Chapter 2 - Traditional and Folk Medicine as a Target for Drug Discovery

Abstract

Traditional and folk medicines are the sum total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement, or treatment of physical and mental illnesses. Some known traditional medicines are Ayurveda, Siddha medicine, Unani, ancient Iranian medicine, Irani, Islamic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, traditional Korean medicine, acupuncture, Muti, Ifa, and traditional African medicine. According to the World Health Organization in 2000, 80% of the world population is dependent on traditional and folk medicines for the treatment of their ailments. Natural products can lead to drug discovery. Many modern synthetic drugs have their origin in bioactives from natural products. Sixty-seven percent of chemotherapy drugs have a natural origin. In 1021, Taxus baccata was introduced for phytotherapy in The Canon of Medicine for cardiac remedy. In the Central Himalayas, the plant is used as a treatment for breast and ovarian cancer. Certain compounds found in the bark of yew trees were discovered by Wall and Wani in 1967 to have anticancer properties. The precursors of the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel (Taxol) can be obtained from the plant. Smart taxanes, which are water-soluble paclitaxel derivatives, have been developed for the targeted therapy of cancer. Furthermore, a more efficient form, silver nanoparticles with Taxol, has been synthesized. The nanoparticles possess biomedical properties over the anticancer property. Though there are many drugs for the treatment of diseases, they have undesirable side effects. Novel antidiabetic drugs need to be discovered because the existing ones have treatment-limiting side effects. The requirement for developing improved drugs that will be more efficient and will have fewer or negligible side effects is in demand. Two diseases that are encountered very often are liver diseases and dengue. There are no proper drugs for the cure of either of these diseases. Conventional or synthetic drugs used in the treatment of liver diseases are inadequate and can have serious adverse effects. Silymarin is used as a cure for liver disorders. Silymarin is a unique flavonoid complex—containing silybin, silydianin, and silychrisin—that is derived from the milk thistle plant, Silybium marianum. Silymarin exerts membrane-stabilizing and antioxidant activity and promotes hepatocyte regeneration. However, available pharmacotherapeutic options for liver diseases are very limited and the development of new effective drugs are in great demand. Complications in the development of a dengue vaccine have triggered the development of a plant-based antiviral preparation that is safer and less harmful than synthetic drugs. Traditional medicines such as Psidium guajava leaf extract, Azidarachta indica (neem), tea prepared by using Ocimum sanctum boiled leaves, methanolic extract of Momordica charantia, and Carica papaya leaf extract, have been used for the treatment of dengue. Until now, plant extracts have been combined to combat liver disorders and dengue. Research is being carried out to discover the key moiety from the available natural sources.