Dilston Physic Garden, Corbridge - Dr Nicolette Perry - 11th May 2023

What a privilege it was to welcome our speaker Dr Nicolette Perry, who has a PhD in Pharmacognosy from King’s College, London. She has researched and published trials of the use of medicinal plants for the brain. Her research into using sage, Salvia officinalis, in the management of Alzheimer’s Disease is linked with ongoing research at Newcastle University. Nicolette’s mother is Elaine Perry, professor emeritus of Neuroscience at Newcastle University and founder of Dilston Physic Garden.

https://dilstonphysicgarden.com

The garden was established in the early 1990s with a view to growing plants for research.

“Science is catching up with what we have known for 1,000s of years” NP

Physic Gardens date from 800 AD and were mostly located in monasteries. These medicinal plant gardens and were the forerunners to the botanical gardens of today. Currently there are four physic gardens in the UK, with Chelsea Physic (1673) being especially well known.

With 700 medicinal plants (worldwide there are 20,000 edible plants) Dilston is a centre for clinical trials and laboratory studies. There is a dispensary (where a medical herbalist can give personal advice on Wednesdays by appointment) and there are knowledgeable volunteers to help guide you on a visit along with information boards. The garden is also a peaceful haven in which to relax.

Historically and over the last thirty years, half of new single component therapy drugs, created by pharmacologists in pharmaceutical companies, are derived from plants. Often the plants used in their ‘whole’ are indeed toxic! E.g. Galanthamine (from snowdrops) is used for the management of Alzheimer’s Disease and Atropine (from Deadly Night Shade, Belladonna) increases abnormal, slow heart rates or dilates pupils for eye examinations. 

Interestingly many drug producing companies (pharmaceuticals) have their origins in plants. E.g. Merck & Co. began in 1668 in Darmstadt, Germany. Friedrich Jacob Merck sold morphine (from Papaver somniferum poppies), cocaine and codeine. The company became a manufacturer in 1827. Bayer AG (famous as the manufacture of asprin) was founded as a dyestuffs factory in 1863 in Germany, by Friedrich Bayer and his partner, Johann Friedrich Weskott, a master dyer.

PHARMACOLOGY is the detailed scientific study of single component drugs.

PHARMACOGNOSY is the study of complex compounds in natural drugs obtained from organisms such as most plants, microbes and animals. When the term “natural product” is mentioned, they can be the organism itself (plant, animal, and microorganism), any part of an organism (a leaf or flower of a plant, an isolated gland or other organ of an animal), and extract or pure substances.

Traditional medicine is also a part of pharmacognosy and most of the third world countries still depend on the use of herbal medicines. Consequently, pharmacognosy always keeps its popularity in pharmaceutical sciences and plays a critical role in drug discovery.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4204033/#:~:text=Pharmacognosy

Indeed this has been a fascinating talk. It gratifying to hear that herbal therapies are increasingly been shown to be effective within scientific trials. A glimpse into future therapies is tantalising!

Written by Trish Rodgers (using  various internet sources)