Ethnopharmacology of medicinal plants for postpartum women's health

Emory University, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study is responsive to the Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) NOT-OD-24-079 “Women’s health research” objectives to “advance research to reduce health disparities and inequities affecting women’s health, including those related to race, ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status, disability, and exposure to environmental factors and contaminants that can directly affect health." Globally, more than 250,000 women die from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. The World Health Organization estimates that almost 95% of these deaths occur in low- or middle-income countries, with most fatalities considered preventable. Worldwide, many women employ traditional methods, including medicinal plants, to support their postpartum health, particularly when biomedical healthcare is unavailable. These plants are typically prepared as topical washes or baths to prevent infection and promote wound healing after birth. Therefore, the phytochemicals present in these plants come into direct contact with the vagina, including epithelial cells and beneficial or pathogenic vaginal microbes. Many of the plants used in these preparations are globally recognized medicinal plants that are shared across cultures and geographic regions. Furthermore, these shared plant species are often prepared in herbal mixtures with each other, along with other botanical ingredients, as postpartum washes. Since these plants are often combined for this purpose, they may have synergistic properties that support their ethnobotanical use. Due to their global ethnobotanical significance, there is an urgent need to assess these plants and traditional preparations for their efficacy and safety concerning postpartum women’s health. While the prioritized species from our preliminary data are generally well-studied medicinal plants, they have not been investigated, alone or in herbal mixtures, for their effects on vaginal epithelial cells and common puerperal pathogens such as Gardnerella vaginalis and Streptococcus spp. In this proposal, we aim to evaluate plants and popular traditional preparations for their impact on the vaginal ecosystem, including vaginal bacteria and epithelial cells. We hypothesize that the medicinal plants used in postpartum herbal washes contain bioactive compounds that support their traditional use for postpartum recovery. To accomplish these goals, we propose the following specific aims: 1) Assess the in vitro effects of popular medicinal plants on postpartum women’s health; 2) Assess the synergistic effects of traditional herbal mixtures on postpartum women’s health. Both aims will implement cutting-edge analytical techniques and data processing methods, such as interaction metabolomics, and microED for the structural elucidation of bioactive compounds. We anticipate that these studies will provide objective, evidence-based information on popular medicinal plants and herbal preparations in the context of postpartum women’s health and build upon my foundation as an independent researcher, aiming to advance public health in marginalized communities.