Science: Anti-Inflammatory Discovery

Biochemists have discovered that an African plant called Grains of Paradise, a food item for centuries in West Africa, contains a powerful anti-inflammatory substance. The compound has been licensed to biotechnology companies, and will soon be in cosmetics and, scientists hope, new drugs. The drugs would treat arthritis, heart disease and other conditions with inflammation as their root cause.

Read more in the story: Gorilla Staple Adds Spice to New Drugs (Post, Nov. 27).

Science writer Cheryl Lyn Dybas, who specializes in medicine, biology and marine science, was online to discuss this discovery on Monday, Nov. 27 at Noon ET.

A transcript follows.

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Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, everyone, welcome to the Science Chat! Thanks for joining in.

Illnesses from arthritis to heart disease to cancer all have something in common: inflammation is their root cause, scientists are discovering.

Now a new group of drugs to treat inflammation is on the horizon. It all started with the seeds of a plant out of Africa.

Scientists hope that if a successful medicine is made from this plant, the supply will come from West Africa, also helping small farmers there: the farmers would cultivate and sell the plant's seeds.

Currently, seeds are bought at African marketplaces at the commercial rate.

Looking forward to your feedback...and to finding out if anyone by chance has eaten Grains of Paradise? This peppery spice, common in African cooking, is made from the seeds of the Aframomum plant.

Again, welcome!

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Falls Church, Virginia: Hi, how often do scientists like Dr. Raskin go to Africa to conduct research on plants there?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hi, I asked Dr. Raskin this question. He has visited Africa several times to work on various projects there, including an international effort to develop botanical therapeutics. He hopes to journey to Africa more frequently in the future.

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Annapolis, Md.: How long will it be before Afromomum will be available as an anti-inflammatory drug?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Thanks for a great question!

Scientists hope that a new drug from Aframomum will be in the pipeline in the near-term, although at this early stage, no one knows exactly when that might be.

FDA approval would likely happen faster than for some drugs, as Aframomum is already being used as a food product.

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Arlington, Va.: Could you say more about how the compound in these plants is similar to drugs like Celebrex?

Thanks!

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, the active compound in Aframomum is, among other things, a COX-2 inhibitor, which is what drugs like Vioxx, Celebrex, and Bextra do: block an enzyme produced by COX-2. Blocking this enzyme stops the production of the chemical messengers, called prostaglandins, that cause the pain and swelling of arthritis, for example.

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Silver Spring, Md.: Hi, we wondered whether you have tried eating Grains of Paradise seeds? What do they taste like? Are there recipes for them available?

Thank you.

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, yes, I have tried eating Grains of Paradise! They're something like pepper, but have a more spicy "zing" in their aftertaste. I added the spice to baked chicken, and it tasted quite good.

I'm not sure of specific recipes for this spice, but it's been used in African cooking for centuries.

Thanks for your question.

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Wheaton, Md.: Is aframomum effective in the treatment of inflammation due to rosacea? If so, will the new products from Avon be marketed for this purpose? Thank you.

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, scientists say that the new products from Avon will be marketed only as cosmetics at this time.

However, Aframomum well may be effective against the inflammation in rosacea.

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Lake George, N.Y.: Hi, great article. Can you find grains of paradise at any major food stores, and what do you do with them in recipes, if so?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, yes, although Grains of Paradise are sometimes hard to locate, they are in specialty stores...the best place to look for recipes for this spice might be from foods of Africa, or you could try them on anything that pepper works well on.

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Minneapolis, Minn.: Could you talk about the history of the use of this plant in Africa?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Grains of Paradise, despite its popular beginnings in Africa, is not well-known outside that area. It's still widely used as a spice in African cuisine, especially in places like Morocco.

It's used as a pepper substitute, and also has been chewed in cold weather as a way of warming up!

The major user today of Grains of Paradise in the U.S. is the Boston Brewing Company, which makes Samuel Adams beer. The spice is in Sam Adams' Summer Ale.

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New Haven, Ct.: Have researchers determined if Aframomum melegueta has blood thinning properties, or causes bleeding, as NSAIDS do?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hi, as far as I've been able to learn, this question has yet to be answered.

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San Francisco, Calif.: Hello, is it recommended that everyone have their C-reactive protein checked regularly?

Are there other similar indicators of inflammation that doctors can screen patients for?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hi, great question. C-reactive protein is an indicator of inflammation that many doctors now check, like they do cholesterol or homocysteine, to test for possible heart disease. It's what's called a "non-specific" marker, though, so it can indicate any process in the body in which inflammation is going on.

Other indicators of inflammation your doctor might run blood tests for are things like "sed. rate."

You might check various sources for more information on this question, and talk with your doctor about whether you have risk factors for heart disease.

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Montreal, Canada: My son, who is 20, has experienced extreme, chronic, almost disabling, migraines for the last several years on a more or less continuous basis. Conventional treatments have failed including prophylactic medications of various kinds - including various anti inflammatories (even humble aspririn is regarded as a first line migraine medication in England for example).

If this might help my son, and is harmles, even on an experimental basis, would Rutgers make it available?

Given the severity of his problem he is certainly a test case for this problem as if it would help him it might help many others!

Yours truly,

Clive

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, I'm sorry to hear about your son's migraines, I've heard they can be very disabling.

At this time, you can find seeds of Aframomum through specialty stores like spice houses and in some nutrition stores.

I believe that development of a drug that would be in clinical trials is still some time away, but you might keep an eye out for new information on this through searches, or on NIH's clinical trials web site.

It's for people like your son that scientists hope a new drug will be developed.

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Pittsburgh, Pa. : Given the problems with may other anti-imflamatory drugs, has any data been revealed about possible side effects in trials so far? Or is this premature at this point?

fritz

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: The safety and side effects of this plant in therapeutic dosages would need to be studied in more detail before it could be used as a drug. Defining clinical trials of Aframomum as a drug are still, for the most part, in the future.

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Dale, Texas: Would psoriasis be a likely candidate for use of an Afromomum medication?

Thank you for following this subject.

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, thanks for your question. I think psoriasis has an inflammatory component, so in theory, any topical or oral drug that might be made from Aframomum would work on psoriasis.

Hope this helps.

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Santa Monica CA: Dear Ms. Dybas -

I have two quick questions concerning Aframomum.

First is it known what cytokines modulators are specifically effected by the drug, e.g., IL-6 or IL-18?

Secondly, because this has been in the food supply of West Africa's Grain Coast for so long, is this likely to shorten the time for obtaining FDA approval of the drug?

Thanks.

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, I'm not sure whether IL-6 or IL-18 were studied, it's possible that they were. Interleukin Genetics may have that information as part of its clinical trial.

In terms of the plant having been in the food supply, yes, that aspect will shorten the amount of time needed for FDA approval of any new drug resulting from it.

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Lyme, Ct.: Is it going to be possible to grow Grains of Paradise commercially?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hi, yes, in fact, it's grown commercially, and as stated above, commercial sources are the sole means by which U.S. scientists acquire Aframomum.

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Annandale, Va.: How is it likely to be used in cosmetics? I'm an Avon representative, so very interested.

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hi, as far as I know, Aframomum would be used in Avon skin care products. Thanks for your question.

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New Orleans, La.: Are the gingerols mentioned in the article the same compounds in ginger that settle people's stomachs and prevent nausea?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hi, great question. According to scientists, yes, the gingerols in Aframomum are related to the properties in ginger that prevent nausea. Ginger, too, may have anti-inflammatory properties, and in fact, Aframomum is a member of the ginger family.

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Lyme, Ct.: Are there concerns of overharvesting Grains of Paradise?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hi, thanks so much for your question...the answer lies in the fact that all the Aframomum used by U.S. scientists has been cultivated by African farmers and sold as a crop, so the issue of depleting natural resources isn't a concern.

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Arlington, Va.: Great article!! Besides Grains of Paradise, are there other African plants being looked at for possible medical uses?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Scientists are looking into new drugs and dietary supplements and functional foods from several plants that are native to Africa. Who knows what may develop?

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Nashville, Tenn.: What amount of "seeds of paradise" will yield some of the anti-inflammatory benefits?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, researchers are still working on what amount would be the proper dosing for anti-inflammatory benefits. Stay tuned!

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Alexandria, Va.: Does this seed help those who are diagnosed by blood test with inflammation but no root disease is found?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, at this time, no one knows for sure, as no definitive clinical trials yet have been run. As with the previous question, stay tuned in the near future, however!

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washingtonpost.com: Gorilla Staple Adds Spice to New Drugs ( Post, Nov. 27)

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Bethesda, Md.:1. Has anyone looked at the question of whether Alzheimer's (or other chronic inflammatory diseases) is reduced among those Africans who eat more of this spice compared to others from similar backgrounds who have not eaten it?

2. Has anyone attempted to grow this plant in any comparable Western Hemisphere ecosystem?

3. The picture reminds me of the Hawaiian flowering plant called a ginger plant. Has anyone looked for the similar compounds in the Hawaiian plant?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, the picture probably reminds you of ginger, as indeed Aframomum is in the ginger family.

No one has yet looked at effects of Aframomum on Alzheimer's disease in Africans, although that would be a great study.

Researchers are trying to grow the plant experimentally in various places around the world.

