XVI International Botanical Congess
Ethnomedicine is based on traditional medicinal practices of indigenous and other peoples. Good ethnomedicinal data provide major clues to functional relationships needed to assist researchers in selecting targeted assays when searching for new natural products and therapeutics. Agreements exist with the Aguaruna People which not only recognize their medicinal knowledge as an historic asset, but that its use for research requires equitable compensation to the current custodians of the information. Data will be presented to illustrate the value of targeted medicinal plants provided by the Aguaruna in our search for new pharmaceuticals against malaria, leishmania, tuberculosis, and other diseases and syndromes.