American Journal of Ethnomedicine

Drug discovery, pharmacognostic approach history

10^th International Conference on Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants
May 26, 2022 | Webinar

Antonio Steardo

University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Am J Ethnomed

Abstract

The word pharmacognosy derives from two ancient Greek words, wμpμakov gnosis pharmakon (drug or poison) and yvwoic gnosis (knowledge). Pharmacognosy studies natural drug derivation. As history teaches, since ancient times, the active principles contained within medicinal herbs cured simple diseases. Pliny the Elder described Papaver Somniferum, poppy, effects in his treatise "Naturalis Historia". In the twentieth book, he used these words: "not only does it sleep, but still catching too much makes you die". In the same book at paragraph 190, he says: "It is also useful that the juice of the decoction prepared by oil for head pains“. Similarly, Hippocrates from Kos in the “Corpus Hippocraticum” described willow bark from Salix Alba, like an analgesic and antipyretic remedy. In the same way as Pliny the Elder did, the Greek physician Dioscorides and the Latin physician Galen identified poppy pharmacognostic profile. During middle Ages, the Persian physician Avicenna used opium in the same way. Similarly, describing its use, Paracelsus called the opium extract “Laudan” in 1522. Moreover, the Reverend Edward Stone used in 1757 willow barks, from Salix Alba [Figure 1], like antimalarial. During the history of health, pharmacognostic remedies propose models on drug development and research it’s prospective. Basic methods: Through the centuries, extraction techniques improvement started modern pharmaceutical chemistry. Jonas Anders Bruckner stabilised willow bark extraction in 1828. He prepared Salicin from an aqueous willow bark extract. Later, Felix Hoffmann synthesised aspirin which contains Acetylsalicylic Acids, in 1897.

Biography

Doctor Antonio Steardo specialized in Pharmacology and graduated in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Chemist. He has now gained years of experience since 2002 in the pharmaceutical products trade sector as he could have been behind the counter of the Steardo pharmacy from an early age. Already in elementary school, the curiosity for chemistry manifests itself during his games and continues lectures at the department of science at the University of Salerno. Therefore during the cycle of studies, he prefers biochemistry and biochemistry of drug action, graduating in July 2007 with a thesis on the functioning of the endocannabinoid system on Alzheimer’s disease in pharmacology. Following the beginning of his pharmaceutical chemistry studies, he stopped for a competition as a postgraduate in pharmacology at the University of Rome La Sapienza in July 2014. Expecting constant improvement as a professional update, he enrolled in the continuing professional training department at the University of Oxford to follow courses in experimental and translation therapy and on medical research. His desire to improve leads him to attend international conferences and seminars.