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Fulton, Md.: I have reference to three COX2 inhibitors in Melegueta peppers: gingerol, shogaol, zingerone. Do the scientists know of other COX2 inhibitors? These three were mentioned in a CRC handbook of Medicinal Spices, 2002.

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, great question, and indeed, all three of those COX-2 inhibitors are present in Aframomum. There are other COX-2 inhibitors in other plants, like willow bark, which led to the development of aspirin. The salicylic acid in aspirin inhibits both COX-1 and COX-2.

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San Diego, Calif.: I have an herb garden and I have ginger plants now. Where do I get an Aframomum plant?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, scientists say that you might grow an Aframomum plant from its seeds...good luck!

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New Orleans, La.: It's interesting that this substance has both anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activity. Isn't that fairly unusual? Those types of activities occur in very different biochemical pathways. What is known about the mechanism of anti-microbial activity?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: It may be that likely compounds present in Aframomum are responsible for different activities. I'm not sure what the exact mechanism of anti-microbial activity is and whether it is similar to that of anti-inflammatory activity.

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Bethesda, Md.: Hi! It seems from your article that the seeds are eaten both raw and cooked. Is there evidence whether it's biological effects are more potent in one form or another?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Usually biological activity is diminished by cooking, researchers believe, so it may be that eating the seeds raw is better.

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Washington, D.C.: Hello.

Your article was extremely interesting. Do you know what the common name is for the seed in the West African language?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: It may that the seed is also called Guinea pepper, as well as Grains of Paradise.

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Annapolis, Md.: Does FDA have to approve Afromomum for use in cosmetics or just pharmaceuticals?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, FDA only has to approve Aframomum for use in pharmaceuticals.

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Washington, D.C.:

Your article mentions that "grains of paradise" are a rare, hard-to-find spice. This is true, but grains of paradise are known to folks interested in African and medieval European cuisine. Africans (in the parts of Africa where it grows) have long used Aframomum melegueta in cooking. In the middle ages it was exported from Africa to Europe, where it was used as a seasoning in various dishes and even in beer. (Google search for "grains of paradise" and "beer"). Part of Africa was even called "the grain coast", named for the trade in Aframomum melegueta. As black pepper (from Asia) and red pepper (from America) became available, the "grains of paradise" trade dried up.

For more info, see

Congo Cook Book

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, thanks so much for letting all of us know where to find a cookbook with Aframomum recipes, will be sure to try them!

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Oklahoma City, Okla.: Any specualtion in possible uses in inflammatory bowel diseases, like Crohn's or ulcerative colitis?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, yes, they are all inflammation-related diseases, although there is no specific information about Aframomum and those particular diseases at this time. Hopefully in the near-term...

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Charlottesville, Va. : Hello,

I'm very excited to know that a new kind of anti-imflammitory substance is in the works since I cannot use most of the current ones because of stomach reactions. If this works in the same way as Celebrex et. al., it may still not work for me. What has been determined about its effect on the protective mucus lining of the stomach?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Scientists hope that a drug from Aframomum will not have the same side effects as drugs like Celebrex, so there may be light at the end of the tunnel for people who can't take existing anti-inflammatory drugs.

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Boston, Mass.: Interesting article.

Any information linking the much lower rate of asthma in African countries to consumption of this plant?

Also, is it used topically as well as consumed?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, I'm not aware of any information on the lower rate of asthma in African countries, although that, too, would make a great study regarding Aframomum effects.

The plant is consumed, but I'm not sure about its topical use, it may be used in that way in African countries.

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Anonymous: I read in your article that a U.S. organization is seeking patents for "Aframomum-related discoveries." How likely is it that the Africans who discovered Aframomum, and shared it with American scientists, will reap the financial rewards of commercializing the resulting drug?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Researchers hope that African farmers will benefit from this work by expanding their Aframomum cultivation, from which a medical extract would be developed. The African farmers may enjoy the value-added associated with the plant's medicinal use.

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Columbia, Md.: I found them on the Internet for sale at almost $60 a pound but it does not tell me if these seeds can be used to grow the plant. I would be interested in trying to grow them. Are you aware of where the fertile seeds can be bought?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, botanists say that what you're buying may well be fertile, in fact!

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Camarillo, Calif.: A few online herbal stores sell aframomum melegueta seeds. Are such seeds ok to take orally for relief of joint inflammation? If so, in what dosages?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, using Aframomum as a food is fine, say experts. To know whether it will help with joint inflammation will take more research, but the future in this area looks promising, scientists think.

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Alexandria, Va.: In your article it states "at a very low concentration significantly inhibited the production of C-reactive protein." How does this low concentration equate to how much Grains of Paradise would be needed to be effective?

washingtonpost.com: Gorilla Staple Adds Spice to New Drugs ( Post, Nov. 27)

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, this is one of the unknowns about Aframomum, but it's hoped that clinical trial results would shed more light on this aspect.

