Many pharmacologists and scientists work with “medicine men” in order to discover drugs that originate from rainforest plants. For example, an African tribe introduced the world to the Madagascar periwinkle, which increased the survival rate for children with leukemia from 20 per cent to 80 per cent. South American natives have long used the Pau d’arco tree to treat pain, arthritis and boils and the naphthoquinones found in various extracts are now being studied for their antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal effects. Regrettably, less than one percent of the rainforest plants have been examined and as the rainforest is disappearing potentially valuable drugs are being lost.
