Anticancer Activity of Uncommon Medicinal Plants from the Republic of Suriname: Traditional Claims, Preclinical Findings, and Potential Clinical Applicability against Cancer

Despite much progress in our understanding of the essence of cancer, remarkable advances in methods for early diagnosis, the expanding array of antineoplastic drugs and treatment modalities, as well as important refinements in their use, this disease is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in many parts of the world. In fact, the next decade is anticipated to bring over 20 million new cases per year globally, about half of whom will die from their disease. This indicates a need for better strategies to deal with cancer. One way to go forward is to draw lessons from ancient ethnopharmacological wisdom and to evaluate the plant biodiversity for compounds with potential antineoplastic activity. This approach has already yielded many breakthrough cytotoxic drugs such as vincristine, etoposide, paclitaxel, and irinotecan. The Republic of Suriname (South America), renowned for its pristine and highly biodiverse rain forests as well as its ethnic, cultural, and ethnopharmacological diversity, could also contribute to these developments. This chapter addresses the cancer problem throughout the world and in Suriname, extensively deals with nine plants used for treating cancer in the country, and concludes with their prospects in anticancer drug discovery and development programs

Naturally Occurring Antioxidants in Seven Well-Known Fruits from the Republic of Suriname (South America): Part 2

The dependence of humans on oxygen for their metabolism, together with their uninterrupted exposure to a wide variety of hazardous environmental chemicals, leads to the continuous formation of reactive oxygen-derived species (ROS) in the body such as superoxide radical anion, hydrogen peroxide, peroxyl radicals, and hydroxyl radical. When in excess, ROS can damage cellular constituents such as DNA and membrane lipids causing oxidative stress, cellular injury, and eventually, inflammatory, neoplastic, diabetic, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and age-related diseases. Fortunately, the body has a multitude of naturally occurring antioxidants in dietary fruits and vegetables to its disposal, including polyphenolic compounds, vitamins, and essential minerals. These antioxidants eliminate ROS by acting as reducing agents, hydrogen donors, quenchers of singlet oxygen, or chelators of metal ions that catalyze oxidation reactions, thus decreasing the risk of the above-mentioned diseases. Part 1 of this chapter has comprehensively addressed three representative examples of fruits from the Republic of Suriname (South America) that are rich in the polyphenolics anthocyanins, ellagitannins, and coumarins and has highlighted their antioxidant activity and beneficial and health-promoting effects. This second part deals with four Surinamese fruits with an abundance of (pro)vitamins A, C, and E and selenium in light of their antioxidant activities

Naturally Occurring Antioxidants in Seven Well-Known Fruits from the Republic of Suriname (South America): Part 1

The dependence of humans on oxygen for their metabolism, together with their uninterrupted exposure to a wide variety of hazardous environmental chemicals, leads to the continuous formation of reactive oxygen-derived species (ROS) in the body, such as superoxide radical anion, hydrogen peroxide, peroxyl radicals, and hydroxyl radical. When in excess, ROS can damage cellular constituents such as DNA and membrane lipids causing oxidative stress, cellular injury, and, eventually, inflammatory, neoplastic, diabetic, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and age-related diseases. Fortunately, the body has a multitude of naturally occurring antioxidants in dietary fruits and vegetables to its disposal, including polyphenolic compounds, vitamins, and essential minerals. These antioxidants eliminate ROS by acting as reducing agents, hydrogen donors, quenchers of singlet oxygen, or chelators of metal ions that catalyze oxidation reactions, thus decreasing the risk of the abovementioned diseases. This first part of the current chapter comprehensively addresses three representative examples of fruits from the Republic of Suriname (South America) that are rich in anthocyanins, ellagitannins, and coumarins and highlights their antioxidant activity and beneficial and health-promoting effects. In part 2, four Surinamese fruits with an abundance of (pro)vitamins A, C, and E and selenium are equally extensively dealt with in light of their antioxidant activities

Plant-Based Ethnopharmacological Remedies for Hypertension in Suriname

Hypertension is the most important modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and renal diseases which are together among the most frequent causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. Despite the availability of a wide range of effective medicines, many individuals suffering from hypertension use plant-derived preparations for treating their disease. The choice for these alternatives is often associated with the closer relationship of such approaches to specific social, cultural, and religious perceptions about health and disease. However, in most cases, the scientific evidence for clinical efficacy of such medications is scant. The Republic of Suriname is a middle-income country in South America with a relatively high prevalence of hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. This country harbors descendants of all continents, all of whom have preserved their cultural customs including their ethnopharmacological traditions. As a result, many Surinamese are inclined to treat their diseases including hypertension as they have done for centuries, that is, with plant-based preparations. This chapter has compiled the plants used for treating hypertension in Suriname; extensively evaluates 15 commonly used plants for potential efficacy on the basis of available phytochemical, mechanistic, preclinical, and clinical literature data; and closes with conclusions about their potential usefulness against the disease

Meeting of the Minds: Traditional Herbal Medicine in Multiethnic Suriname

The Republic of Suriname (South America) is located on the Guiana Shield, one of the regions with the highest biodiversity and the largest expanse of undisturbed tropical rain forest in the world. The population of almost 570,000 consists of a unique blend of ethnic groups and cultures from all continents. These include Indigenous Amerindians, the original inhabitants; Maroons, the descendants of runaway slaves who had been shipped from Africa between the seventeenth and the nineteenth century; Creoles, a generic term referring to mixed blacks and whites; the descendants from indentured workers from China, India, and Java (Indonesia) who arrived between the second half of the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth century; as well as immigrants from various Middle Eastern, European, Caribbean, and South American countries. All these groups have made their own specific contribution to Suriname’s traditional medicine, which has resulted in a myriad of remedies against many disorders, mainly employing a variety of plants. This chapter presents a brief history of Suriname, addresses the ethnopharmacological practices of Maroons and Creoles as well as Hindustanis and Javanese, and concludes with a few remarks on the previsions provided by the country’s rich plant-based traditional medicine

Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activities of Eight Species of Fabaceae That Are Commonly Used in Traditional Medical Practices in the Republic of Suriname

The consumption of diets rich in antioxidants may minimize the chances of developing debilitating diseases such as cardiovascular, diabetic, inflammatory, neoplastic, and cognitive disorders. The Fabaceae or pea family is the third most species-rich plant family on Earth and includes more than 19,000 species in over 700 genera. Many species of Fabaceae are ingredients of staple diets and medicinal substances. This may be attributable to the presumably high content of antioxidants in these plants, particularly phenolic compounds. The Republic of Suriname (South America) harbors over 400 species of Fabaceae in more than 100 genera and has a rich ethnopharmacological tradition that also involves a number of Fabaceae species. In this chapter, we evaluated the literature to determine whether the traditional use of eight of the medicinally most commonly employed Surinamese species of Fabaceae may be associated with their phenolic content and antioxidant activity. Our results suggest that this may hold true for Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Cajanus cajan, Clitoria ternatea, Desmodium adscendens, Lablab purpureus, and Tamarindus indica but not for Copaifera guyanensis and Dipteryx odorata, the bioactivities of which mainly seem to be determined by terpenoids and coumarins, respectively, without an apparent involvement of antioxidant effects

Traditional Plant-Based Treatments of Fungal Infections in the Republic of Suriname (South America): Phytochemical and Pharmacological Rationales

Fungi are unicellular or multicellular thick-walled eukaryotic organisms that are not capable of photosynthesis and are placed in a biological kingdom of their own. They are ubiquitous in our environment, and include tens of thousands, perhaps even millions of species of yeasts, rusts, smuts, mildews, molds, and mushrooms. Together with bacteria, fungi are the principal decomposers of plant materials such as cellulose and lignin, fulfilling vital ecological functions in all terrestrial habitats. Some species of fungi are also of major importance in households (for instance, as foods such as edible mushrooms), medicine (for instance, as producers of antibiotics such as penicillin), and industry (for instance, for making bread, wine, and cheese). About 300 fungal species cause infections in humans, varying from relatively harmless skin complaints such as pityriasis versicolor to potentially life-threatening systemic syndromes such as candidiasis. Fortunately, a broad armamentarium of efficacious antifungal drugs has been developed, ranging from topical nystatin to parenteral amphotericin B. In addition, most, if not all traditional medical systems throughout the world have identified a large assortment of plant-based remedies for treating these infections. This also holds true for the multi-ethnic and multicultural Republic of Suriname (South America), where plant-based traditional medicines are abundantly used, either alone or in conjunction with allopathic medications. This monograph extensively addresses nine plants that are traditionally used for treating fungal infections in Suriname, and explains the phytochemical and pharmacological rationales for these applications. These sections are preceded by some general observations about the Fungal Kingdom; a few words about the characteristics of fungi, their taxonomy, and their significance to humans; information about fungal infections as well as the available forms of treatment; and some details about Suriname including health aspects, the health care structure, and the main fungal infections in the country. The monograph is concluded with an evaluation of the status of the Surinamese herbal antifungal substances and the previsions of developing them into mainstream antifungal formulations

Hypoglycemic Activity of Plant-Derived Traditional Preparations Associated with Surinamese from African, Hindustani, Javanese, and Chinese Origin: Potential Efficacy in the Management of Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes represents one of the most frequent causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. Despite the availability of a wide range of efficacious forms of treatment, many patients use traditional (plant-derived) preparations for treating their disease. The Republic of Suriname (South America) has a relatively high prevalence of diabetes. Due to its colonial history, the Surinamese population comprises descendants of all continents, the largest groups being those from enslaved Africans and from indentured laborers from India (called Hindustanis), Indonesia (called Javanese), as well as China. All these groups have preserved their cultural customs including their ethnopharmacological traditions, and are inclined to treat their diseases with plant-based preparations, either alone or together with allopathic medications. This chapter opens with some generalities about diabetes; subsequently provides some information about the history, worldwide epidemiology, diagnosis, types, and treatment of this disorder; then focuses on Suriname, giving some information about its geography, demographics, and economy, as well as the epidemiology of diabetes in the country; then extensively evaluates eight blood-glucose-lowering plants that are mainly associated with the four largest ethnic groups in Suriname by reviewing phytochemical, mechanistic, preclinical, and clinical literature data; and concludes with a consideration of the potential clinical usefulness of the plants against diabetes

Significance of Carotenoids in Traditional Medicines in the Republic of Suriname (South America)

Carotenoids are pigments that produce bright yellow, red, orange, and purple colors in some vegetables and fruits. These compounds play major roles in various critical functions of plants. Carotenoids are also indispensable for humans, exerting antioxidant effects and sustaining both low-light and color vision. The more than 700 different types of carotenoids can be divided into two classes: the carotenes (e.g., β-carotene and lycopene) which do not contain oxygen, and the xanthophylls (e.g., lutein and zeaxanthin) which contain oxygen. In addition, some carotenoids such as β-carotene and α-carotene can be converted by the human body into vitamins A; lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene are non-provitamin A carotenoids. The Republic of Suriname (South America) is renowned for its relatively high plant diversity which comprises about 5100 species of higher plants. Several of these plants have a relatively high content of carotenoids and are widely consumed and used as traditional medicines. In this chapter, the traditional uses of eight Surinamese fruits and vegetables rich in carotenoids have been addressed, and the pharmacological support for their traditional uses has comprehensively been dealt with. The chapter concludes with the scientific evidence to justify the traditional uses of the carotenoids in these plants