Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EthnoHERBS (Conservation of European Biodiversity through Exploitation of Traditional Herbal Knowledge for the Development of Innovative Products)
Période du rapport: 2019-10-01 au 2022-09-30
Traditional medicine includes the knowledge based on the theories and experiences of indigenous populations. The Balkan Peninsula has a very rich flora with a high level of endemism, including regions which have been regarded as biodiversity hotspots.
The overall objective of the project is the exploitation of the traditional knowledge and the therapeutic potential of medicinal and aromatic plants of the Balkan Peninsula on skin disorders.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has been promoting the evidence that ethnobotanical information can lead to valuable drug discovery. On the other hand traditional herbal medicine is quickly disappearing and it is being replaced by the Western one, while people without scientific knowledge about the healing properties of herbs are now engaged with their commercial exploitation, and a large proportion of plants in the market derive from illegal collections leading to severe decline of wild populations.
The actions include the exploitation of traditional knowledge, the investigation of plant biodiversity and the application of eco-friendly technologies for the efficient extraction and purification of bioactive ingredients, as well as their complete chemical characterization and biological evaluation of their effects on skin disorders. Optimization of production processes as well as formulation using emerging technologies will lead to the development of novel final products. The organic cultivation of selected plants will ensure the conservation of biodiversity and the sustainability of the project.
New opportunities for the generation of innovative products will arise and current environmental challenges will be addressed.
The overall objective of the project is the exploitation of the traditional knowledge and the therapeutic potential of medicinal and aromatic plants of the Balkan Peninsula on skin disorders.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has been promoting the evidence that ethnobotanical information can lead to valuable drug discovery. On the other hand traditional herbal medicine is quickly disappearing and it is being replaced by the Western one, while people without scientific knowledge about the healing properties of herbs are now engaged with their commercial exploitation, and a large proportion of plants in the market derive from illegal collections leading to severe decline of wild populations.
The actions include the exploitation of traditional knowledge, the investigation of plant biodiversity and the application of eco-friendly technologies for the efficient extraction and purification of bioactive ingredients, as well as their complete chemical characterization and biological evaluation of their effects on skin disorders. Optimization of production processes as well as formulation using emerging technologies will lead to the development of novel final products. The organic cultivation of selected plants will ensure the conservation of biodiversity and the sustainability of the project.
New opportunities for the generation of innovative products will arise and current environmental challenges will be addressed.
During the first period of the project the responsible beneficiaries provided a report on the classification of the collected data (published data related to SE European traditional uses against skin disorders- Ethnobotanical surveys), related to the use of herbs for the treatment of skin disorders, evaluated on the basis of the principles of ethnobotany.
Voucher specimens have been collected (100sp.), deposited in herbaria and in silico screening in skin disorders targets yield to the identification of the plant-target.
Phytochemical investigations
A great number of extracts were prepared using environmentally friendly technologies and extraction protocols were developed for each collected raw material. For recovering the largest proportion of ingredients and to receive preparations similar to those in recipes at least two extracts were prepared for each herbal sample. However the optimization of the extraction protocols will be finalized to combination with the results of the chemical profiling and the biological evaluation (WP3).
Furthermore the evaluation of the herbal preparations,for their antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, whitening, wound healing (elastase, collagenase, hyaluronidase) and cytotoxic properties using TLC- bioautography screening methods, in vitro cell-free assays, antimicrobial tests and in vitro cell assays have started.
Concerning the Communication and Dissemination of the project, from the very beginning , dissemination actions took place from most of the participants. Brief presentations of the project and its goals were performed on scientific sites and international exhibitions. Publication of articles and newsletters, in scientific and non-scientific magazines was promoted. The web-site is open to public and its target is to act as a communication tool among partners and as a dissemination tool for all meetings reports, which will be also distributed to the Commission. Moreover a distinctive recognizable logo was created to be used in all the project’s dissemination activities.
Concerning workshops, the 1st Workshop was held on October 2019, in Athens, Greece. Moreover five publications have been already published in open scientific journals and some more are under processing. Concerning the management and the project administration, all the duties and responsibilities were fulfilled, ensuring the smooth coordination and collaboration between the participants, as well as the communication with EU. No problems have been faced in the collaborations between the beneficiaries, the partners and the coordinator.
Voucher specimens have been collected (100sp.), deposited in herbaria and in silico screening in skin disorders targets yield to the identification of the plant-target.
Phytochemical investigations
A great number of extracts were prepared using environmentally friendly technologies and extraction protocols were developed for each collected raw material. For recovering the largest proportion of ingredients and to receive preparations similar to those in recipes at least two extracts were prepared for each herbal sample. However the optimization of the extraction protocols will be finalized to combination with the results of the chemical profiling and the biological evaluation (WP3).
