Is the Answer to HIV-Associated Diarrhea Found in South Americas Rain Forest?
HOUSTON, April 14 (AScribe Newswire) — As more and more shamans (traditional healers) in the Amazonian rain forest die as they age, the new generations of indigenous people are moving on to jobs in cities, forgetting valuable medicinal knowledge gathered through centuries. Recognizing this potential loss in key know-how, a small team from a company called Shaman Pharmaceuticals in South San Francisco went searching for medicinal plants in South America’s rain forest by working hand-in-hand with local shamans. With the help of ethnobotanists and physicians who worked with the traditional healers to document the therapeutic qualities of the foliage, Shaman Pharmaceuticals created a library of 2,600 medicinal plants. “Indigenous people led us to a situation where we could make and improve a safe and effective pharmaceutical product and give back to the population that provided the information,” said Lisa Conte, founder of Shaman. “We ensure that medicinal plants are cultivated with repla
