New pain medication from mudjala bark
November 24, 2023 3:14 PM Subscribe
When John Watson was bitten by a crocodile, he knew exactly which plant would help his wound. Scientists now think that plant could lead to a powerful pain relief gel
"It's a little bit shorter now": That's how Nyikina Mangala elder John Watson describes his finger, which was severed by a crocodile as he hunted in Western Australia's remote Kimberley region.
But researchers from Griffith University are more interested in what happened straight after the bite.
Mr Watson took some bark from a mudjala mangrove tree, chewed it up and applied it to the wound for pain relief.
The pain relieving properties of the mudjala's bark have long been known by the Nyikina Mangala people.
"The mudjala tree is a numbing medicine," Mr Watson said. A team from Griffith University, led by Professor Ronald Quinn, has spent years researching the powerful active compounds in the mudjala bark, which contain both anti-inflammatory and pain relief properties.
Mr Watson said that after testing, researchers told him those compounds were "stronger than morphine".
The research team has been conducting trials and hopes to have a gel form of pain relief, made from the mudjala bark properties, available in time for athletes to use at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
"It's a little bit shorter now": That's how Nyikina Mangala elder John Watson describes his finger, which was severed by a crocodile as he hunted in Western Australia's remote Kimberley region.
But researchers from Griffith University are more interested in what happened straight after the bite.
Mr Watson took some bark from a mudjala mangrove tree, chewed it up and applied it to the wound for pain relief.
The pain relieving properties of the mudjala's bark have long been known by the Nyikina Mangala people.
"The mudjala tree is a numbing medicine," Mr Watson said. A team from Griffith University, led by Professor Ronald Quinn, has spent years researching the powerful active compounds in the mudjala bark, which contain both anti-inflammatory and pain relief properties.
Mr Watson said that after testing, researchers told him those compounds were "stronger than morphine".
The research team has been conducting trials and hopes to have a gel form of pain relief, made from the mudjala bark properties, available in time for athletes to use at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
Shit keeps evolving. On both sides. Very cool
posted by Windopaene at 3:32 PM on November 24, 2023
posted by Windopaene at 3:32 PM on November 24, 2023
On both sides.
I love that this comment suggests crocodiles are evolving to make even more painful bites.
posted by mittens at 3:41 PM on November 24, 2023 [47 favorites]
I love that this comment suggests crocodiles are evolving to make even more painful bites.
posted by mittens at 3:41 PM on November 24, 2023 [47 favorites]
I love that this comment suggests crocodiles are evolving to make even more painful bites.
Can we be sure if crocodiles aren't doing exactly that? Have you seen humans? The whole Cenozoic era has basically been a disaster. They need powerful disincentives or they'll just keep on doing human stuff. It's the logical course of action.
"Did you bite that human?"
"Yeah!"
"And he came back?"
"Like a week later, but yeah. Rubbed some tree bark on his finger then right back to it."
"We need to start thinking about venom or tooth geometry or something. This is getting out of hand."
posted by howbigisthistextfield at 4:00 PM on November 24, 2023 [34 favorites]
Can we be sure if crocodiles aren't doing exactly that? Have you seen humans? The whole Cenozoic era has basically been a disaster. They need powerful disincentives or they'll just keep on doing human stuff. It's the logical course of action.
"Did you bite that human?"
"Yeah!"
"And he came back?"
"Like a week later, but yeah. Rubbed some tree bark on his finger then right back to it."
"We need to start thinking about venom or tooth geometry or something. This is getting out of hand."
posted by howbigisthistextfield at 4:00 PM on November 24, 2023 [34 favorites]
I was trying to find more information about the actual compounds and who is developing the products, unsuccessfully. If anyone has a link to a paper describing the the compounds that'd be great.
It does appear the work on this goes back almost 40 years.
posted by mark k at 4:34 PM on November 24, 2023 [4 favorites]
It does appear the work on this goes back almost 40 years.
posted by mark k at 4:34 PM on November 24, 2023 [4 favorites]
The impressive thing to me is that the aboriginal group is able to maintain the IP rights and, one assumes, share in the profits that might accrue, rather than being “thanked for their contribution,” while the money went to the university and pharma companies.
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:49 PM on November 24, 2023 [36 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:49 PM on November 24, 2023 [36 favorites]
GenjiandProust: yes, I'm a big fan of the idea that the traditional knowledge owners/traditional knowledge holders get to share in the profits.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 5:26 PM on November 24, 2023 [15 favorites]
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 5:26 PM on November 24, 2023 [15 favorites]
I’m also curious about the compounds and how they work. I was able to find the scientific name of the mudjala mangrove, Barringtonia acutangula, but I couldn’t find any more specific information on PubMed.
posted by Emmy Noether at 5:31 PM on November 24, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by Emmy Noether at 5:31 PM on November 24, 2023 [4 favorites]
I’d love to know how a crocodile only bit the tip of his finger off.
posted by glaucon at 8:25 PM on November 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by glaucon at 8:25 PM on November 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
glaucon, it was almost certainly a juvenile, very small crocodile. Probably a juvenile, very small freshwater crocodile. (Saltwater crocodiles grow much larger than freshwater crocodiles, and are also much more aggressive.)
