Pharmacology and Ethnopharmacology

Biography

Biography: Luis Manuel Peña Rodríguez

Abstract

The historical importance of natural products as new and better pharmaceuticals, or models for them, is evident when we mention products such as taxol, vincristine, or artemisinin. Plants, and particularly medicinal plants, still represent the most important source of bioactive natural products today. Mexico is considered one of the richest countries in terms of biodiversity and in terms of cultural diversity; more than fifty ethnic groups recognize and use more than 3000 plants in their practice of traditional medicine. However, it is believed that less than 5% of these species have been studied in terms of their production of biologically active secondary metabolites. The general objective of the research carried out in our laboratory is to promote the conservation of the biodiversity of the Yucatan Peninsula, by investigating native plants used in Mayan traditional medicine as potential sources of novel and more efficient pharmaceuticals. It has been suggested that discovering natural products with biological activity in little known and less studied plant species, with potential application in economically important areas such as pharmacy and agriculture, could contribute to the protection of biodiversity. This presentation will mention the ethnomedical groups of medicinal plants (antiprotozoal, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and against obesity) currently under study in our research group and present some of the chemical structures of a number of recently identified bioactive metabolites