8/11/2019 Amazon Rainforest Biodiversity and Biopiracy

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8/11/2019 Amazon Rainforest Biodiversity and Biopiracy

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Resources of the Amazonforest

Commonly used plantsMany plants sold at markets areknown locally as general tonics,nerve tonics, or aphrodisiacs.Researchers hypothesise potentiallinks between these agents and cen-tral nervous system effects.1 A nervetonic, Chaunochiton kappleri, showedantidepressive-like effects in a num-ber of psychopharmacological evalu-ations.1 A well known example of adrug extracted from the Brazilianbiodiversity is the antihypertensive

agent captopril. This medicine wasdeveloped from the poison ofBothrops jararaca, a Brazilian snake.Other examples of productsextracted not only from Amazonplants but from other Brazilianecosystems are curare (Chondonden-dron platyphyllummuscle relaxingaction), pilocarpine (Pilocarpus micro-phyllusanti-glaucoma agent), andquinine (Cinchona ledgerianaanti-malarial). All these products areexported from Brazil to a variety ofcountries, where they are widelyused.

Box 2 lists some plants whosepharmacological activity is alreadyknown.

Plants under studyA variety of medicinal plants are cur-

rently being studied in Brazil andother parts of the world. Manyalready show promising results, suchas the Brazilian ginseng (Pfaffia panic-ulata) as a neoplasic inhibitor8 9 andcats claw (Tomentosa uncaria) as anantioxidant and anti-inflammatoryagent.10 Despite the positive results,the challenge remains, especially inBrazil, to transform these productsinto drugs. Ayahuasca shows promise

for the treatment of alcoholism andsubstance abuse, serotoninergicdeficits, and immune modulation,although studies under controlledprotocols such as the Food and DrugAdministration are still to be con-ducted.11 It is an aqueous preparationmade from a variety of plants, basedon Banisteriopsis caapi and Psycotriaviridis (hallucinogens). Both have ahigh concentration of alkaloids, suchas N,N-dimetiltriptamine and othersfrom the -carbolin group, respec-tively. The action of the drink cantherefore be attributed to the pres-

ence of these substances and not tothe rituals associated with it.

Drug companiesThe potential of biodiversity hasattracted the attention of drug com-panies, which aim to seek and extractbiological resources. The Amazonbasin is still the largest intact tropicalforest left in the world, but that seemsto be changing. Deforestation istransforming forests which are rich inspecies into biotically impoverishedregrowth forests.

BiopiracyMany Brazilian plants have been col-lected without the participation ofBrazilian researchers. They werepatented outside Brazil and are nowused commercially worldwide,including in Brazil. This practice isknown as biopiracy, which is theextraction of biological resourcesfrom national territory without theknowledge of local authorities. In1992, Rio de Janeiro hosted ECO-92,the United Nations Conference onEnvironment and Development,which was set to elaborate strategies

for implementing sustainable devel-opment. Surprisingly, in that eventthe Convention of Biological Diver-sity was signed and established theequal partition of benefits from thecommercial exploration of naturalproducts. It was expected to comple-ment existing international arrange-ments for the conservation ofbiological diversity and sustainableuse of its components. Among otherobjectives, it also aimed to conserveand promote the sustainable use ofbiological diversity for the benefit ofpresent and future generations.12

Although biopiracy and plant traf-

ficking may be confused as syn-onyms, these terms have distinctmeanings. Plant trafficking is theaction of collecting, capturing, or

transporting biological material,regardless of its origin. Biopiracy,however, is the identification, isola-tion, or usage of genetic informationfor the purpose of bioprospection,said Christiane Duarte, environmen-tal analyst of IBAMA, a governmen-tal institution which deals withenvironment protection, in a recentissue of the regional scientific maga-zine Minas Faz Cincia.12 Nowadays,

transporting genetic material is quitesimple: a leaf is simply put in thepocket, a plant seed is swallowed andtransferred to any place in theworld, Ms Duarte adds. Biopiracy initself does not have a direct environ-mental impact. However, natives liv-ing in forests are thus preventedfrom using their products in a sus-tainable way.13 This happens whenproducts are patented and commer-cialised for companies from othercountries.

Plants might be the source of new,revolutionary drugs, but the rain-

forests which harbour them are stillthreatened by uncontrolled and irra-tional exploration.

Klaus Morales dos Santosfifth year medicalstudent, Tulio Vinicius de Oliveira Camposfifth year medical student, Federal University ofMinas Gerais, Belo Horizonte/MG, Brazilklausmorales@medicina.ufmg.br

We thank Dr Graa Lins Brando for her

contribution to this article.

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2 Petrovick PR, Marques LC, De Paula IC. Newrules for phytopharmaceutical drug

registration in Brazil.J Ethnopharmacol1999;66:51-5.3 Wayland C. The failure of pharmaceuticals and

the power of plants: medicinal discourse as acritique of modernity in the Amazon. Soc SciMed2004;58:2409-19.

4 Gottlieb OR, Kaplan MAC. Amazon: chemicaltreasure to be preserved. Cincia Hoje1990;6:44-50.

5 World Health Organization. Guidelines for theassessment of herbal medicines. Geneva: WHO,1991.

6 Balick MJ. Ethnobotany and the identificationof therapeutic agents from the rainforest. In:Chadwick DJ, Marsh J. CIBA Foundationsymposium on bioactive compounds fromplants. Bangkok, Thailand, 20-22 February,1990;154:22-39.

7 Vlietinck AJ, Van Der Berghe DA. Canethnopharmacology contribute to thedevelopment of antimalarial agents?J

Ethnopharmacol1991;32: 141-54.8 Matsuzaki P, Haraguchi M, Akisue G, Oloris

SC, Nagamine MK, da Silva TC Antineoplasticeffects of butanolic residue of Pfaffiapaniculata. Cancer Lett2005. Published online25 Jul doi:10.1016/j.canlet.2005.06.020.

9 Da Silva TC, Paula da Silva A, Akisue G, LuisAvanzo J, Kazumi Nagamine M, Fukumasu H,et al. Inhibitory effects of Pfaffia paniculata(Brazilian ginseng) on preneoplastic andneoplastic lesions in a mousehepatocarcinogenesis model. Cancer Lett2005;226:107-13.

10 Cisneros FJ, Jayo M, Niedziela L. An Uncariatomentosa(cats claw) extract protects miceagainst ozone-induced lung inflammation.JEthnopharmacol2005;96:355-64.

11 McKenna DJ. Clinical investigations of thetherapeutic potential of ayahuasca: rationaleand regulatory challenges.Pharmacol Ther

2004;102:111-29.12 Biopirataria.Minas Faz Cincia2004;(Dec-Feb):6-11.

13 Verma IM. Biopiracy: distrust widens the rich-poor divide.Molec Ther2002;5:95.

Acanthusperun australa Cruzantimalarial

Anacardium occidentalis Land Copaifera sp L

anti-inflammatory

Bauhinia fortificataantidiabetic

Casearia sylvestrisantiulcer Psychotria colorataand Dorstenia asaroides

analgesic

Box 2: Brazilian medicinal plants thathave undergone pharmacologicaltesting

Cinchona

ledgerianaor

quinine, a raw

material for gin

and tonic.

Apparently also

cures malaria

Plants mightbe the sourceof new,revolutionarydrugs, but

they are stillthreatened byuncontrolledand irrationalexploration

ARS/USDA