Nghiên cứu phát triển thuốc dân tộc Traditional medicine

Methods and Approaches of
Ethno-medicine Studies and
New Drug Development

Pei Shengji

Professor, Kunming Institute of Botany,
Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Heilong, Kunming 650204, China


Table of Content
Abstract
1. History and Definition
2. Principals and Methods
3. Potential for New Drug
Development and Challenges
4. Perspectives


Abstract
• Ethno-medicine and Traditional Chinese
Medicine (TCM) are two important elements
of traditional medical systems in China.
Integration and mutual complementary of
traditional medicine and modern medicine is
the unique integrated medical system of
China in the world. This lecture presents
principles and methods of ethno-medicine
studies in China; describes potentials of
traditional ethno-medicine for new drug

development; analysis relevant issues and
challenges that involve in the new
development, and perspectives from
ethnobotanical point of view on ethnomedicine development.


• Key words: ethno-medicine, principals,
methods, approaches, new drug
development, challenges


1. History and Definition
1) History
• Use of herbal medicine in Asia is a long
history of human interaction with the
environment, written documents on 67
medical plants in Vedas, 4,500 to 600BC:
and 290 herbal drug in Ayurveda; In China,
Sheng-Nongs Herbal Book (3,000BC)
comprises 365 plants and animals.
• Ethno-medicine as a term first used in
science was in 1967 at San Francisco
‘International Conference on NeuralPharmacology’.


2) Definition
• Bruhn & Holmstedt 1981: An
interdisciplinary field on study and
explanation on human traditional used or
observed living things that have bio-active

compound.
• De Smet 1989: A multi-disciplinary
scientific method to study the traditional
use of crude drugs and toxications in
human development.


• Schultes 1991 and Hedberg 1993: A scientific
field of observation on ingredients and efficacy
of traditional medicine as well as description
and experimentation of such medicines.
• In China, ethno-medicine refers to medicines
that used traditionally by people of different
culture (1997) and specific refers to ethnic
minority cultural groups
• Therefore, both Traditional Chinese Medicine
(TCM) and Ethno-medicine system in China are
officially recognized traditional medicine
system in China.


2. Principals and Methods
1) Three Principals:
(1) Inter-disciplinary approach of
thinking involving:


•
•
•

•
•

Medical Sciences
Biological Sciences
Anthropology
Environmental Science
Historical Documents and Ancient Literatures


(2) Participatory methods of studying team
(3) Traditional knowledge based and benefitsharing


2) Scope of Ethno-medicinal Studies
G. Samuelsson suggested 8 components of
ethno-medicine research:
a. Inventory and botanical identification
b. Literature survey
c. Bio-active screen
d. Separation and identification of effective
compound and agent
e. Pharmacological studies on bioactive
agent
f. Toxic studies
g. Clinic test
h. Drug manufactory


3) Methods

(1) Ethnobotanical methods: Field survey;
interview; inventory; sample collecting and
botanical identification of voucher
specimen; PRA assessment; market survey
methods and literature studies.
(2) Cultural-anthropological methods: key
informants; origin of medicine, cultural
believes on medicinal plants and traditional
medicine; semi-structured interview.


3) Bio-chemistry methods: Bio-active
compound screen, identification of
leading compounds, and extraction and
separation of bioactive agent.
• Field Rapid-screen methods
• Sample collection methods
• Laboratory studies


4) Pharmacological Methods
• Pharmacological efficacy & toxication
testing; pharmaceutical and manufactory
studies etc.


5) Ethnobotanical Quantitative Methods
(1) Quantitative Inventory
(2) Free listing and Ranking
(3) Informant – Indexing Technique

(4) Pairwise Comparison (for analyzing
functional equivalents)
(5) Linear – Log Model Analysis; The formula
is:
log (nij)=µ+αi+βj+τij+eij
(6) Data – base establishment


3. Potential for New Drug
Development and Challenges

1) A Fundamental Strategy for Research
Based Pharmaceutical Companies
• Pfizen (USA)
• Yamanouch (Japan)
• FDA revised new drug application for
botanical medicine
• Chinese ethno-medicine industry: 1,200
companies (2006)


2) Important Approach for Exploring
New–drug from Natural Resources
• Prototype drug for new medicine
• Leading compound as basis
• New–drug design based on traditional
medicine
• Development of complementary and
functional food

• China: 2002 Registered New Ethno –
drugs: 405 drugs
• Guizhou: Registered New Ethno – drugs:
240 drugs (Miao–medicines)


3) Inheritance or Replacement?
• Development of ethno-medicine is for
inheritance of traditional medicine but
not replacement of traditional medicine.
• Single chemical agent, or extracts of
plant ≠ traditional medicine.
• Commercialization and community
livelihoods concern.


4) Ethno-medicine based New–drug
has to be:
(1) Natural materials
(2) Based on traditional recipes
(3) As effective as traditional medicine
(4) Accepted by people at large economically
and culturally


5) Systematic investigation and
documentation of traditional medical
knowledge as basis for new–drug
development

6) Be Sensitive to Resource Protection
• Total world MP: 25,000 spp.
• MP in China: 11,146 spp.
• By 2050, at least half of MP in the world
will be endangered


7) IPR Protection of Traditional Ethno–
medicine
• Respect, maintain and protect of TMK
• Legislative action on IPR Protection of
TMK


4. Perspectives
1) Maintaining diversity of human

health–care systems as strategy to
against human disease.
2) Recognizing interactive and
complementary relationship between
modern medicine and traditional
medicine is the key.
3) Improving common understanding
on traditional medicine and policy
influencing are important to policy
makers.


4) Revitalization of community medical

traditions for livelihoods is urgent.
5) Enhancing capacity of developing
countries for new drug
development.
6) Protection of medicinal resources
and traditional medical knowledge.
7) Strengthening international and
regional collaborations and
network.


Thank You!