Ancient Thai Medicinal Formula, Volume 5: The Therapeutic and Clinical Drug Revi

[a] Faculty of Public Health, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham, Thailand.

[b] Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Technology, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham, Thailand.

[c] Division of Research Development and Financial Assistance, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham, Thailand.

*Corresponding author.

Received 8 April 2012; accepted 14 August 2012

Abstract

This research is a descriptive and explorative study and is aimed at defining the composition and indication of Thai traditional herbal medicinal preparations which were derived from the ancient Thai medicinal of palm leaf scriptures, chapter no.3, and volume 5. The research was investigated by the team of Mahasarakham University committee which consisted of pharmacist, biologists, interpreters and editors. The complete manuscripts contained 5 volumes in Thai Noi, Tham Esarn, khemer and Thai traditional languages. Each traditional medicinal herb diagnosed the symptoms of the patients and treats them with herbal preparations according to their local herbal medicinal knowledge and experiences in order to relieve various symptoms and diseases. These historic formulations were created over a period of hundreds of years before the advent of modern medicine.

Key words: Palm leaf manuscripts; Therapeutic treatments; Thai Folk Herbalists

Buavaroon Srichaikul, Supachai Samappito, Gordon Bakker, Sunthorn Dejchai, Saksurn Jamsai (2012). Ancient Thai Medicinal Formula, Volume 5: The Therapeutic and Clinical Drug Review Extracted from Ancient Thai Palm Leaf Manuscripts. Advances in Natural Science, 5(3), -0. Available from /index.php/ans/article/view/j.ans.1715787020120503.1120 DOI: /10.3968/j.ans.1715787020120503.1120

INTRODUCTION

Herbal Medicine sometimes referred to as Herbalism or Botanical Medicine is the use of herbs for their therapeutic or medicinal value. An herb is a plant or plant part valued for its medicinal aromatic or savory qualities. Herb plants produce and contain a variety of chemical substances that act upon the body. Herbalists use the leaves flowers stems berries and roots of plants to prevent relieve and treat illness. From a “scientific” perspective many herbal treatments are considered experimental. The reality is however that herbal medicine has a long and respected history. Many familiar medications of the twentieth century were developed from ancient healing traditions that treated health problems with specific plants. Today science has isolated the medicinal properties of a large number of botanicals, and their healing components have been extracted and analyzed. Many plant components are now synthesized in large laboratories for use in pharmaceutical preparations. For example vincristine (an antitumor drug), digitalis (a heart regulator), and ephedrine (a bronchodilator used to decrease respiratory congestion) were all originally discovered through research on plants.

History of herbal medicine

Herbal medicine is the oldest form of health care known to mankind. Herbs had been used by all cultures throughout history. It was an integral part of the development of modern Pharmaceutical or medicinal practices. Primitive man observed and appreciated the great diversity of plants available to him. The plants provided food clothing shelter and medicine. Much of the medicinal use of plants seems to have been developed through observations of wild animals and by trial and error. As time went on each tribe added the medicinal power of herbs in their area to its knowledge base. They methodically collected information on herbs and developed well-defined herbal pharmacopoeias. Indeed well into the 20th century much of the pharmacopoeia of scientific medicine was derived from the herbal lore of native peoples. Many drugs commonly used today are of herbal origin. Indeed about 25% of the prescription drugs dispensed in the United States contain at least one active ingredient derived from plant material. Some are made from plant extracts; others are synthesized to mimic a natural plant compound.

