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DTSTART:20131115T203000Z
DTEND:20131115T213000Z
SUMMARY:John Thor Arnason
DESCRIPTION:The Ethnobotany of the Maya and the Mystery of the K’an Cross



John Thor Arnason, Dept of Biology, University of Ottawa



Faculty Host: Owen Rowland



Biomedicine • Plants • Tropical ecology
Our ethnobotany studies in collaboration with Q’eqchi’ Maya healers in Belize show that they use a very large group of neotropical rainforest plants to treat a wide range of conditions. Efforts have been made to cultivate many of these at an ethnobotanical garden in Indian Creek Belize. We have investigated plants traditionally used to treat symptoms related to mental health conditions, inflammation, or diabetes for their pharmacology and phytochemistry. In the Q’eqchi’ Maya ethnobotany, the frequency of traditional use of epileptic plants was found to be a significant indicator of plants active as GABA-T inhibitors, a known target for drugs treating this condition. As well use of plants used for treatment of the culture bound syndrome, "susto", was found to be a predictor of GABAA receptor binding activity. Similarly plants used for treatment of arthritis and other inflammatory conditions were active in reducing TNF- α production THP-1 monocytes. The most active plant was Neurolaena lobata from which we isolated several terpenes more active than the positive control, parthenolide. The most frequently used antidiabetic plant, was also the most active in our antidiabetic assay and there is evidence that this plant was used a 1000 years ago in the classic Maya period. These recent findings show the continuing potential of tropical plants for many new useful applications, the need to conserve biodiversity and the importance of considering its use for local benefit.
LOCATION:4440Q Carleton Technology and Training Centre, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6
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