Quick questions on Aboriginal protocols and the development of medicines: HSC Biology Module 7

Smoke bush (Conospermum species). Used by Noongar people in Western Australia for treating colds and infections. Screened by the US National Cancer Institute and found to contain conocurvone, a compound with activity against HIV in laboratory studies. WA legislation was amended in the 1990s to require benefit-sharing arrangements after the smoke bush case raised concerns about uncompensated extraction.

Contemporary use of Aboriginal knowledge in pharmaceutical research is governed by several overlapping protocols.

The Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (2014). An international treaty under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. Australia is a signatory. Requires equitable benefit sharing from the use of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge.

Aboriginal knowledge has made measurable contributions to Australian medicine, particularly in topical antimicrobials (tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil) and in pharmaceutical leads (Kakadu plum, smoke bush). The historical record includes many cases of extraction without consent or benefit sharing, and contemporary protocols are an attempt to redress that history. Effectiveness of the protocols depends on enforcement and on whether agreements deliver real benefits to the communities involved.

Used by Noongar people in Western Australia for treating colds and infections. Screened by the US National Cancer Institute and found to contain conocurvone, a compound with activity against HIV in laboratory studies. WA legislation was amended in the 1990s to require benefit-sharing arrangements after the smoke bush case raised concerns about uncompensated extraction.

Used by the Bundjalung peoples of northern New South Wales for skin infections and wound dressing. The essential oil contains terpinen-4-ol, an antimicrobial that is active against bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant strains) and fungi (Candida, tinea). Tea tree oil is now a commercial topical antimicrobial product.

Used across Aboriginal Australia for respiratory ailments and as an antiseptic. Cineole-rich oils from Eucalyptus polybractea and E. globulus have documented antimicrobial activity.

Used by Aboriginal peoples of northern Australia. Has the highest known concentration of vitamin C of any plant, and contains ellagic and gallic acids with antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. Now used in cosmeceuticals and food preservation.

Several Acacia species were used as wound dressings; the bark contains tannins with astringent and antimicrobial activity.

Traditional knowledge holders must be informed of the proposed use of their knowledge and biological materials, and must consent before collection or research begins.

When commercial outcomes result, traditional custodians share in the financial and non-financial benefits. This may take the form of royalties, joint patents, employment, or investment in community programs.

Knowledge sources are acknowledged in scientific publications, patents and commercial products.

Knowledge about plants and their uses is often held by specific knowledge holders. Research must respect who may share knowledge, how it is recorded, and what is appropriate to publish.

An international treaty under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. Australia is a signatory. Requires equitable benefit sharing from the use of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge.

Requires a benefit-sharing agreement for the commercial use of native biological material in Queensland.