Undisputedly the history of herbology is inextricably intertwined with that of modern medicine. Many drugs listed as conventional medications were originally derived from plants. Salicylic acid a precursor of aspirin was originally derived from white willow bark and the meadowsweet plant. Cinchona bark is the source of malaria-fighting quinine. Vincristine used to treat certain types of cancer comes from periwinkle. The opium poppy yieldscodeine and paregoric a treatment for diarrhea Laudanum a tincture of the opium poppy was the favored tranquilizer in Victorian times. Even today morphine-the most important alkaloid of the opium poppy-remains the standard against which new synthetic pain relievers are measured. Prior to the discovery and subsequent synthesis of antibiotics the herb Echinacea pursuer (which comes from the plant commonly known as purple coneflower) was one of the most widely prescribed medicines in the United States. For centuries herbalists prescribed Echinacea to fight infection. Today research confirms that the herb boosts the immune system by stimulating the production of disease-fighting white blood cells. The use of plants as medicine is older than recorded history. As mute witness to this fact marshmallow root hyacinth and yarrow have been found carefully tucked around the bones of a Stone Age man in Iraq. These three medicinal herbs continue to be used today. Marshmallow root is a demulcent herb soothing to inflamed or irritated mucous membranes such as a sore throat or irritated digestive tract. Hyacinth is a diuretic that encourages tissues to give up excess water. Yarrow is a time-honored cold and fever remedy that may once have been used much as aspirin is today.

In 2735 B.C., the Chinese emperor Shen Nong wrote an authoritative treatise on herbs that is still in use today. Shen Nong recommended the use of Ma Huang (known as ephedrine in the Western world) for example against respiratory distress. Ephedrine extracted from ephedrine is widely used as a decongestant. You’ll find it in its synthetic form pseudoephedrine in many allergy sinus and cold-relief medications produced by large pharmaceutical companies. The records of King Hammurabi of Babylon (c. 1800 B.C.) include instructions for using medicinal plants. Hammurabi prescribed the use of mint for digestive disorders. Modern research has confirmed that peppermint does indeed relieve nausea and vomiting by mildly anesthetizing the lining of the stomach. The entire Middle East has a rich history of herbal healing. There are texts surviving from the ancient cultures of Mesopotamia, Egypt and India describe and illustrate the use of many medicinal plant products including castor oil, linseed oil and white poppies. In the scriptural book of Ezekiel which dates from the sixth century B.C., we find this admonition regarding plant life: “and the fruit thereof shall be for meat and leaf thereof for medicine.” Egyptian hieroglyphs show physicians of the first and second centuries A.D. treating constipation with sienna pods and using caraway and peppermint to relieve digestive upsets. Throughout the middle Ages, home-grown botanicals were the only medicines readily available, and for centuries, no self-respecting household would be without a carefully tended and extensively used herb garden. For the most part herbal healing lore was passed from generation to generation by word of mouth. Mother taught daughter the village herbalist taught a promising apprentice. By the seventeenth century the knowledge of herbal medicine was widely disseminated throughout Europe. In 1649 Nicholas Culpeper wrote A Physical Directory, and a few years later produced The English Physician. This respected herbal pharmacopeia was one of the first manuals that the layperson could use for health care and it is still widely referred to and quoted today. Culpeper had studied at Cambridge University and was meant to become a great doctor in the academic sense of the word. Instead, he chose to apprentice to an apothecary and eventually set up his own shop. He served the poor people of London and became known as their neighborhood doctor. The herbal he created was meant for the layperson.

The first U.S. Pharmacopeia was published in 1820. This volume included an authoritative listing of herbal drugs with descriptions of their properties uses dosages and tests of purity. It was periodically revised and became the legal standard for medical compounds in 1906. But as Western medicine evolved from an art to a science in the nineteenth century information that had at one time been widely available became the domain of comparatively few. Once scientific methods were developed to extract and synthesize the active ingredients in plants pharmaceutical laboratories took over from providers of medicinal herbs as the producers of drugs. The use of herbs which for most of history had been mainstream medical practice began to be considered unscientific or the least unconventional and to fall into relative obscurity. Evidence of life in what comprises modern day Thailand dates back as far as 12,000 years. Much of it comes from excavated artifacts and cave drawings. Rudimentary prehistoric cave paintings were first discovered in Thailand in 1922 but in the last forty years complete figures of men, animals and geometric patterns have been reported from caves in almost every part of the country, especially the northeast. The earliest written records are from the pre-Thai cultures of Thara-wadee (550-900 AD) and Lawoh, or old Lopburi (95-1250 AD), and mainly concerned with the introduction of Buddhism to the region. During those times, several other ethnic communities also lived in the “Land of Gold”, as Thailand is believed to have been called according to ancient Indian sources.

