Arthropods: The New Alternative Medicine for 21st Century
Pritha Ghosh*
Department of Entomology, PGI, Dr. PDKV, Akola – 444 104, Maharashtra
N.S. Satpute
Department of Entomology, PGI, Dr. PDKV, Akola – 444 104, Maharashtra
DOI: NIL
Keywords: Arthropod, Medicinal property, Therapy, Beneficial
Abstract
Insects are the largest and dominant group of living organisms due to its ability of adaptiveness to the ever changing ecological conditions. Besides their harmful effects as pests, insects have also contributed to the mankind through their beneficial uses. Insect resources have been used by human beings for a long time now, as food, medicine and chemical material also. Insects with their medicinal properties and their products can be used to treat many different diseases either directly or indirectly. Many species of insects have played important role in mysticism and magic inherent in many traditions as well as in the treatment of variety of illness. They also impart an important role in tribal therapies and thus paving the way towards modern therapies too. Modern scientific use of insects in medicine consists of Maggot Therapy, Apitherapy, Leech Therapy (Non Insect), Blister Beetle and Spanish Fly, Ant sutures, Psychoactive Scorpions (Non Insect), insect enzymes as medicine. Venomes present in bees, ants and wasps comprise of mixture of potential compounds such as melittin, apamine, mast cell degranulation peptide (MCD), the active amines histamine, serotonin. Presence of this molecule in honey have enabled it for treating a range of ailments from arthritis, skin diseases, multiple sclerosis, cancer, infections and pain. Thus, traditional knowledge coupled with identifying more and more such useful insects related to therapeutic and other medicinal uses to device strategies to preserve and tap the rich knowledge in a more sustainable way for benefit of mankind.
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Reference
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