Focus of our research 

The research group’s work focuses on questions relating to the intradisciplinary and neighboring sciences of ethnopharmacology and zoopharmacognosy.

1. Ethnopharmacological studies 

The science of ethnopharmacology seeks to investigate the medicinal use of natural materials, such as plants, fungi, insects, and animal secretions, by humans. We apply pharmacological, pharmacognostic, botanical, anthropological, and socio-cultural research methods. Other branches of science, such as chemistry, ecology, natural product and analytical chemistry, phytomedicine, sociology, climate change research, history, toxicology, environmental sciences, and clinical research, may also be involved in this highly multi- and transdisciplinary field. For example, we study the use of plants by indigenous communities for the treatment and cure of diseases in five countries. This includes fieldwork, especially ethnobotanical surveying, documentation of traditional knowledge, sample collection, and preparation of herbarium voucher specimens. In this context, the documented and collected species are often examined in the laboratory or potentially (at later stages) through clinical studies with the aim of investigating their active ingredient contents, pharmacology, and (early stage) drug discovery.

The initial accurate documentation of the used species with respect to their traditional application, as well as the associated methods of harvesting, preparation, and administration, is essential for a successful replication and assessment of the pharmacological effects using in vitro, in situ, and in vivo models. The subsequent process of attempting to isolate pharmacologically active plant secondary metabolites, e.g., by means of bioassay-guided fractionation, and determining their molecular structure may follow, which is generally very time- and labor-intensive. Often, the individual isolated and identified compounds are no longer pharmacologically active because the respective bioactivity only exists synergistically as a combination of active substances within a complex mixture. Nevertheless, the results of these studies can be a starting point for the discovery of novel drug leads, botanical formulations for therapies, and evidence-based safety assessments, as well as strategies for species conservation, sustainable harvesting, and responsible sourcing.

2. Zoopharmacognosy

Zoopharmacognosy is the study of animal self-medication and the pharmacological and chemical investigation of their drugs, e.g., plants, mushrooms, and insects. While it is common for animals to include medicinal foods in their regular diets, only a limited number of species have been observed engaging in self-medication for therapeutic reasons. Self-medicative behavior is when an ill animal actively extracts and ingests or applies topically medicinal materials that have low nutritional value. Animal self-medication necessitates a basic awareness of the healing properties of the natural material, rather than simply benefiting from it through regular consumption.

Potentials of investigating natural bioactive substances and exploring their potential uses for human health and well-being

According to Kew Royal Botanical Gardens, at least 38,500 species of plants are currently being used for medicinal purposes worldwide. When considering this fascinating and tremendous global biodiversity of medicinal plants, then it must also be said that only very few of these 38,500 species have been studied in a laboratory using modern pharmacognostic, analytical, and pharmacological methods, as well as metabolomic and AI approaches. This extends to methods in drug discovery but also in the conservation of both biodiversity and traditional knowledge of indigenous communities. This fact is alarming, considering, for example, the global shortage of effective antibiotics for the treatment of bacterial infections caused by multidrug-resistant strains. However, the situation is also exciting, as there is significant potential for new drug discoveries from these chemical libraries, e.g., from the plant species that are yet to be studied. This potential is particularly apparent when we consider the precedence of (originally) nature-based bioactive substances in modern medicine (up to 50%).

Our crude extract library currently encompasses more than 550 unique extracts from more than 140 plant species, that have been collected at different locations with different active ingredient compositions. Most of these species have never been studied in a laboratory, and 50-70 new species will be added to the library each year. Two out of five plant species currently face extinction, so archiving this almost never-ending diversity of chemical substances that nature produces for future generations to study will be vital for the discovery of novel medicines. Pharmacological targets currently under investigation are alternative therapeutics for combating multidrug-resistant clinical strains of ESKAPE pathogens, including quorum sensing inhibitors or biofilm eradicators, neuroactive and anti-inflammatory/antipain agents, and natural food and cosmetics preservatives. 

Impact of our work

The global loss of traditional knowledge is alarming. Consequently, the conservation of cultural heritage is vital for future generations, both locally and on a global scale. This is crucial as we are facing the need for more effective novel drugs, especially those derived from natural products. We are interested in working in the most remote regions of the world to combine these places with our highly interdisciplinary, holistic, participatory, and sustainable approach to science. We have been introduced to numerous outstanding human beings, such as local traditional healers, experienced birth attendants, spiritualists, conservationists, and human rights activists. Many of these encounters resulted in ongoing research collaborations that include bidirectional communication with indigenous communities. Locally, our joint research projects have had lasting impacts on these communities in the past. For example, laboratory results were shared with 39 healers via a 2-day workshop as a form of non-financial benefit-sharing. Unfortunately, the perception that ethnopharmacologists rarely return to the local communities to share their research results is largely true. The collection of samples and ethnomedicinal information from traditional healers and other community members frequently marks the end of this one-sided collaboration. Laboratory studies may follow, leading to unique and significant discoveries which are of interest to the local study participants and could even empower them locally while fostering an equal partnership.

Questions exist regarding the ownership of biodiversity following the development and commercialization of pharmaceuticals. In the past, intellectual property rights of indigenous peoples have often not been recognized. The Nagoya Protocol and the Convention on Biological Diversity provided international agreements on financial benefit-sharing. However, the non-financial benefits for local intellectual property rights owners and the bidirectional transferring of knowledge back to the traditional healers who originally provided the respective ethnomedicinal information are arguably poorly defined. 

The research group has developed an innovative approach to the science of ethnopharmacology which could potentially be regarded a model of best practice. The research is structured like a cycle with the circle commencing with anthropological and ethnomedicinal studies among (indigenous) communities. Close collaboration provides the basis for the collection of species deep within the rainforest used by humans or animals for medicine which are often completely unknown to science and the rest of the world. Next, the laboratory produces extracts and undertakes pharmacological assessments of the species’ efficacy, which can lead to the isolation and identification of novel active ingredients (early-stage drug discovery). The research is brought full circle as the results from all stages of the project are transferred back to the indigenous communities that began the process. The research group follows a open science policy, and strives to make results accessible to everyone.

Our method for transferring scientific results back to indigenous communities has recently been published as a peer-reviewed video article in the Video Journal of Education and Pedagogy, also available on YouTube (youtu.be/Snjjleg78Oo). This last step can lead to the initiation of community projects, as it did with a Jiggers Medical Intervention in the Batwa communities in Western Uganda. We believe it is the responsibility and moral duty of scientists to contribute to knowledge transfer and feedback once a study is completed.

For more information on the Ethnopharmacology & Zoopharmacognosy research group, see www.ethnopharmacology.de.