Remedies of animal origin and their indications in Nikolaos Myrepsos׳ Dynameron

Zootherapeutic uses of animals and their parts: An important element of the traditional knowledge of the Safi province, Morocco

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The Moroccan population harbors rich traditional knowledge used to treat various human diseases. This is the first study aimed at exploring the ethnozoological practices in Morocco. Materials and methods: Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires to interview 42 traditional healers and merchants of medicinal animals. Collected ethnozoological data were analyzed using appropriate quantitative indices. Results: 42 animal species belonging to eight taxonomic groups were gathered, with Mammalia being the most mentioned (15 species), followed by Aves (12 species). Camelus sp. (RFC = 0.81), and Sepia officinalis (RFC = 0.71), had the highest RFC. With 8.00 units, Atelerix algirus was the species with the highest level of therapeutic redundancy. The most important diseases cited were circulatory system disorders (ICF = 1.00), oncology (ICF = 1.00), oro-dental problems (ICF = 0.86), and nervous system disorders (ICF = 0.86). The following animal species gained an FL value of 100 %: Anas platyrhynchos domesticus (for skin diseases), Coturnix coturnix (for endocrine disorders), Mustela nivalis (for gastrointestinal disorders), Cymothoa exigua (for nervous system disorders), and Upupa epops (for culture-bound diseases). The most versatile species were Apis sp. (RI = 100 %) and Aterix algirus (RI = 88.89 %). The most culturally important species included Chamaeleo chamaeleon (CII = 57.14) and Atelerix algirus (CII = 40.48). According to the IAR value, Cymothoa exigua (nervous system disorders) and Upupa epops (IAR = 1.00) had the highest scores. The highest CAI value was for Chamaeleo chamaeleon (CAI = 48.98). Conclusion: The local population of the Safi region possesses valuable knowledge about the use of medicinal animals to treat a plethora of health concerns. Atelerix algirus and Chamaeleo chamaeleon were the most versatile species and were indicated as ideals for being cultural keystone species. They must be prioritized in future research and conservation studies.

Animal-derived natural products for hepatocellular carcinoma therapy: current evidence and future perspectives

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a high morbidity and mortality rate, and the survival rate of HCC patients remains low. Animal medicines have been used as potential therapeutic tools throughout the long history due to their different structures of biologically active substances with high affinity to the human body. Here, we focus on the effects and the mechanism of action of animal-derived natural products against HCC, which were searched in databases encompassing Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Science Direct, Springer Link, and EBSCO. A total of 24 natural products from 12 animals were summarized. Our study found that these natural products have potent anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effects. The mechanism of action involving apoptosis induction, autophagy induction, anti-proliferation, anti-migration, and anti-drug resistance via phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), Ras/extracellular signal regulated kinases (ERK)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), Wnt/β-catenin, and Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathways. Huachansu injection and sodium cantharidate have been used in clinical applications with good efficacy. We review the potential of animal-derived natural products and their derivatives in the treatment of HCC to date and summarize their application prospect and toxic side effects, hoping to provide a reference for drug development for HCC.

Inorganic substances and their uses in Nikolaos Myrepsos' Dynameron. Recent applications in modern therapy

Inorganic compounds have been known and used since antiquity. Dynameron is the largest Byzantine medical manuscript divided into 24 sections, in accordance with the letters of the Hellenic alphabet, which contains 2667 recipes. The majority of them contain ingredients of plant origin, followed by animal origin, while fewer inorganic substances are quoted. In the present study, the latter ones are listed. Moreover, the information on the uses of inorganic ingredients in the treatment of many diseases in the late Byzantine era is presented and their evaluation in light of the modern Pharmacology and Toxicology.