Drug Discov Today. 2016 Nov 16. pii: S1359-6446(16)30429-9. doi: 10.1016/j.drudis.2016.11.011. [Epub ahead of print]
- 1Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Electronic address: helmstaedter@em.uni-frankfurt.de.
Abstract
Records about the traditional uses of medicinal plants
can be considered useful in bioprospecting (i.e., the search for new
active agents or lead structures in nature). Several sources like
Egyptian papyri, early modern herbals and pharmacopoeias have been
studied in this respect. It is proposed to use recordings of botanically
interested explorers of the 19th and early 20th centuries as well. Some
of them give detailed information about traditionally used medicinal plants
and analysis shows that a considerable number of these have never been
scientifically investigated. Existing studies, however, are confirming
the traditional uses described to a great extent. Thus, the explorer's
writings should not be neglected while looking for starting points for
plant screening; success seems more likely than with screening at
random.
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