Biodiversity in Medicine

Biodiversity is the tendency for organisms to vary within an ecosystem.
In addition, a high level of variance indicates a large amount of biodiversity. Introduction There are over 130 drugs recognized as safe that were/are directly derived from plant and animal sources. According to the Bryson text, at least 99% of plants have not been tested for their medicinal properties. Common plant drugs Aspirin From willow bark, is an analgesic. Can be artificially synthesized. Quinine Treats malaria, found in tonic, derived from cinchona bark in tropical climates. Artificial synthesis extremely difficult, economically prohibitive. Malaria treatment often uses other drugs instead of quinine or in combination.
Discovery With the advent of biotechnology, the need for raw materials from plants to make drugs is waning. However, new plants are being discovered daily with possible pharmaceutical uses. Extinction Estimation of 6-11 species becoming extinct in the rainforest per day, based on the current rate of deforestation @ 1% / year. Overuse Biotechnology allowed production of shikimic acid from the East Asian star anise seed to continue. Prices of the traditional seed went out of reach for cultural use, as shikimic acid is a prominent reactant in the synthesis of Tamiflu. Just recently, Roche developed a process for E. Coli to produce shikimic acid without star anise. Overuse One example of prominent research into cancer is camptothecin, which is derived from the bark of the camptotheca tree, found solely in East Asia, where population’s demand for land has exceeded supply. It is a novel drug that damages DNA of select cancer cells. Questions? Should the market pay an exorbitant amount for a drug that cost millions in research and development? Any other questions? Question Which active ingredient(s) [with an inefficient artificial synthesis] treats malaria? A) star anise B) quinine C) aspirin D) all of the above