Connecting plant species and natural products from the Canadian prairie ecological zone to biomedical knowledge

• Published in: Botany Vol. 100; no. 2; pp. 231 - 245
• Main Authors: Molina, Layla, Allard, Haley K, Kernéis, Sophie M, Golsteyn, Roy M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 1840 Woodward Drive, Suite 1, Ottawa, ON K2C 0P7 Canadian Science Publishing 01.02.2022; NRC Research Press
• Subjects: Alberta; Asteraceae; Blackfoot; Chemical properties; Compositae; First Nations; Health aspects; herbivorie; herbivory; lactones sesquiterpènes; métabolites secondaires; natural products; Pied-Noir; Plant products; prairie; Prairie flora; Premières nations; produits naturels; Psychological aspects; savoir traditionnel; secondary metabolites; sesquiterpene lactones; Traditional Knowledge; Canada
• ISSN: 1916-2790; 1916-2804
• DOI: 10.1139/cjb-2021-0067

Natural products from plants in Canadian ecological zones are understudied. There are, however, sound scientific arguments to justify investigation of natural products from plant species found within these zones. Here, we review a broad range of scientific and local literature describing the features of the Canadian prairie ecological zone and the Asteraceae taxonomical family. Species from Asteraceae are well represented in the prairie ecological system, although very few have been investigated for natural products with biomedical properties. Data from a range of sources that address ecological interactions, abiotic features, and Traditional Knowledge provide a foundation for future scientific studies of plant natural products found within Canadian borders. We draw from discoveries of the Asteraceae family and one of its major classes of secondary metabolites, sesquiterpenes, to stimulate research of Asteraceae species in Canada.