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Washington, D.C.: Is there reason to believe that people on blood-thinning medication who cannot take normal ant-inflammatory medicines would be able to use this? Thanks.

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Scientists say that it might not have as much activity on blood-thinning as it acts mostly on COX-2 rather than COX-1, limiting blood-thinning effects.

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Sao Paulo, Brazil: Can we get the anti-inflamatory benefits from the seeds, or do we need the liquid extract? if the seeds are sufficient, how should they be consumed? can they be ground without losing their potency? where can they be bought? is the liquid extract also for sale somewhere? thanks.

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, the liquid extract is believed to be much more potent, so in any drug development, the liquid extract would likely be used.

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Bethesda, Md.: Has anyone observed whether gorillas seek out this plant under particular circumstances, analogous to what elephants do when they are ready to go into labor? It does seem that eating pepper would not be a natural food preference for animals that like sweet fruits, etc.! There must be a very strong evolutionary selection for gorillas who would eat these spicy plants!

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, scientists are currently developing plans to go to Africa to find answers to the questions you're asking, which are great!

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Fremont, Calif.: Where can we get this new compound? And when.

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, you can buy the seeds now in specialty stores or over the Internet from credible suppliers.

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Los Angeles, Calif.: Are there any noted side affects to this spice, such as rash, headache, etc.?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, during the lengthy time people have been eating the seeds for many years in Africa (and in Europe), no side effects have come to light to scientists' knowledge.

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SW D.C.: A questioner asked what the plant's name was in the local language. There are about thirteen local languages in Liberia alone, so unless you have your Mano-Gio-Kru-Kpelle-Lorma-Bassa-Krahn-To English dictionary, one name might not be too useful. English is the lingua franca (!) of Liberia.

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, thanks for the information, a very good point!!

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San Luis Potosi, Mexico: Do you know the rate of Lupus in these African countries? Do healers there use the plant for it?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Scientists say that indeed, Lupus may potentially also benefit from Aframomum.

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Washington, D.C.: Can you give a ball park time as to when studies would be ready for FDA approval? Are we talking decades?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, great question! As a drug, it would take about five years for approval, researchers believe.

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Anonymous: Can one apply to participate in any clinical trials that may be conducted? Would it be possible to use the drug now experimentally on infections that simply won't yield to available antibiotics?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: You might check the NIH clinical trials web site for possibilities, using Aframomum or Grains of Paradise as key words. FDA also has a web site that lists trials, in addition to those on NIH's site.

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Rockville, Md.: There seems to be a lot of unexpected side effects in this area. Why? Is this more complicated that we expected? Most things are.

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: It may be because of current drugs' effects on blood coagulation.

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Washington Grove, Md.: Could you discuss the possible use of this drug for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis and related conditions?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, Aframomum might work on pulmonary fibrosis, but no one knows for sure at this point. There are good anti-inflammatory drugs that work on pulmonary fibrosis at this time, so you might ask your doctor for more information.

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Washington, D.C.: Is it possible to grow this in the U.S.?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: It's likely it could be grown in the U.S., perhaps in southern climes, or in greenhouses, anywhere that the climate is similar to that of the plant's native African range, humid and warm.

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Vienna, Va.: My mother had a bad attack of shingles nearly a year ago and still suffers from excruciating pain. Is it possible this breakthrough could help her? We are at our wits' end! Thanks so much.

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Unfortunately, since shingles is a viral condition, Aframomum likely would not work on that, I'm sorry to say. Its properties are mostly anti-inflammatory.

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Annapolis, Md.: Where can I buy the spice, Afromomum?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hi, the spice is available on-line or in specialty food or nutrition stores...although at times, it becomes rare and hard to come by.

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Washington, D.C.: What is known about the spectrum of anti-microbial activity? In addition to staph bacteria, is it known whether viruses, parasites such as malaria, fungi, mycobacteria such as TB, may be inhibited by this plant? All of these activities would be very useful in the native region where this grows!

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, these are wonderful questions; unfortunately, scientists don't yet know the answers. Testing has yet to be done on viruses, etc.

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Washington, D.C: Since Aframomum is in the ginger family, does ginger also reduce inflammation?

Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hello, yes, ginger does inhibit inflammation, as has been shown by several studies with results available on the Internet via PubMed, MedLine or similar sites.

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Cheryl Lyn Dybas: Hi, all, unfortunately, we're out of time today for the science on-line chat.

Thanks for all your wonderful questions! Let's hope that scientists are able to develop a new drug from Aframomum in the near-term.

From the traffic today, it's clear that so many people with a range of diseases would benefit from it, as might captive gorillas with unexplained heart disease.

Thanks again for joining in!

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