Furthermore the evaluation of the herbal preparations,for their antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, whitening, wound healing (elastase, collagenase, hyaluronidase) and cytotoxic properties using TLC- bioautography screening methods, in vitro cell-free assays, antimicrobial tests and in vitro cell assays have started.
Concerning the Communication and Dissemination of the project, from the very beginning , dissemination actions took place from most of the participants. Brief presentations of the project and its goals were performed on scientific sites and international exhibitions. Publication of articles and newsletters, in scientific and non-scientific magazines was promoted. The web-site is open to public and its target is to act as a communication tool among partners and as a dissemination tool for all meetings reports, which will be also distributed to the Commission. Moreover a distinctive recognizable logo was created to be used in all the project’s dissemination activities.
Concerning workshops, the 1st Workshop was held on October 2019, in Athens, Greece. Moreover five publications have been already published in open scientific journals and some more are under processing. Concerning the management and the project administration, all the duties and responsibilities were fulfilled, ensuring the smooth coordination and collaboration between the participants, as well as the communication with EU. No problems have been faced in the collaborations between the beneficiaries, the partners and the coordinator.
• Maximizing the chances of discovering compounds with unexplored, innovative or improved properties, through the access to South-East European biodiversity, which is characterized by a significant number of endemic plant taxa.
• EthnoHERBS is the first systematic attempt to record information on SE European traditional medicine, which is related to skin diseases and come from both ethnobotanical studies and literature sources.
• EthnoHERBS utilize a highly advanced technological platform incorporating sophisticated modern technologies and methods in all the steps of natural products discovery. In parallel, new methodologies have been developed and implemented to the identification of bioactive compounds prior to any isolation.
• EthnoHERBS pursue ways by which the production chain will be verified, so that the consumers and the industry can be assured that materials will meet the requirements and be of consistent quality. Production and processing alliances have been formed between agriculture and processors through the communication and dissemination activities.
Overall EthnoHERBS implementation will incorporate state of the art methodologies for the collection, assessment and thus conservation of information related to traditional uses of plant herbs belonging to the SE European flora. In silico methodology studies will be introduced in the selection process of the most promising herbs, of which the conservation will be ensured through the collection of propagating materials and the establishment of organic cultivations. Environmentally friendly technologies for the production of natural “green” extracts and isolation of compounds will be used, while innovative methodologies will be applied to accelerate the identification of bioactive secondary metabolites. All products will be evaluated extensively for their biological activity and safety using in vitro and in vivo tests, in a successive and complementary manner. Most interesting ingredients will be forwarded to scale up production and formulation, while elaboration of a feasibility study for their commercial exploitation as novel active ingredients against skin disorders will be performed. Highlighting both the floristic wealth and the effectiveness of Balkan traditional healing, EthnoHERBS will contribute to the development of medicinal and aromatic plants and will subsequently support the national economy of SE European countries.
• EthnoHERBS is the first systematic attempt to record information on SE European traditional medicine, which is related to skin diseases and come from both ethnobotanical studies and literature sources.
• EthnoHERBS utilize a highly advanced technological platform incorporating sophisticated modern technologies and methods in all the steps of natural products discovery. In parallel, new methodologies have been developed and implemented to the identification of bioactive compounds prior to any isolation.
• EthnoHERBS pursue ways by which the production chain will be verified, so that the consumers and the industry can be assured that materials will meet the requirements and be of consistent quality. Production and processing alliances have been formed between agriculture and processors through the communication and dissemination activities.
Overall EthnoHERBS implementation will incorporate state of the art methodologies for the collection, assessment and thus conservation of information related to traditional uses of plant herbs belonging to the SE European flora. In silico methodology studies will be introduced in the selection process of the most promising herbs, of which the conservation will be ensured through the collection of propagating materials and the establishment of organic cultivations. Environmentally friendly technologies for the production of natural “green” extracts and isolation of compounds will be used, while innovative methodologies will be applied to accelerate the identification of bioactive secondary metabolites. All products will be evaluated extensively for their biological activity and safety using in vitro and in vivo tests, in a successive and complementary manner. Most interesting ingredients will be forwarded to scale up production and formulation, while elaboration of a feasibility study for their commercial exploitation as novel active ingredients against skin disorders will be performed. Highlighting both the floristic wealth and the effectiveness of Balkan traditional healing, EthnoHERBS will contribute to the development of medicinal and aromatic plants and will subsequently support the national economy of SE European countries.