Traditional Herbal Remedies Used to Treat Symptoms of Tuberculosis in Laos

Traditional Herbal Remedies Used to Treat Symptoms of Tuberculosis in Laos

Session: 
Poster Session
Author(s): 
ELKINGTON, Bethany G. - Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago; Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL USA
Kongmany SYDARA - Institute of Traditional Medicine, Vientiane, Lao PDR
Scott G. FRANZBLAU - Institute for Tuberculosis Research, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
D. Doel SOEJARTO - Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Illinois at Chicago; Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL USA

This research investigated traditional herbal remedies from the Lao PDR (Laos) to treat symptoms of tuberculosis. Centuries-old medical palm leaf manuscripts were analyzed to help determine which plants have been in use over a long period of time, and follow-up field interviews were conducted with contemporary healers about plants that are currently used. Samples were collected for 77 traditionally-used plants. The plant part traditionally used was then extracted into ethanol and/or water and submitted to various biological assays in order to determine the amount of inhibition of virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv (Mtb), as opposed to other microbes and mammalian Vero cells. Of the collected species, 15.6% exhibited greater than 90% inhibition of Mtb growth (12 of 77 plants).