The understanding of this concept is fundamental in the study and application of initiation called medicinal plants. This latinismo became enrolled in the terminology of the specialty, by Max Tetau and Claude Bergeret in the mid 70 last century. Its definition corresponds to the total of existing molecules inside the plant cell cytoplasm used.
Is our custom, in academic practice, using an explanatory analogy easily intelligible, the knitting of a tisane of plants for medicinal use or for simple tasting, corresponds to the total vegetable intracitoplasmático, matching in this way the concept of "Totum vegetal". So this concept turns out to be technically and scientifically in the notion of total extract, You can of course have, different concentrations, ranging from simple tisane, passing by various concentrations of liquid extracts (in particular the fluid extract), and by soft extracts, ending in dry extracts. This approach does not provide the called standardized extracts (estandardizados), and much less the use of isolated and purified molecules and molecular copies achieved through recourse to processes and methodologies own organic synthesis chemistry.
Scientific experimentation is the basis, and is based on the concept of "totum vegetal".
The experimentation carried out by Tetau and Bergeret with eucalyptus globulus, and that was recognized in the bibliography of his specialty as "Notion of maximum yield of eucalyptus globulus”, constitutes the paradigm of that concept.
The researchers chose eucalyptus globulus, for in the middle of the last century (possibly even today) be one of the plants targeted by bigger and better phytochemical research, Recognizing a lot of molecules or groups of molecules present in the cytoplasm of cells of this vegetable. The eucalyptus (leaves) is well known for its properties at the level of the upper respiratory tract, However also has a hypoglycemic activity (reduces blood sugar levels). On experimentation Tetau and Bergeret used pancrosectomizados dogs (to which you extracted the pancreas), being thus unable to produce insulin. A group of animals were administered one by one all substances chemically isolated from eucalyptus. None of the substances showed hypoglycemic activity. In a second phase, the researchers mixed (ex-post) every molecule[1] previously isolated in an extemporaneous solution, managing this solution to another group of animals. This solution also does not exercised any hypoglycemic effect. How is this possible, If the total of the eucalyptus extract demonstrates a clear hypoglycemic effect?! The answer is not easy and as usually happens in the intricacies reductionist scientific, These issues very uncomfortable are left in oblivion. But Max Tetau and Claude Bergeret, not intending it launched the debate on this issue in the scientific world linked to the study of plants, in particular of medicinal dubbed.
So statements like those of French researcher Bezanger-Beauquesne, “all the animal vegetable biossínteses, use the same enzymes and receivers identical or similar, While synthetic substances are generally, foreign to the human body”, and the late professor of pharmacognosy, Aloísio Fernandes Costa " in medicinal plants naturally complex composition, There is no inert constituents, as each acts individually and in an order of magnitude proportional to your activity, and your action represents the sum of all actions on living beings”, already denote that the debate of this issue is not easy, but is undoubtedly crucial and exciting, in particular for those dedicated to the study and practical application, in particular on the industry dubbed plants with physiological action on the human organism, that mostly are constituted by the nicknamed "medicinal plants". A brilliant work of “International medical endobiogenique and integrative Physiology society“, presents some solutions already, particularly at Physio-pathological for this problem.
As far as we respect, We have been in the last ten years theorizing, with some still quite experimental application reduced, on this issue of "totum vegetal", and almost without having noticed, eventually, we come across some paths, We consider sustainable but not only, where to follow. The most significant will be what is represented by the supramolecular chemistry. Discipline of chemistry, for being defined as "chemistry beyond the molecule", "dedicated to organized entities of greater complexity resulting from the Association of two or more chemical species linked by Intermolecular forces". This course studies a whole series of processes, that assume essentially the existence of "molecular information", "a concept that has become a basic and crucial principle of supramolecular chemistry. The two major areas of this discipline, the "supermoléculas oligomoleculares" and the "supramolecular assemblies", that constitute polimoleculares arrangements which are more or less defined organization and macroscopic features that depend on their nature (layers, movies, membranes, vesículos, micelles, microemulsões, gels, phases meomorficas, etc.), but especially the latter are in our understanding, fundamental current scientific basis and in future understanding of the processes of physiological activity, extremely complex, own of total extracts of plants (vegetable Totum).
