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Hagen EH, Blackwell AD, Lightner AD, Sullivan RJ. Homo medicus: The transition to meat eating increased pathogen pressure and the use of pharmacological plants in Homo. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 180:589-617. [PMID: 36815505 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
The human lineage transitioned to a more carnivorous niche 2.6 mya and evolved a large body size and slower life history, which likely increased zoonotic pathogen pressure. Evidence for this increase includes increased zoonotic infections in modern hunter-gatherers and bushmeat hunters, exceptionally low stomach pH compared to other primates, and divergence in immune-related genes. These all point to change, and probably intensification, in the infectious disease environment of Homo compared to earlier hominins and other apes. At the same time, the brain, an organ in which immune responses are constrained, began to triple in size. We propose that the combination of increased zoonotic pathogen pressure and the challenges of defending a large brain and body from pathogens in a long-lived mammal, selected for intensification of the plant-based self-medication strategies already in place in apes and other primates. In support, there is evidence of medicinal plant use by hominins in the middle Paleolithic, and all cultures today have sophisticated, plant-based medical systems, add spices to food, and regularly consume psychoactive plant substances that are harmful to helminths and other pathogens. We propose that the computational challenges of discovering effective plant-based treatments, the consequent ability to consume more energy-rich animal foods, and the reduced reliance on energetically-costly immune responses helped select for increased cognitive abilities and unique exchange relationships in Homo. In the story of human evolution, which has long emphasized hunting skills, medical skills had an equal role to play.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward H Hagen
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Aaron D Blackwell
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Aaron D Lightner
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
- Department of the Study of Religion, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Roger J Sullivan
- Department of Anthropology, California State University, Sacramento, California, USA
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Chao J, Chen TY, Pao LH, Deng JS, Cheng YC, Su SY, Huang SS. Ethnobotanical Survey on Bitter Tea in Taiwan. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:816029. [PMID: 35250565 PMCID: PMC8894760 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.816029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ethnopharmacological evidence: In Taiwan, herbal tea is considered a traditional medicine and has been consumed for hundreds of years. In contrast to regular tea, herbal teas are prepared using plants other than the regular tea plant, Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze. Bitter tea (kǔ-chá), a series of herbal teas prepared in response to common diseases in Taiwan, is often made from local Taiwanese plants. However, the raw materials and formulations have been kept secret and verbally passed down by store owners across generations without a fixed recipe, and the constituent plant materials have not been disclosed. Aim of the study: The aim was to determine the herbal composition of bitter tea sold in Taiwan, which can facilitate further studies on pharmacological applications and conserve cultural resources. Materials and methods: Interviews were conducted through a semi-structured questionnaire. The surveyed respondents were traditional sellers of traditional herbal tea. The relevant literature was collated for a systematic analysis of the composition, characteristics, and traditional and modern applications of the plant materials used in bitter tea. We also conducted an association analysis of the composition of Taiwanese bitter tea with green herb tea (qing-cao-cha tea), another commonly consumed herbal tea in Taiwan, as well as herbal teas in neighboring areas outside Taiwan. Results: After visiting a total of 59 stores, we identified 32 bitter tea formulations and 73 plant materials. Asteraceae was the most commonly used family, and most stores used whole plants. According to a network analysis of nine plant materials used in high frequency as drug pairs, Tithonia diversifolia and Ajuga nipponensis were found to be the core plant materials used in Taiwanese bitter tea. Conclusion: Plant materials used in Taiwanese bitter tea were distinct, with multiple therapeutic functions. Further research is required to clarify their efficacy and mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung Chao
- Chinese Medicine Research Center, Department of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chinese Medicine Resources, Master Program for Food and Drug Safety, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Yang Chen
- Chinese Medicine Research Center, Department of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chinese Medicine Resources, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Li-Heng Pao
- Graduate Institute of Health Industry Technology, Research Center for Food and Cosmetic Safety, and Research Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine, College of Human Ecology, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Jeng-Shyan Deng
- Department of Food Nutrition and Health Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Chi Cheng
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Shan-Yu Su
- Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- *Correspondence: Shan-Yu Su, ; Shyh-Shyun Huang,
| | - Shyh-Shyun Huang
- Department of Food Nutrition and Health Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan
- School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- *Correspondence: Shan-Yu Su, ; Shyh-Shyun Huang,
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Witkamp RF. Bioactive Components in Traditional Foods Aimed at Health Promotion: A Route to Novel Mechanistic Insights and Lead Molecules? Annu Rev Food Sci Technol 2022; 13:315-336. [PMID: 35041794 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-food-052720-092845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Traditional foods and diets can provide health benefits beyond their nutrient composition because of the presence of bioactive compounds. In various traditional healthcare systems, diet-based approaches have always played an important role, which has often survived until today. Therefore, investigating traditional foods aimed at health promotion could render not only novel bioactive substances but also mechanistic insights. However, compared to pharmacologically focused research on natural products, investigating such nutrition-based interventions is even more complicated owing to interacting compounds, less potent and relatively subtle effects, the food matrix, and variations in composition and intake. At the same time, technical advances in 'omics' technologies, cheminformatics, and big data analysis create new opportunities, further strengthened by increasing insights into the biology of health and homeostatic resilience. These are to be combined with state-of-the-art ethnobotanical research, which is key to obtaining reliable and reproducible data. Unfortunately, socioeconomic developments and climate change threaten traditional use and knowledge as well as biodiversity. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Food Science and Technology, Volume 13 is March 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renger F Witkamp
- Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands;
