Ethnopharmacology

At the end of the course, students should be able to: 1. define key terms used in ethnopharmacology and appreciate historical perspective of ethnopharmacology; 2. discuss the process (various stages) of drug discovery using ethnopharmacology approach; 3. appreciate the values and challenges/issues of drug discovery from natural products; and 4. discuss the WHO traditional medicine strategies to address the challenges/issues.

Definitions, historical and religious basis of ethnomedicine – The medicine of Avicena, Esculapius and Galen. Key events in the development of modern Pharmacy including examples of important drugs developed from ethnopharmacology (the Calabar bean, South American arrow poison, Coca chewing and opium poppy smoking of the American Indians and many others). Race and cultural influence of traditional medicine, Herbal medicine and orthodox medicine – Homeopath; Naturopaths, Chinese acupuncture African Medicine. Socio-economic, politico-religious and technological influence on drug development and medical practice. Process of drug discovery using ethnopharmacology (information sources, extraction (solvent consideration and process), scientific investigation (tests for biological activity, bioassay, clinical trial). Challenges/issues of drug discovery from natural products (in collection, extraction and preparation, biological variation, loss of species, loss of knowledge, issues of Intellectual Property Rights) and desirability or not of merging orthodox and traditional medical practices. WHO strategy to address the challenges. The African pharmacopoeia.