John Watson may have been reaching into the water to catch fish, turtles, or snakes when it happened.
Freshwater crocodiles eat insects and fish (as well as larger prey.) Insects appear to be the most common food, followed by fish. Small prey is usually obtained by a 'sit-and-wait' method, whereby the crocodile lies motionless in shallow water and waits for fish and insects to come within close range, before they are snapped up in a sideways action. However, larger prey such as wallabies and water birds may be stalked and ambushed in a manner similar to that of the saltwater crocodile.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 9:34 PM on November 24, 2023 [2 favorites]
John Watson may have been reaching into the water to catch fish, turtles, or snakes when it happened.
Freshwater crocodiles eat insects and fish (as well as larger prey.) Insects appear to be the most common food, followed by fish. Small prey is usually obtained by a 'sit-and-wait' method, whereby the crocodile lies motionless in shallow water and waits for fish and insects to come within close range, before they are snapped up in a sideways action. However, larger prey such as wallabies and water birds may be stalked and ambushed in a manner similar to that of the saltwater crocodile.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 9:34 PM on November 24, 2023 [2 favorites]
"We need to start thinking about venom or tooth geometry or something. This is getting out of hand."
Or you crocs could, you know, just stop biting us humans. We don't give a shit if you chow down on wallabies, fish, each other, and the occasional cow. Just leave us humans off the menu, and you can more or less do what you want.
We did kindly stop hunting you to extinction a few decades back, leaving you to peacefully repopulate to the point where almost all northern waters, from billabongs to the sea, are now unsafe for us to enter, and belong to you again. We don't even shoot you when you turn up in our harbours, just give you a nice comfortable all-expenses paid travel experience to a new home far away. Well, most of the time, anyway.
We can always dust off the blunderbuss and polish up the harpoon gun again if you really want. We might have lost against the emus, but can still drive you scaly snaggle-tooth ingrates into extinction anytime we want.
Some archosaurians just got no sense of decorum. *rolls eyes*
posted by Pouteria at 9:59 PM on November 24, 2023 [7 favorites]
Or you crocs could, you know, just stop biting us humans. We don't give a shit if you chow down on wallabies, fish, each other, and the occasional cow. Just leave us humans off the menu, and you can more or less do what you want.
We did kindly stop hunting you to extinction a few decades back, leaving you to peacefully repopulate to the point where almost all northern waters, from billabongs to the sea, are now unsafe for us to enter, and belong to you again. We don't even shoot you when you turn up in our harbours, just give you a nice comfortable all-expenses paid travel experience to a new home far away. Well, most of the time, anyway.
We can always dust off the blunderbuss and polish up the harpoon gun again if you really want. We might have lost against the emus, but can still drive you scaly snaggle-tooth ingrates into extinction anytime we want.
Some archosaurians just got no sense of decorum. *rolls eyes*
posted by Pouteria at 9:59 PM on November 24, 2023 [7 favorites]
I’m also curious about the compounds and how they work. I was able to find the scientific name of the mudjala mangrove, Barringtonia acutangula, but I couldn’t find any more specific information on PubMed.It looks like this is a (paywalled) publication, and here's a (nearly expired) patent.
posted by kickingtheground at 10:05 PM on November 24, 2023 [3 favorites]
Any way we can help pain sufferers is a good move. Everyone remembers that plain old aspirin was first developed from folk wisdom of the native population who was using willow bark in a similar manner for pain relief. Not only are we losing native biodiversity but also the wisdom of so many populations.
But I lol'd at the article looking forward to it being used on Olympic athletes; because having them perform in spite of critical pain is always a goal.
posted by mightshould at 2:43 AM on November 25, 2023 [8 favorites]
But I lol'd at the article looking forward to it being used on Olympic athletes; because having them perform in spite of critical pain is always a goal.
posted by mightshould at 2:43 AM on November 25, 2023 [8 favorites]
Painkillers are absolutely (ab)used by endurance athletes. Probably not what the article was proposing, but…
https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/tramadol-painkiller-ban-study/
posted by stobor at 8:45 AM on November 25, 2023
https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/tramadol-painkiller-ban-study/
posted by stobor at 8:45 AM on November 25, 2023
When I first read the title, I thought it was about Sherlock Holmes. I was amused. That's all.
posted by branca at 11:16 AM on November 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by branca at 11:16 AM on November 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
"Western medicine and science can help prove traditional medicines are safe...."
Um...
posted by BWA at 1:57 PM on November 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
Um...
posted by BWA at 1:57 PM on November 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
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