Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012:2012:202508.
doi: 10.1155/2012/202508. Epub 2011 Oct 2.

Natural products from ethnodirected studies: revisiting the ethnobiology of the zombie poison

Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque  1 , Joabe Gomes Melo, Maria Franco Medeiros, Irwin Rose Menezes, Geraldo Jorge Moura, Ana Carla Asfora El-Deir, Rômulo Romeu Alves, Patrícia Muniz de Medeiros, Thiago Antonio de Sousa Araújo, Marcelo Alves Ramos, Rafael Ricardo Silva, Alyson Luiz Almeida, Cecília de Fátima Castelo Almeida
Affiliations

Natural products from ethnodirected studies: revisiting the ethnobiology of the zombie poison

Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque et al. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012.

Abstract

Wade Davis's study of Haitian "zombification" in the 1980s was a landmark in ethnobiological research. His research was an attempt to trace the origins of reports of "undead" Haitians, focusing on the preparation of the zombification poison. Starting with this influential ethnopharmacological research, this study examines advances in the pharmacology of natural products, focusing especially on those of animal-derived products. Ethnopharmacological, pharmacological, and chemical aspects are considered. We also update information on the animal species that reportedly constitute the zombie poison. Several components of the zombie powder are not unique to Haiti and are used as remedies in traditional medicine worldwide. This paper emphasizes the medicinal potential of products from zootherapy. These biological products are promising sources for the development of new drugs.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Albuquerque UP, Hanazaki N. As pesquisas etnodirigidas na descoberta de novos fármacos de interesse médico e farmacêutico: fragilidades e perspectivas. Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia. 2006;16:678–689.
    1. Gertsch J. How scientific is the science in ethnopharmacology? Historical perspectives and epistemological problems. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2009;122(2):177–183. - PubMed
    1. Houghton PJ, Howes MJ, Lee CC, Steventon G. Uses and abuses of in vitro tests in ethnopharmacology: visualizing an elephant. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2007;110(3):391–400. - PubMed
    1. Lutufo VC, Pessoa C, Morales MEA, Almeida AMP, Moraes MO, Lotufo TMC. Marine organisms from Brazil as source of Potential anticancer agents. In: Khan MTH, Ather A, editors. Lead Molecules from Natural Products. Elsevier; 2006.
    1. Alves RRN, Rosa IL. Why study the use of animal products in traditional medicines? Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 2005;1, article 5 - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources