Tropical Rainforest

Tropical Rainforests: America's Medicine Cabinet Medical Drugs Derived from Rainforest Plants There are many reasons people speak up about saving the rainforest, but beyond protecting hundreds of animal and plant species, protecting the rainforest also impacts worldwide health. The rainforest, in many ways, is a pharmaceutical wonderland providing all the necessary ingredients to lead healthy lives and cure disease. Vincristine/Vinblastine From the Rosy Periwinkle of Madagascar (used to treat Pediatric Leukemia and Hogkin's Disease) The periwinkle plant from Madagascar is now extinct. Prior to extinction it increased the chances of survival for children with leukemia from 20% to 80%! Turbocuarine Medical Drugs Derived from Rainforest Animals From the Curare Liana plant of America (used to treat Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's Disease) Cortisone From Wild Yams in Central America Vampire Bat saliva helps prevent heart attacks (used in birth control pills) Quinine From the Cinchona Tree of South America (used to treat Malaria) Hirudin - From the saliva of a leech - dissolves blood clots in humans Neostigmine From the Clabar Slimy secretions from frogs treat infections, mental disorders and HIV bean in Africa (used to treat glaucoma) Novacaine From the coca plant of South America (used as a local anesthetic) 1%-2% 20-25% 120 25%) 2/3 of the world's plant species will be extinct by 2015 of Western prescription drugs are derived from rainforest plants or more than of all drugs with cancer fighting properties come from the rainforest is diminishing each year pharmaceuticals are derived from rainforest ingredients the rainforest http://www.mongabay.com/10drugs.htm http://rainforests.mongabay.com/1008.htm http://environment. about.com/od/healthenvironment/a/rainforest_drug.htm http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm Statistics