Many species of indigenous flora are rongoā - they have medicinal properties used by Māori for hundreds of years. As such, rongoā plants have provided relief for many common ailments and chronic conditions over centuries where mātauranga Māori (traditional knowledge) holds significant importance.
Given the uniqueness and diversity of NZ’s indigenous flora, it is likely that new bioactive compounds will be discovered for their therapeutic or protective properties in supporting recovery and reducing the severity of symptoms associated with viral-related infections.
Furthermore, given the slow uptake of Covid-19 vaccinations, particularly among Māori, and the burden of Covid-19 for Māori as a priority and vulnerable population, it is crucial that culturally appropriate treatments be explored to ensure that wellbeing is proactively secured for Treaty partners.
Surprisingly, NZ’s indigenous flora has not been comprehensively evaluated for anti-viral efficacy related to infectious disease. Very little information is available correlating the functional health benefits of rongoā plants for infectious disease.
The work conducted by rongoā Māori practitioners, in providing complementary alternative health therapies, has too often been ignored due to the lack of scientific and clinical research to verify their practice. As such, their work is thought to have no value in terms of meeting present day health needs, and therefore warrants no support to enable healers to bring rongoā rākau to those they can help. This in turn contributes to loss of mātauranga Māori which is the basis of rongoā Māori.
A major objection raised by mainstream health providers is the lack of scientific and clinical research to support the use of rongoā rākau, which therefore creates resistance towards the acceptance of rongoā rākau in the community.
Many of the claimed efficacies of rongoā rākau with anti-viral properties are not based on robust clinical trials of a modern standard and the mode of action is generally unknown. As such the major challenge remains in the identification and validation of active anti-viral agents from rongoā plants to support their functional efficacy for ameliorating infectious disease. Furthermore, first-hand mātauranga ensures high probability of bioactive natural products, and knowledge of human safety of traditional preparations. Therefore, screens and tests that are known to identify active compounds from natural products and validate their medicinal use will be explored.
The proposed programme will develop a framework to guide the sourcing, management and protection of rongoā rākau, mātauranga, scientific data or knowledge relating to the proposed research. This study will also source and prepare extracts of rongoā in collaboration with the lead Māori partner and other Iwi representatives with aligned kaitiaki interests. This study will examine the antiviral efficacy of rongoā using plaque reduction assays for two evolutionarily distinct pathogenic viruses (PC2 and PC3), including potency (IC50) and cytotoxicity (CC50) profiling, to find the therapeutic window for antiviral activities.
