FALL 2007 HONORS COURSES

HONR299M Use and Misuse of Medicinal Plants
Wednesday 1 - 3:30 p.m.
Dr. George Bean, Dept. of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics

The earliest recorded use of plants as medicine was in China during the reign of Chin Nong in the year 2699 B.C. In Babylon, around 2000 B.C., a list of some 1,400 plants was compiled for treating disorders such as the use of the poppy as an anesthetic and fennel as a digestive. Throughout the world, use of herbal medicines has continued and their popularity has significantly increased as many people have switched from the use of prescription drugs to alternative or complimentary methods of treatment. In a recent government survey, 36% of U.S. adults 18 years or older, reported that they use some form of unconventional medicines 19% of the respondents reported using herbs and botanicals. However, very few of the herbal medicines in use have been clinically tested for their effectiveness or safety. With those that have been tested, the results are typically inconclusive. In 2005, it was estimated that in excess of 255 million dollars was spent on the purchase of herbal medicines in the U.S. Of further concern is the fact that individuals who use herbals typically do not inform their doctor that they are being used.

The primary objective of this course is to discuss the use as well as the misuse of herbal medicines. The specific objectives of the course are as follows:

1) Trace the history of the use of herbal medicines from ancient times to the present

2) To discuss the various chemicals that are found in plants that may be responsible for their supposed health benefits

3) To familiarize students with the difficulties of conducting clinical trials using plants that contain an array of different chemicals

4) The more common herbals in use in the U.S. including garlic, ginkgo, taxus, St. John’s wort, cranberry, and ginseng will also be discussed

Because of the complexities of the subject matter, a suitable textbook is not available. However, students will be provided relevant articles that they will be expected to read and evaluate. This is a course designed for non-science majors seeking knowledge to better understand the increasingly, yet controversial, popularity of substituting unconventional alternative or complimentary therapies for clinically tested and approved prescription drugs for treatment of medical ailments.

CORE: Life Sciences, non-lab [LS]