A systematic methodology to assess the identity of plants in historical texts: A case study based on the Byzantine pharmacy text John the Physician's Therapeutics

Lardos, Andreas; Patmore, Kristina; Allkin, Robert; Lazarou, Rebecca; Nesbitt, Mark; Scott, Andrew C.; Zipser, Barbara

doi:10.1016/j.jep.2023.117622

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Using images and text from the historical source, Evergetis and Haroutounian (2015) constructed plant descriptions and compared these with information available in modern floristic works. In an interdisciplinary approach, Lardos et al (2024) developed a multi-stage methodology that relies on comparative analyses including statistical evaluation of botanical and medicinal information drawn from both historical and modern sources.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the same time, a critical evaluation of the information provided in these references by taking into account cultural-historical and phytogeographical aspects as well as plant nomenclature is indispensable (Heinrich et al, 2018). However, since relying on existing plant identifications can sometimes be misleading (Riddle, 1996;Raven et al, 2000), alternative methods have recently been proposed (Evergetis and Haroutounian, 2015;Lardos et al, 2024).…”

Section: Introduction 12 Dermatological Uses In Historical Textsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dermatological plants and their uses in theReceptariumof Burkhard III from Hallwyl from 16^thcentury Switzerland – Data mining a historical text and preliminaryin vitroscreening

Stehlin,

Albert,

Frei

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Ethnopharmacological relevance: Historical texts on materia medica can be an attractive source of ethnopharmacological information. In recent decades, various research groups have investigated corresponding resources from Europe and the Mediterranean region, pursuing different objectives. Regardless of the method used in such a work, the indexing of textual information and its conversion into data sets useful for further investigations represents a significant challenge. Aim of the study: First of all, this study aims to systematically catalogue pharmaco-botanical information in the Receptarium of Burkhard from Hallwyl (RBH) in order to identify candidate plants in a targeted manner. Secondly, the potential of RBH as a resource for pharmacological investigations will be assessed by means of a preliminary in vitro screening. Materials and methods: We developed a relational database for the systematic recording of the parameters composing the medical recipes contained in the historical text. Focusing on dermatological recipes, we explored the mentioned plants and their uses by drawing on specific literature. The botanical identities (candidate species) suggested in the literature for the historical plant names were rated based on their plausibility of being the correct attribution. The historical uses were interpreted by consulting medical-historical and modern clinical literature. For the subsequent in vitro screening, we selected candidate species used in recipes directed at the treatment of inflammatory or infectious skin disorders and wounds. Plants were collected in Switzerland and their hydroethanolic crude extracts tested for possible cytotoxic effects and for their potential to modulate the release of IL-6 and TNF in LPS-stimulated whole blood and PBMCs. Results: The historical text analysis points up the challenges associated with the assessment of historical plant names. Often two or more plant species are available as candidates for each of the 161 historical plant names counted in the 200 dermatological recipes in RBH. At the same time, the 56 medicinal uses mentioned in these recipes illustrate, that the details provided in the text about the skin problem in question enable conclusions to be drawn based on which the presumed underlying medical condition and its pharmacological basis can be narrowed down. On this basis, 11 candidate species were selected for in vitro screening, four of which were used in RBH in herbal simple recipes and seven in a herbal compound formulation. None of the extracts tested showed a noteworthy effect on cell viability except for the sample of Sanicula europaea. Extracts were tested at 50 μg/mL in the whole blood assay, where especially Vincetoxicum hirundinaria or Solanum nigrum showed inhibitory or stimulatory activities. In the PBMC assay, the root of Vincetoxicum hirundinaria revealed a distinct inhibitory effect on IL-6 release (IC50 of 3.6 μg/mL). Conclusions: Using the example of RBH, this study illustrates a possible ethnopharmacological path from unlocking the historical text and its subsequent analysis, through the selection and collection of plant candidates to their in vitro investigation. Fully documenting our approach to the analysis of historical texts, we hope to contribute to the discussion on solutions for the digital indexing of premodern information on the use of plants or other natural products.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introduction 12 Dermatological Uses In Historical Textsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dermatological plants and their uses in theReceptariumof Burkhard III from Hallwyl from 16^thcentury Switzerland – Data mining a historical text and preliminaryin vitroscreening

Stehlin,

Albert,

Frei

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Interpreting materia medica. A case study on Ioannes Archiatrus

Zipser,

Lardos,

Lazarou

et al. 2024

Wellcome Open Res

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Background Premodern medical texts are an invaluable source for scholars from humanities and sciences. However, they are usually not accessible as few scientists with an interest in premodern materia medica are also qualiﬁed philologists. Therefore, a balance has to be struck to translate these texts while preserving information on how reliable we believe a given translation to be. In this paper, we conduct a case study on the vernacular version of Ioannes archiatrus. Methods The present study forms part of the output of a multidisciplinary Wellcome Trust Collaborative Award combining humanities and sciences. We deployed a multi-layer tagging system to systematise pharmaceutical terminology and to translate these terms while providing conﬁdence factors for individual words. In a second step, we used AntConc, a freeware concordance software, to analyse our primary source and visualise patterns in the text. Results Our methodology created a readable text that made it possible for the reader to check conﬁdence factors. It also allows our translation and tagging to be recycled for further research. Conclusions Our methods provide a tool that allows to balance the need to translate and the necessary caution about translated plant and mineral names. Our approach is transferable and it can be modiﬁed to suit the needs of other primary sources.

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A systematic methodology to assess the identity of plants in historical texts: A case study based on the Byzantine pharmacy text John the Physician's Therapeutics

Cited by 2 publications

References 39 publications

Dermatological plants and their uses in theReceptariumof Burkhard III from Hallwyl from 16^thcentury Switzerland – Data mining a historical text and preliminaryin vitroscreening

Dermatological plants and their uses in theReceptariumof Burkhard III from Hallwyl from 16^thcentury Switzerland – Data mining a historical text and preliminaryin vitroscreening

Interpreting materia medica. A case study on Ioannes Archiatrus

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A systematic methodology to assess the identity of plants in historical texts: A case study based on the Byzantine pharmacy text John the Physician's Therapeutics

Cited by 2 publications

References 39 publications

Dermatological plants and their uses in theReceptariumof Burkhard III from Hallwyl from 16thcentury Switzerland – Data mining a historical text and preliminaryin vitroscreening

Dermatological plants and their uses in theReceptariumof Burkhard III from Hallwyl from 16thcentury Switzerland – Data mining a historical text and preliminaryin vitroscreening

Interpreting materia medica. A case study on Ioannes Archiatrus

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Dermatological plants and their uses in theReceptariumof Burkhard III from Hallwyl from 16^thcentury Switzerland – Data mining a historical text and preliminaryin vitroscreening

Dermatological plants and their uses in theReceptariumof Burkhard III from Hallwyl from 16^thcentury Switzerland – Data mining a historical text and preliminaryin vitroscreening