (vinblastine), Cinchona
(quinine),Coca (cocaine), Colchicum (colchicine), Digitalis
(digoxine), Ephedra (ephedrine),Ipeca (emetine), Ochrosia
(ellipticine),Papaver (morphine, codeine)…
Taxus baccata Diterpene: Taxol Commercial drug
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6. Ambivalent or borderline plants for food supplements
Cytisus
Cynara
Spirea
Gentiana
Passiflora
Ficaria
Mélilotus
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Summary
I. What does tradition means?
II. Criteria to evaluate the traditional knowledge
III. Evidence coming from the traditional experience
IV. Availablity of bibliographic data
V. Limits of the concept of tradition
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1. Parameters to take into consideration on
traditional information
Long history of use (generally many centuries)

Collection of all information on practical traditional use

Existence of convergence of use in different continents

without primitive contact
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Examples: Convergence of uses in different continents
Example of chinese Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer:

adaptogene helping to cope with mental and physical
stress.
The canadian or american Panax quinquefolius L.: same

chemical profile (ginsenosides), similar conditions of use
Plantago sp. growing in separate regions in the world and

used for the same type of symptoms: relative respiratory
discomfort.
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1. Parameters to take into consideration on
traditional information
Rigourous botanical identification

Chemotaxonomic aspects

Geographical origin and cultivation methods

Part of the plant used

Respect of the traditional type of preparation

Identification of the type of population concerned

Observation on eventual secondary effects

Confirmation state with chemical profile in order to

understand the pharmaco-clinical effects
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2. Rigourous identification of raw material
Importance of the complete scientific denomination

Example of family, genus and species

Lamiaceae family
Lavandula angustifolia Mill., Lavandula latifolia Medik. …
Example of sub species and varieties:

Bergamot (Citrus aurantium L. sspbergamia(Wight & Arnott)
Engler)
 Bitter orange(Citrus aurantiumsspaurantiumL.)
Example of varieties with different compositions:

Basilicum (Ocimum basilicum): heterogenicity in terms of
morphologies and chemical profiles (O. basilicumvar.
basilicum, O. basilicumvar. difformeBenth., O. basilicumvar
glabratumBenth….)
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I
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3. Importance of the plant chemotypes
 Accuracy of chemotypes
Examples
- Thymus vulgaris with linalol
- Thymus vulgaris with geraniol
- Thymus vulgaris with thujanol
- Thymus vulgaris with thymol
- Thymus vulgaris with carvacrol
- Thymus vulgaris with terpineol
- Thymus vulgaris with p-myrcene
- consequence: different chemical
profiles and toxicity
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4. Importance of the chemotaxonomy
 Aristolochiaceae: all species
contain toxic aristolochic acid
 Other plant species from other
palnt families also contain
diverse aristolochic acids and
aristolactames
 Forbidden: severe renal and
hepatotoxicity (oral route)
Aristolochic acid
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5. Importance of data for production of the raw material
 Geographical origin and multiple extrinsic

factors: influence on the secundary metabolism
- environment and growing conditions
- mode of cultivation or wild state
- temperature, humidity, sunny period
- harvesting time ….additional treatments
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6. Importance of the part of the tarditional plant used
 Type of organs: differenciation concerning the same species
Example of Cinnamomum zeylanicum
Bark of Leaves and
young stems young
branches

 eugenol
cinnamic
aldehyde
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7. Traditional forms of botanical preparations
Aqueous extraction (hot water): infusion, decoction (root,

seed), maceration (cold water for mucilages)
Dried aqueous forms

Hydro-alcoholic extracts: advantages: extraction of both

lipophilic and hydrophilic constituents; presence of
glycosides more physiologically active
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10. Numerous qualitative and quantitative analytical
techniques: Ginkgo extract: HPLC-TLC…
-
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