title: An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants of Laos toward the discovery of bioactive compounds as potential candidates for pharmaceutical development.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An ethnobotany-based approach in the selection of raw plant materials to study was implemented.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To acquire raw plant materials using ethnobotanical field interviews as starting point to discover new bioactive compounds from medicinal plants of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using semi-structured field interviews with healers in the Lao PDR, plant samples were collected, extracted, and bio-assayed to detect bioactivity against cancer, HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria. Plant species demonstrating activity were recollected and the extracts subjected to a bioassay-guided isolation protocol to isolate and identify the active compounds.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Field interviews with 118 healers in 15 of 17 provinces of Lao PDR yielded 753 collections (573 species) with 955 plant samples. Of these 955, 50 extracts demonstrated activity in the anticancer, 10 in the anti-HIV, 30 in the anti-TB, and 52 in the antimalarial assay. Recollection of actives followed by bioassay-guided isolation processes yielded a series of new and known in vitro-active anticancer and antimalarial compounds from 5 species.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laos has a rich biodiversity, harboring an estimated 8000-11,000 species of plants. In a country highly dependent on traditional medicine for its primary health care, this rich plant diversity serves as a major source of their medication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ethnobotanical survey has demonstrated the richness of plant-based traditional medicine of Lao PDR, taxonomically and therapeutically. Biological assays of extracts of half of the 955 samples followed by in-depth studies of a number of actives have yielded a series of new bioactive compounds against the diseases of cancer and malaria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. dds@uic.edu
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Soejarto
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gyllenhaal
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Kadushin
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Southavong
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sydara
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bouamanivong
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xaiveu
authors.forename: H-J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Franzblau
authors.forename: Ghee T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pezzuto
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Riley
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Elkington
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Waller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044822:Biodiversity; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000379:methods; D003625:Data Collection; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000379:methods*; D019448:Ethnobotany / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007812:Laos; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts