Insects in medicine
Insects have long been used in medicine, both traditional and modern, sometimes with little evidence of their effectiveness.
Traditional and alternative uses
The medicinal uses of insects and other arthropods worldwide have been reviewed by
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine includes the use of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage, exercise, and dietary therapy. It is a typical component of modern medical care throughout East Asia and in some parts of Southeast Asia (such as Thailand). Insects are very commonly incorporated as part of the herbal medicine component of traditional Chinese medicine, and their medical properties and applications are broadly accepted and agreed upon. Some brief examples follow:
The Chinese Black Mountain Ant, Polyrhachis vicina, is supposed to act as a cure all and is widely used, especially by the elderly. It is said to prolong life, to have anti-aging properties, to replenish Qi, and to increase virility and fertility. Recent interest in the ants' medicinal qualities has led to British researchers to study the extract's potential to serve as a cancer-fighting agent.[3][medical citation needed] Chinese Black Mountain Ant extract is typically consumed mixed with wine.
India and Ayurveda
Ayurveda is ancient traditional Indian treatment almost universally incorporated alongside Western medicine as a typical component of medical treatment in India. Although Ayurvedic medicine is often effective, doses can be inconsistent, and may sometimes be contaminated with toxic heavy metals.[4] Some brief examples to follow:
Termite is said to cure a variety of diseases, both specific and vague. Typically the mound or a portion of the mound is dug up and the termites and the architectural components of the mound are together ground into a paste which is then applied topically to the affected areas or, more rarely, mixed with water and consumed.[5] This treatment was said to cure ulcers, rheumatic diseases, and anemia.[4] It was also suggested to be a general pain reliever and health improver.[4]
The Jatropha Leaf Miner, a lepidopteran which feeds preferentially on Jatropha, is an example of a major insect agricultural pest which is also a medicinal remedy.[5] The larvae, which are also the form of the insect with the greatest economic impact on agriculture, are harvested, boiled, and mashed into a paste which is administered topically and is said to induce lactation, reduce fever, and soothe gastrointestinal tracts.[5]
Africa
Unlike China and India, the traditional insect medicine of Africa is extremely variable. It is largely regional, with few, if any, major agreements on which insects are useful as treatments for which ailments.[5] Most insect medicinal treatments are passed on through communities and families, rather than being taught in university settings, as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda sometimes are; furthermore, most traditional medicine practices necessitate a person in a "healer" role.[5] Some brief examples to follow:
Grasshopper is both commonly eaten as a delicacy and an excellent source of protein and is consumed for medicinal purposes.[5] These insects are typically collected, dried in the sun, and then ground into a powder.[5] The powder can then be turned into a paste when mixed with water and ash and applied to the forehead to alleviate the pain of violent headaches.[5] Additionally, the headaches themselves can be prevented by a "healer" inserting the paste under the skin at the nape of the affected person's neck.[5]
Americas
The Americas were more highly influenced by the Doctrine of Signatures than China, India, or Africa, most likely because of their colonial history with Europe. The majority of insect use in medicine is associated with Central America and parts of South America, rather than North America, and most of it is based on the medical techniques of indigenous peoples.[2] Currently, insect medicine is practiced much more rarely than in China, India, or Africa, though it is still relatively common in rural areas with large indigenous populations.[2] Some examples to follow:
Chapulines, or grasshoppers, are commonly consumed as a toasted regional dish in some parts of Mexico, but they are also used medicinally.[2] They are said to serve as diuretic to treat kidney diseases, to reduce swelling, and to relieve the pain of intestinal disorders when they are consumed.[2] However, there are some risks associated with consuming chapulines, as they are known to harbor nematodes which may be transmitted to humans upon consumption.