In reality a total extract (vegetable Totum) is composed of a multitude of extremely diverse molecules in structural and dynamic terms, you want to explain your total activity (the second outlines holistic) eventually become difficult task intelligibility, especially if the study and research instruments are essentially those used in the grounds of the activity of one or a very few isolated molecules or jointly about human biochemistry, as does for example the pharmacology, based in particular on pharmacokinetics. These disciplines even resorting to the organic chemistry and biochemistry, do not allow nevertheless penetrate the intricate process of evaluation of the physiological effect of "totum vegetal", therefore necessary to resort to instruments capable of dealing with a lot more complexity, but by facilitating understanding and making intelligible the processes of physiological activity of "totum vegetal".
In fact as mentioned, the fact that the Association previously isolated substances of extemporaneous eucalyptus, not having the physiological effect that the vegetable has as "totum vegetal", raises issues gripping on that relates to the General Physiology and biochemistry in particular. In our view there should be constraints "in natura" isolation laboratory processes eventually will be eliminated, losing this way the synergistic effect dependent on the information between all the molecules exist in the "totum". Following this approach, We can also add the fact that the vast majority of total extracts of vegetables have various physiological effects and often leading to common goals. A Cynara scolymus (artichoke) It has protective effect and regulatory activity of the processes of elimination renal level is an example, because as it is well known, hepatic and renal functions are extremely dependent inter. The liver metabolizes harm the kidneys cannot excrete conveniently and vice versa. In fact this dual physiological effect is appanage of virtually all vegetables with preponderant activity or on the liver or kidneys.
Besides, the investigation carried out in order to isolate molecules (the dubbed active principles) medicinal plants for treatment of human diseases, has in most cases been doomed to failure, and in the very few cases of success, these molecules are almost always coming from extremely toxic vegetables, not used in dietary supplements such as Foxglove, the estrofanto, etc.
Returning to the scientific instruments for substantiation of physiological effects of "totum vegetable" and appealing once again to supramolecular chemistry, Nina Hall and his collaborators in his book "Neoquímica", "affirms that"complex is not the same as complicated”, and "supramolecular science cannot be a reductionist discipline, but an integrative discipline”.
In reality the study of physiological effects of "totum vegetable" on the human organism can only evolve in the light of an integrative approach (holistic) and never so reductionist, and based primarily on attributes of Biochemistry and molecular inter-assembleias inter-supermolecular information, in which a variety of molecules and molecules phytochemical groups[2] exchanging information among themselves, and at the same time putting this information to the "provision" of large biomolecular aggregates of cells and tissues of the human body, leading to the already well known physiological effects, responsible for the maintenance and restoration of health.
The "concept of maximum yield totum eucalyptus globulus vegetable", Max Tetau and Claude Bergeret staged, This will in the near future based on scientific bases, able to enable even better options in technological methodologies of extraction process of total vegetable intracitoplasmático, with consequent benefits in the final quality of the products, increasing the effectiveness, eventualmente até com utilização de dosagens inferiores, preweighing the quality over quantity, with all the positive implications that result, economically and environmentally.
Jean – Marie Lehn- Supramolecular chemistry; ISTPress-Instituto Superior Técnico Lisbon.
Nina Hall – Neoquímica; Bookman, Porto Alegre.
Claude Bergeret / Max Tetau - renovated phytotherapy; Maloine Editeur, France.
Eduardo Ribeiro-medicinal plants and Add-ons bioterápicos; Europe-america/life editors, Mem Martins.
Jean Michel Morel – Nouveau guide de phytotherapie; Grancher, France.
Aloísio Fernandes Costa-Farmacognósia; Gulbenkian Publisher, Lisbon.
David Hoffmann – New holistic herbal; Element, Massachusetts.
Bezanger Beauquesne – Les plants dans la therapeutique moderne – Maloine, France
[1] Eventualmente grupos de moléculas. Technology with regard to the investigation of medicinal plants, does not permit often differentiate at all the chemical nature of the substances. As a paradigm of this issue we present the Silymarin from milk thistle (Sylibum marianum) During some decades identified himself as, a single bioflavonoide, but currently we are three isomer molecules, a silibina, the silidina and the silicristina.
[2] This is without a doubt, also, the field of dubbed synergies phytotherapy, which may be positive or negative and therefore also may not correspond fully to the mathematical logic of 1 1 = 2, and in this case, be 0 or 3 for example.
Authors > Eduardo Ribeiro, CEO scientist Department | Quality control| Research and Development- Biogal, Biologia de Portugal Lda.
> Virtue Pegacho, Research and development - BIOGAL, Biologia de Portugal Lda.
