Animals as a Source of Drugs: Bioprospecting and Biodiversity Conservation

Alves, Rômulo Romeu Nóbrega; Albuquerque, Ulysses Paulino

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-29026-8_5

Cited by 20 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 126 publications

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“…However, although there are species that synthesize bio-active compounds metabolically in their bodies [ 108 ], ultimately the chemicals sought after and deemed responsible for successful treatments stem from the food the insects and other invertebrates in question have ingested (Table 4 ). Analyses of the food plants of medicinally important insects should therefore accompany chemical analyses of the insects as suggested by Andary et al [ 175 ], cited in [ 52 ] and Alves and Albuquerque [ 176 ] and compounds identified and likely to be involved in a healing process ought then to undergo clinical testing. Eloff et al [ 177 ], for example, investigated leaf extracts of the plant Dodonaea viscose var.…”

Section: Future Insect Resource Availability and Usementioning

confidence: 99%

Therapeutic arthropods and other, largely terrestrial, folk-medicinally important invertebrates: a comparative survey and review

Meyer‐Rochow

2017

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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Traditional healing methods involving hundreds of insect and other invertebrate species are reviewed. Some of the uses are based on the tenet of “similia similibus” (let likes be cured by likes), but not all non-conventional health promoting practices should be dismissed as superstition or wishful thinking, for they have stood the test of time. Two questions are addressed: how can totally different organ systems in a human possibly benefit from extracts, potions, powders, secretions, ashes, etc. of a single species and how can different target organs, e.g. bronchi, lungs, the urinary bladder, kidneys, etc. apparently respond to a range of taxonomically not even closely related species? Even though therapeutically used invertebrates are generally small, they nevertheless possess organs for specific functions, e.g. digestion, gas exchange, reproduction. They have a nervous system, endocrine glands, a heart and muscle tissue and they contain a multitude of different molecules like metabolites, enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, secretions, etc. that have come under increased scientific scrutiny for pharmacological properties. Bearing that in mind it seems likely that a single species prepared and used in different ways could have a multitude of uses. But how, for example, can there be remedies for breathing and other problems, involving earthworms, molluscs, termites, beetles, cockroaches, bugs, and dragonflies? Since invertebrates themselves can suffer from infections and cancers, common defence reactions are likely to have evolved in all invertebrates, which is why it would be far more surprising to find that each species had evolved its own unique disease fighting system. To obtain a more comprehensive picture, however, we still need information on folk medicinal uses of insects and other invertebrates from a wider range of regions and ethnic groups, but this task is hampered by western-based medicines becoming increasingly dominant and traditional healers being unable and sometimes even unwilling to transmit their knowledge to the younger generation. However, collecting and uncontrolled uses of therapeutic invertebrates can put undue pressure on certain highly sought after species and this is something that has to be borne in mind as well.

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Section: Future Insect Resource Availability and Usementioning

confidence: 99%

Therapeutic arthropods and other, largely terrestrial, folk-medicinally important invertebrates: a comparative survey and review

Meyer‐Rochow

2017

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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“…Considered as important natural resources, insects are in many ways a basic component of the diets of humans and other animals [20] and have played an important role as a source of medicinal resources [21][22][23][24].…”

Section: Future Foods 56mentioning

confidence: 99%

Selected Edible Insects and Their Products in Traditional Medicine, Food and Pharmaceutical Industries in Africa: Utilisation and Prospects

Jideani¹,

Netshiheni²

2017

Future Foods

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Edible insects are a widely exploited food source by many indigenous populations in most regions of the world. Edible insects have been used as food in sub-Saharan Africa, being a good source of protein and essential amino acid. Historically, they are important contributors to improving food and nutrition security, particularly for people who suffer from malnutrition due to protein deficiency. Africa is the continent with the highest number of records (19 countries), followed by the USA (5 countries) and Asia (5 countries). The species used for food and as feed include Hodotermitidae, Kalotermitidae, Rhinotermitidae and Termitidae. Insects, such as termites, are also eaten raw directly on emergence from the holes. Species used in traditional popular medicine include Hodotermitidae and Termitidae. They are used in the treatment of various diseases that affect humans such as influenza, asthma, bronchitis, whooping cough, sinusitis, tonsillitis and hoarseness.

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“…According to Alves and Albuquerque (2013), these animals gained the attention of researchers because of their pharmaceutical potential and have shown interesting physiological activities that include vasoconstriction, and antitumor cells, anti-inflammatory, cardiotoxic, neurotoxic, antimicrobial, and hallucinogenic activities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical identification and evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of fixed oil extracted fromRhinella jimi

Sales

Oliveira

Cabral

et al. 2014

Pharmaceutical Biology

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Objectives: The present work examined the antimicrobial actions of the extracted oils from the body fat of R. jimi (ORJ) against fungi and standard and multi-resistant lines of bacteria, as well as their effects when combined with aminoglycosides. Materials and methods: The toads were collected in the municipality of Exu in Pernambuco State, Brazil, and their body fat oils extracted in a Soxhlet apparatus using hexane. A gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer was used to identify the fatty acids, based on their methyl esters. The antimicrobial activities of the oil were analyzed against standard and multi-resistant lines of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as against fungal lines of Candida albicans and Candida krusei using the broth microdilution method. Results: The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of ORJ were 512 mg/mL for Candida krusei and !1024 mg/mL for the other microorganisms. When associated with amikacin, ORJ demonstrated an increase in its ability to inhibit E. coli growth (from 156.25 to 39.06 mg/mL), indicating synergistic interaction. In the same way, when allied with amikacin, gentamicin, and neomycin, the ORJ reduced the MICs meaningly, against P. aeruginosa. Conclusions: These data will enable searches to be made to obtain new products in combination with antibiotics, enhancing the efficacy of these drugs against drug-resistant microorganisms.

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Animals as a Source of Drugs: Bioprospecting and Biodiversity Conservation

Cited by 20 publications

References 126 publications

Therapeutic arthropods and other, largely terrestrial, folk-medicinally important invertebrates: a comparative survey and review

Therapeutic arthropods and other, largely terrestrial, folk-medicinally important invertebrates: a comparative survey and review

Selected Edible Insects and Their Products in Traditional Medicine, Food and Pharmaceutical Industries in Africa: Utilisation and Prospects

Chemical identification and evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of fixed oil extracted fromRhinella jimi

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