Much like the termites of Africa, ants were sometimes used as medicinal devices by the indigenous peoples of Central America.[2] The soldier cast of the Army ant would be collected and used as living sutures by Mayans.[2] This involved agitating an ant and holding its mandibles up to the wound edges; when it bit down, the thorax and abdomen were removed, leaving the head holding the wound together.[2] The ant's salivary gland secretions were reputed to have antibiotic properties.[2] The venom of the Red harvester ant was used to treat rheumatism, arthritis, and poliomyelitis via the immunological reaction produced by its sting. This technique, in which ants are allowed to sting affected areas in a controlled manner, is still used in some arid rural areas of Mexico.[2]
The silkworm, Bombyx mori, was also commonly consumed both as a regional food and for medicinal purposes in Central America after it was brought to the New World by the Spanish and Portuguese.[2] Only the immatures are consumed. Boiled pupae were eaten to treat apoplexy, aphasy, bronchitis, pneumonia, convulsions, hemorrhages, and frequent urination.[2] The excrement produced by the larvae is also eaten to improve circulation and alleviate the symptoms of cholera (intense vomiting and diarrhea).[2]
Honey bee products
Honey bee products are used medicinally across Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, and the Americas, despite the fact that the honey bee was not introduced to the Americas until the colonization by Spain and Portugal. They are by far the most common medical insect product, both historically and currently.[5]
Honey is the most frequently referenced medical bee material. It can be applied to skin to treat excessive scar tissue, rashes, and burns,[6] and can be applied as a poultice to eyes to treat infection.[4] It is also consumed for digestive problems and as a general health restorative, and can be heated and consumed to treat head colds, cough, throat infections, laryngitis, tuberculosis, and lung diseases.[2]
Additionally,
Modern scientific uses
Though insects were widely used throughout history for medical treatment on nearly every continent, relatively little medical entomological research has been conducted since the revolutionary advent of antibiotics. Heavy reliance on antibiotics, coupled with discomfort with insects in Western culture limited the field of insect pharmacology until the rise of antibiotic resistant infections sparked pharmaceutical research to explore new resources. Arthropods represent a rich and largely unexplored source of new medicinal compounds.[7]
Maggot therapy
Maggots were used for
Apitherapy
Apitherapy is the medical use of honeybee products such as honey, pollen, bee bread, propolis, royal jelly and bee venom. One of the major peptides in bee venom, called Melittin, has the potential to treat inflammation in people who have Rheumatoid arthritis or Multiple sclerosis. Melittin blocks the expression of inflammatory genes, thus reducing swelling and pain. It is administered by direct insect sting, or intramuscular injections. Bee products demonstrate a wide array of antimicrobial factors and in laboratory studies and have been shown to kill antibiotic resistant bacteria, pancreatic cancer cells, and many other infectious microbes.[14]
Blister beetle and Spanish fly
Spanish fly is an emerald-green beetle, Lytta vesicatoria, in the blister beetle family (Meloidae). It and other such species were used in preparations offered by traditional apothecaries. The insect is the source of the terpenoid cantharidin, a toxic blistering agent once used as an aphrodisiac.[15][16]
Blood-feeding insects
Many blood-feeding insects like horseflies or mosquitoes inject multiple bioactive compounds into their prey. These insects have been used by practitioners of Eastern Medicine for hundreds of years to prevent blood clot formation or thrombosis.[17] However, modern medical research has only recently begun to investigate the drug development potential of blood-feeding insect saliva. These compounds in the saliva of blood feeding insects are capable of increasing the ease of blood feeding by preventing coagulation of platelets around the wound and provide protection against the host's immune response. Currently, over 1280 different protein families have been associated with the saliva of blood feeding organisms.[18]
References
- ^ Meyer-Rochow, V.B. (2017). Therapeutic arthropods and other, largely terrestrial, folk-medicinally important invertebrates: a comparative survey and review. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 13:9 (31 pages)
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Ramos-Elorduy; de Concini, J.; Moreno, J.M. Pino (1988). "The utilization of insects in the empirical medicine of ancient Mexicans". Journal of Ethnobiology. 8 (2): 195–202.
- ^ "Insects boost immune system". BBC. 10 February 2002. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ PMID 21235790.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Srivastava, S.K.; Babu, N.; Pandey, H. (2009). "Traditional insect bioprospecting--As human food and medicine". Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. 8 (4): 485–494.
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- ^ N.A. Ratcliffe et al. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 41 (2011) 747e769
- ISBN 978-1449617578.
- ^ Anon. (2012) [2009]. "Cantharide". Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary. Farlex.
- ^ Yang, X., Hu, K., Yan, G., et al., 2000. Fibrinogenolytic components in Tabanid, an ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine and their properties. J. Southwest Agric. Univ. 22, 173e176 (Chinese).
- ^ Ribeiro, J.M.C., Arca, B., 2009. From sialomes to the sialoverse: an insight into salivary potion of blood-feeding insects. Adv. Insect Physiol. 37, 59e118.