Mining Indigenous Knowledge and Modern Science Simultaneously: A Novel Approach for Linking Human Knowledge with Pharmacological, Toxicological and Phytochemical Data

Diabetes is a global health concern and a heavy burden on individuals and health care systems. Indigenous populations are particularly affected yet possess key knowledge in Traditional Medicine and local intervention strategies. Since 2003, we interviewed about 150 Cree Elders of Eeyou Istchee (Eastern James Bay area of Northern Quebec) and identified 17 Boreal forest medicinal plants species used traditionally against diabetes symptoms. A comprehensive data set was accumulated on these 17 plants that comprises not only Cree uses related to 15 diabetes symptoms, but also detailed pharmacological assessment using 55 cell-based and cell-free bioassays determining primary (susceptible to lead to blood glucose reductions) and secondary (including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and diabetes complications) antidiabetic potential, as well as 14 toxicological bioassays (notably, cytochrome P450 assessments). The database also incorporates 465 unique chemical signals identified by HPLC-MS QTOF to circumscribe both common and novel secondary metabolites within these plants as well as biologically active compounds. Using multivariate analysis techniques to explore this data, preliminary results have identified clear trends that show distinct associations between the plant metabolomes and specific sets of the pharmacological data, with greater similarity among the plant parts tested than among plant families. With further development, this approach may prove useful to determine optimal treatment strategies or combinations of plants or their compounds for helping Cree diabetics manage their glycemic control in a culturally relevant manner. We can also eventually apply this approach to explore connections behind other diseases and the use of traditional medicine in other communities.

No conflict of interest has been declared by the author(s).