The tropical rain forests of the world represent one of the last preserves of biodiversity, and hold the potential for the discovery of new pharmaceuticals and other valuable products. Regrettably these forests are disappearing at a rapid rate as they are logged for timber or conversion to agricultural purposes. In an attempt to demonstrate the economic value of keeping these forests intact, we have joined with conservation, industrial, and botanical groups to develop a model program for drug discovery and biodiversity conservation in Suriname, South America and Madagascar. Plants are collected in Suriname and screened for bioactivity, and those with anticancer activity are studied in our laboratories. Any royalties from the resulting drugs will be shared with Suriname as an economic incentive to maintain their tropical forests. This project is undertaken as part of an International Cooperative Biodiversity Group with Missouri Botanical Garden, Conservation International, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute, the Suriname drug company BGVS, and CNARP of Madagascar. Examples of structures isolated include the new labdane diterpenoid 4, the steroidal alkaloid 5, and the ellagic acid derivative 6. For a news article on this work click here. Recent biodiversity conservation and drug discovery publications are shown below.
Recent Biodiversity Conservation and Drug Discovery Publications from the Kingston Group (1997-2000).
B.-N. Zhou, N. J. Baj, T. E. Glass, S. Malone, M. C. M. Werkhoven, F. van Troon, M. David, J. H. Wisse, and D. G. I. Kingston, "Bioactive Labdane Diterpenoids from Renealmia alpinia from the Suriname Rain Forest." J. Nat. Prod. 1997, 60, 1287-1293.
M. S. Abdel-Kader, J. H. Wisse, R. Evans, H. van der Werff, and D. G. I. Kingston "Bioactive Iridoids and a New Lignan from Allamanda cathartica and Himatanthus fallax from the Suriname Rain Forest."J. Nat. Prod. 1997, 60, 1294-1297.
M. S. Abdel-Kader, S. Malone, M. C. M. Werkhoven, F. van Troon, M. David, J. H. Wisse, and D. G. I. Kingston "DNA Damaging Steroidal Alkaloids from Eclipta alba from the Suriname Rain Forest." J. Nat. Prod. 1998, in press.
S.-W. Yang, B.-N. Zhou, Wisse, J. H.; R. Evans, H. van der Werff, and D. G. I Kingston, Three New Ellagic Acid Derivatives from the Bark of Eschweilera coriacea from the Suriname Rain Forest." J. Nat. Prod., 1998, 61, 901-906.
D. G. I. Kingston, A. A. L. Gunatilaka, B.-N. Zhou, M. Abdel-Kader, J. Berger, H. Van der Werff, R. Evans, L. Famolare, R. Mittermeier, S. Malone, J. Wisse, "Biodiversity Conservation and Drug Discovery in Suriname" in "Chemistry, Biological and Pharmacological Properties of Medicinal Plants from the Americas", edited by K. Hostettmann, M. P. Gupta, and A. Marston, Harwood Academic Publishers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1999, 111-124.
D. G. I. Kingston, H. van der Werff, R. Evans, R. Mittermeier, L. Famolare, M. Guerin-McManus, S. Malone, J. H. Wisse, D. Vyas and J. J. K. Wright "Biodiversity Conservation, Economic Development, and Drug Discovery in Suriname" in "Biologically Active Natural Products: Pharmaceuticals", edited by H. G. Cutler and S. J. Cutler, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1999, pp. 39-59.
D. G. I. Kingston, M. Abdel-Kader, B.-N. Zhou, S.-W. Yang, J. M. Berger, H. van der Werff, J. S. Miller, R. Evans, R. Mittermeier, L. Famolare, M. Guerin-McManus, S. Malone, E. Moniz, J. H. Wisse, D. Vyas and J. J. K. Wright "The Suriname international Cooperative Group: Lessons From the First Five Years." Pharm. Biol., 2000, in press.
M. S. Abdel-Kader, B. D. Bahler, S. Malone, M. C. M. Werkhoven, J. H. Wisse, K. Neddermann, I. Bursuker, and D. G. I. Kingston. Bioactive Saponins from Swartzia schomburgkii from the Suriname Rain Forest. J. Nat. Prod. 2000, in press.
A. A. L. Gunatilaka, J. M. Berger, R. Evans, J. S. Miller, J. H. Wisse, K. M. Neddermann, I. Bursuker, and D. G. I. Kingston "Isolation, Synthesis, and Structure-Activity Relationships of Bioactive Benzoquinones from Miconia lepidota from the Suriname Rain Forest." Submitted to J. Nat. Prod. 2000.
M. Abdel-Kader, J. Hoch, R. Evans, J. S. Miller, J. H. Wisse, S. Mamber, and D. G. I. Kingston "Two Bioactive Saponins from Albizia subdimidiata from the Suriname Rainforest." Submitted to J. Nat. Prod. 2000.