How Bioprospecting Laboratory Practices lead to the Devaluation of Traditional Medicine.

ABSTRACT: Since the colonial era until today traditional medicine has fallen upon the gaze of Western science and modern medicine. Since the introduction of benefit-sharing contracts, pharmaceutical companies and other validating institutions of traditional medicinal plants have sought to give validation and veracity to medicinal plants as a means to advocate for traditional medicine. Primarily this has been done through the scientific laboratory, where medicinal plants are tested for biological activity. This research will show that regardless of the intentions to provide validity and veracity to medicinal plants, Western laboratory practices has limits which infringe on these intents. The biological assay as a screener is limited in its capacity to test the complexity of a biological organism. The preparation of a testable extract including the choice in plant material and the use in solvents changes the composition of the plant to the point where Western medicinal extracts become a distorted reflection of traditional medicinal remedies. This distortion that occurs in the translation of knowledges contributes to the medicinal plant being insufficiently and inadequately valorized as its true potential is disregarded by Western laboratory practices.