These early people used bai larn (palm leaf) to keep written records. Palm leaf was commonly used because of its ubiquity. Each leaf had adequate space for inscribing, and could be sewn together easily and neatly so pages could be opened and read conveniently. With the exception of the alphabets and languages used, the types of palm leaf, inscription techniques and tools used in various regions of Thailand were almost the same. Aside from religious stories, such as that of the Jataka, the story of the Lord Buddha’s life, the people also expressed themselves through folklore and wrote about their way of life[1, 2].

Palm Leaf Manuscripts of Southeast Asia

Folk law and records for traditional ways of conducting ruling systems. An example is kotmai buhan soi sai kham (ancient law called soi sai kham) by Samlid Buasisawat[5]. Jaruwan Thammawat[6] states that most of Lao folk law comes from two collections: khamphi phra thammasat luang (Royal ruling scripture) and phra khamphi phra thammasat buhan Lao (Ancient Lao ruling scripture). She cites two volumes: one complied by Maha Sila Viravongs in 1956 and one by Samlid Buasisawat in 1993. Folksong and poetry, proverb and saying, and riddle are the last types of oral literature to be presented in this course. Folksongs in Lao are called lam, a type of verse for singing. The words of lam will be examined in this section, but the performance aspect of it will be discussed under “Performances”. Along with the folksong comes the Lao poetry of less complex structures. Most of them are used to tell stories. Proverbs and sayings are called phaya or phanya which means wisdom or knowledge. Most of the proverbs and saying use simple forms of poetry to deliver messages. These proverbs and sayings could be divided into several categories. They could be about religions, beliefs, proper or moral conducts of people in the society. Riddles are “traditional questions with unexpected (albeit, traditional) answers-verbal puzzles (only a few involved writing) that demonstrate the cleverness of the questioner and challenge the wit of his audience”.

Historical chronicles record legendary history of the Lao people as well as some true historical accounts about what happened to the people. Examples are tamnan phrabang (The Legend of Phrabang Buddha Image) by Maha Sila Viravongs;[7] prawatsat lao buhan (Ancient Lao History) by Buaphan Thammavong;[8] Sikhotabong by Sai-u-koed;9 Sikhottabong by Duangkhai Luangphasi[10]. Jaruwan Thammawat classes this type of narratives as phuensueb or true legend.

Lozenges: Herbal-based nutrient-rich, naturally sweetened lozenges are readily available in most health food shops. You’ll find cold-fighting formulas natural cough suppressants some with decongestant properties. Many are boosted with natural vitamin C. Choose lozenges made without refined sugar.

Ancient Medicinal Palmleaf Manuscripts Volume 5

Medicinal herbs can be classified into several categories involving roots, leaves, branches, bark, stems, fruits, seeds which can be extracted in specific methods depending on polarity, solubility, partition coefficient, and their toxicology of plants. The active ingredients are very important including colours, scents, tastes which can be identified in medicinal treatment in various kinds of symptoms.

