EXTRACTS OF DARLINGTONIA CALIFORNICA

[John Brittnacher]

Google Scholar just posted this patent. I am wondering if this poses a new threat to Darlingtonia in the wild.

EXTRACTS OF DARLINGTONIA CALIFORNICA
C Wirth - US Patent 20,140,099,274, 2014

Abstract: The present invention relates to an extract from plant parts of Darlingtonia californica, to a process for the preparation thereof, to the use of the extract in cosmetic or dermatological preparations and as self-tanning agent, and to preparations comprising an extract from plant parts of Darlingtonia californica and the preparation thereof.

www.freepatentsonline.com/y2014/0099274.html

[sflynn]

Sounds like this could pose a problem similar to that of Sarracenia pitcher harvesting for flower arrangements in the south.

Did they mention where they plan to obtain all the leaves to produce this stuff?!?

[tanukimo]

What does the DE behind their names mean? Does it mean they are from Denmark or Germany? And I agree, this seems like it could be a problem. I remember reading somewhere that the mucilage on Drosera could be used for treating wounds too.

[marcel]

Yes, DE means the company and researchers are from Germany, to be exact from Darmstadt in the Federal State of Hesse. It is a known cosmetics manifacturer.

Wild population don't have to be harvested though. Darlingtonia is available in TC in Europe (about € 3,50 wholesale a piece)and it will grow outdoors so setting up a plantation is very possible and probably easier than finding wild populations on not protected land and harvesting and shipping from the middle of nowhere.

Don't know about drosera being used to treat wounds. It is well known for use in cough medicine. The fluid of unopened Nepenthes pitchers is however used to clean wounds and eyes but that is mainly because it is the most sterile source of water (unopened pitchers contain sterile fluid without enzymes)in teh jungle.

[stevebooth]

Alternatively (and I am an optimist)to the harvesting of wild plants, which would have a limited time period, there would be mass tissue culture and farming of Darlingtonia, to support the requirement, in a sustainable fashion, as Marcel suggests.

Cheers
Steve

[fredg]

The plant ( Darlingtonia) is so very easy to grow, farming it would pose no problems whatsoever. There is absolutely no need to disturb wild populations.

[Not a Number]

There are the Dionaea extracts which claim to boost the immune system and even cure some cancers. The advocates claim that extract from plants propagated through tissue culture don't have the same curative properties.

www.carnivora.com/about-carnivora.html

[marcel]

Yes, I know of those guys. The stuff isn't approved in the US and shouldn't be elswhere. Lots of nasty discussions with those guys on behalve of the Dutch society (that goes by the name of Carnivora for 27 years this September). The only reason why something doesn't have the same properties undet cultivation is if the property has nothing to do with the subject. It is the same with Dartfrogs, the ones in captivity are not or very much less dangerous as their poison comes from the bugs they eat in the wild. If a cultivated plant doesn't have a property they should look at the natural soil and even then no two populations would be he same.

[dieter]

Indeed, but it should also be mentioned that those activities boosted the propagation of Dionaea by many methods. So there are also some good developments (among the bad ones).

Even though is is just my opinion, I would like to add that those Merck researchers just filed a patent application. It is not even a granted patent yet. This does not mean that the described technology/process will be used eventually.

Cheers
Dieter

[ICPS-bob]

For those further interested in such patents see
www.google.com/patents/EP0249165B1?cl=en
or in the original German
www.google.com/patents/EP0249165B1?cl=de

Medicine for combating malignant and chronic diseases
EP 0249165 B1

A partial list of claims for this patent (spelling errors introduced in the translation):
1. Use of the digestive secretion exuded by carnivorous plants, for which the plant is not destroyed, as therapeutic substance for the production of a medicament for the combatting of malignant and chronic diseases which directly and/or indirectly cause a change in the cell structure of the body cells.
2. Use of the digestive secretion according to claim 1 of the plants of the species heliamphora, sarracenia, darlingtonia, cephalotus or nepenthes.
3. Use of the digestive secretion according to claim 1 of the plants of the family of drosera, in particular of the diondaea muscipula.
4. Use of the digestive secretion according to claim 1 of the plants of the family of lentibulariaceen, in particular of the utricularia species.
5++. etc.

[ccwerner]

There are some research to treat plants from tissue culture to increase their secondary metabolite content. Such treatments are known as elicitation. Elicitors could be biotic or abiotic. This is to trigger the defense mechanism of the plant subject. Those compounds produced by wild plants are due to their prolong exposure to biotic/abiotic stresses, thus bulking up their secondary metabolite contents. Research have proven that elicitation could even performed on plantlets that are still in vitro. Many research papers described such elicitation on carnivorous plants.