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Sibeko L, Johns T, Cordeiro LS. Traditional plant use during lactation and postpartum recovery: Infant development and maternal health roles. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2021; 279:114377. [PMID: 34192598 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Evidence of phytochemical roles in infant development and maternal recovery offers insights into beneficial functions of traditional plant use during lactation and the postpartum period. Ethnopharmacological research has relevance to global priorities on maternal and child health, to understanding origins and determinants of human self-medication, and for reconciling traditional postpartum practices and mainstream healthcare. AIM OF THE STUDY Present emerging evidence, within evolutionary and socio-cultural contexts, on the role of maternal consumption on transfer of phytochemicals into breast milk with impacts on maternal and child health, and on infant development. Establish current state of knowledge and an ethnopharmacological research agenda that is attentive to cross-cultural and regional differences in postpartum plant use. MATERIALS AND METHODS An extensive literature review using Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science focused on traditional and contemporary use and socio-cultural context, as well as physiological, pharmacological, toxicological, and behavioral activities of plants used medicinally by women during postpartum recovery and lactation. RESULTS The most widely reported postpartum plants show antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, immunological, and neurophysiological activities, with low toxicity. Phytochemicals transfer from maternal consumption into breast milk in physiological concentrations, while animal studies demonstrate immunomodulation and other actions of medicinal plants during lactation. Reporting on the use and diverse traditional knowledge of women about plants during the postpartum period is obscured by the marginal place of obstetric issues and by gender biases in ethnobotanical research. In many contemporary contexts use is prejudiced by precautionary risk warnings in health literature and practice that confound lactation with pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS Although systematic investigation of postpartum plant use is lacking, known pharmacological activities support potential benefits on infant development and maternal health with immediate and long-term consequences in relation to allergic, inflammatory, autoimmune, and other diseases. An ethnopharmacological agenda focused on the perinatal period requires directed methodologies and a regional approach in relation to culturally-specific knowledge and practices, traditional plant use, and local health needs. Testing the hypothesis that phytochemicals transferred from medicinal plants into breast milk impact the human immune system and other aspects of infant development requires extended analysis of phytochemicals in human milk and infant lumen and plasma, as well as effects on gastrointestinal and milk microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindiwe Sibeko
- Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
| | - Timothy Johns
- School of Human Nutrition, McGill University, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, QC, H9X 3V9, Canada.
| | - Lorraine S Cordeiro
- Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
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Mbinile SD, Munishi LK, Ngondya IB, Ndakidemi PA. Spatial distribution and anthropogenic threats facing medicinal plant Zanthoxylum chalybeum in Simanjiro Area, Northern Tanzania. SCIENTIFIC AFRICAN 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2020.e00562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
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Mongalo N, Mashele S, Makhafola T. Ziziphus mucronata Willd. (Rhamnaceae): it's botany, toxicity, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities. Heliyon 2020; 6:e03708. [PMID: 32322712 PMCID: PMC7170964 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ziziphus mucronata is an important multi-purpose plant species that has been used in African traditional medicine for ages in the treatment of various devastating human and animal infections. The current paper is aimed at providing an overview of uses, toxicology, pharmacological properties and phytochemistry of Z. mucronata. The information used in the current work was retrieved using various search engines, including Pubmed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Scielo, SciFinder and Scopus. The key words used included Ziziphus mucronata, secondary metabolites, chemistry, biological activity and pharmacology, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, ethnobotanical survey, medicinal uses, safety, toxicology and other related words. Out of the 46 infections which the plant species is used to treat, the most common uses includes sexually transmitted infections, skin infections, diarrhoea and dysentery, respiratory and chest complaints and gynaecological complaints (citations ≥6). Pharmacologically, the plant species exhibited a potential antimicrobial activity yielding a minimum inhibitory concentration of <1 mg/ml against important pathogens which includes Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Moraxella catarrhalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Propionibacterium acnes, Candida albicans, Cryptoccoos neoformans amongst other microorganisms. Furthermore, the extracts and compounds from Z mucronata revealed potent antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and other activities in vitro. Phytochemically, cyclo-peptide alkaloids (commonly called mucronines) dominates and in conjunction with triterpenes, flavonoids, phenolic acids and anthocyanins. Besides these compounds, the plant species exhibited the presence of important in minerals. These phytoconstituents may well explain the reported biological activities. Although the extracts revealed no cytotoxic effect to Vero cells, further toxicological characteristics of the plant species still needs to be explored. There is also a need to carry out the comprehensive safety profiles of the plant species, including heavy metal detection. Although the plant species revealed important biological activities, which includes antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-plasmodial, anthelmintic, and anti-anaemic activity in vitro, further research is needed to explore the in vivo studies, other compounds responsible for such activities and the mechanisms of action thereof. Such activities validates the use of the plant species in traditional medicine. The data on the possible use of the plant species in the treatment of diarrhoea, sexually transmitted infections, skin related and gynaecological complaints are scant and still needs to be explored and validated both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the anticancer and anthelmintic activity of the plant species also needs to be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- N.I. Mongalo
- University of South Africa, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Laboratories, Private Bag X06, Florida, 0610, South Africa
| | - S.S. Mashele
- Central University of Technology, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Quality of Health and Living, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - T.J. Makhafola
- Central University of Technology, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Quality of Health and Living, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
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Roulette JW, Roulette CJ, Quinlan RJ, Call DR, Hewlett BS, Caudell MA, Quinlan MB. Children's Ethnobiological Notions of Contamination and Contagions among Maasai Agro-Pastoralists of Northern Tanzania. J ETHNOBIOL 2018. [DOI: 10.2993/0278-0771-38.2.261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer W. Roulette
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | | | - Robert J. Quinlan
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University
| | - Douglas R. Call
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University
- Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Barry S. Hewlett
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Mark A. Caudell
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University
| | - Marsha B. Quinlan
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University
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