The collection of medicinal plants

Most of medicinal preparations are derived from plants, animals,minerals which can be collected during the highest concentration of chemical ingredients inside the plant itself. These quantities of active ingredients have exhibited certain properties depending upon seasons of the year, demographics,correct climate and maturity of the plants. Normally root or underground stem parts will be collected during the highest maturity of the plants. Sometimes during the fading of leaves and fallen flowers will be collected at a full growth period. Stems and barks will be collected between the summer and the rainy season. Peeling of the barks should be done carefully from the small branches not from the main stem. Chemical and pharmacological ingredients are normally divided into two categories as follows: 1. Primary metabolites are mainly found in all plants and are synthesized by Photosynthesis such as fats, proteins, color pigments and inorganic salts. 2. Secondary metabolites are compounds which possess the medicinal actions within the constituents of herbs. There are some enzymatic and biological concerns in these areas which can produce Alkaloids, Anthraquinones and essential oils which should give therapeutic actions in the treatment of various diseases. Alkaloids are an organic substances which is a nitrogen based compound. Alkaloids normally have a bitter taste, water insoluble and dissolves in organic solvents such as reserpine, quinine and morphine. Glycosides consist of 2 structures of sugar (glycone) and non-sugar (aglycone) contents. Aglycone is normally an organic compound which usually has high pharmacological actions such as cardiac glycosides used for a cardio tonic agent and stimuli of blood flow. Anthraquinone glycoside are used for a laxative and sapponin glycosides for producing steroidal substances, and flavonoid glycoside for giving high anti oxidant action. 3. Volatile oils or essential oils are obtained from a steam distillation process which has specifics odors. 4. Tannin has a metallic taste and is an acid which can precipitate the protein and giving the bactericidal action. This research was aimed at studying the chemical contents and therapeutic actions of Thai Herbal medicine from ancient Thai medicinal palm leaf manuscripts volume 5 and will be useful to develop Thai traditional medicinal formulae which is certified by Thai FDA, Ministry of Public Health. Future research including pharmacokinetics of herbs and clinical pharmacological modes of actions of herbs are of interest to be explored. Herbs can be tested for their therapeutic action for daily uses. If the symptoms are not relieved, we have to replace them with other kind of herbs. The benefits of Thai medicinal herbs are very affordable and also lower in toxicity than modern medicine. The herbs can be grown at private home as in a kitchen garden. Thai people have dispensed the sources of herbs to cure aliments since ancient times by folk herbalists. Thai traditional drug volumetric and quantitative measurement units one cup is equal to 25 ml, one teacup is equal to 75 ml, one glass is equal to 250 ml, one tea spoon is equal to 5 ml, one tablespoon is euqal to 15 ml.

29. Botanical Name is Michelia champaca Linn. ( MAGNOLIACEAE)

Common Name is Jumpa

Herbal Preparation: Use 90-120 grams of fresh root and mill it then boil with water in 3 glasses of water for 30 minutes. Drink the solutions before meals 2 times daily.

30. Botanical Name is Barringtonia Acutangula Gaerth-Barringtonia edaphocarpa (BARRINGTONIACEAE) Common name is Jigna .

Herbal Preparation: Use 90-120 grams of fresh root and mill it then boil with water in 3 glasses of water for 30 minutes. Drink the solutions before meals 2 times daily.

31. Botanical Name is Camellia sinensis Ktze. var. assamica Kitamura (Theaceae)

Common name is Tea, Green tea, Black tea, Cha

Herbal Preparation: Use dry or fresh leaves then boil for 30 minutes. Drink the solutions before meals 2 times daily.

32. Botanical Name is Cassia alata (L.) Roxb. (Leguminosae)

Common name is Ringworm Bush, Chumhedthed

Herbal Preparation: Use dry or fresh leaves then boil for 30 minutes. Drink the solutions before meals 2 times daily.

CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

The result of this research has revealed the uses and the compositions of traditional Thai herbal medicine from volume 5 which were extracted from Mahachai Temple Palm leaf manuscripts by Mahasarakham University researchers, Thailand. Further study will involve the exploration of the area of drug potency, efficacy, safety, adverse reactions, drug interaction, side effects etc., and also the perspective investigations which may involve the exploration of the benefits in combining Thai historical Palm leaf medicinal manuscripts with the current modern pharmaceutical techniques in order to create an advanced resource for new formulation of drugs. The study of this research directly links to traditional and modern medicine and may encourage pharmacists and physicians in producing a new approach to alternative medicine in the next decade. Future research including pharmacokinetics of herbs and clinical pharmacological modes of actions of herbs are of interest to be explored. Herbs can be tested for their therapeutic action for daily uses. If the symptoms are not relieved, we have to replace them with other kinds of herbal preparations. The benefits of Thai medicinal herbs are affordable and also lower in toxicity than modern medicine. The herbs can be grown at private homes as in a kitchen garden. Thai people have dispensed the sources of herbs to cure aliments since ancient times by folk herbalists.

Acknowledgement

This research study was supported with funding from the Division of Research Dissemination and Facilitation, Mahasarakham University, Thailand. The research team would like to express our special thanks to Assist.?Prof. Dr. Supachai Samappito, Prof. Dr. Preecha Prathepa, Sunthorn Dejchai and also from Mahachai Temple Museum staff in the investigations of Thai Traditional Palm Leaf Herbal Formulae using ancient manuscripts, Mahasarakham University, Thailand.