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COUNTRY
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ACTIVITIES
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REMARKS
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Afghanistan
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- Need for conservation of several
medicinal plants e.g. Ferula foetida, Scorodosma foetida, etc.
endangered
by war-stricken conditions
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- Potential market remains underdeveloped.
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Armenia
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- Rich history of use and export of
medicinal plants
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- Over 3200 species described and conserved
for use and export.
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Australia
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- Asian-Australian Centre for the Study
of Bioactive Medicinal Plant Constituents was set up in 1992 at
La Trobe University for conduction of research in collaboration
with Chulalongkorn and Chieng-Mai Universities in Thailand
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- Inter-university research work focuses
on:
- The bioactive constituents
of turmeric e.g. curcumin
- Islamic medicinal plants
- Antifungal proteins and secondary metabolites
in crop plants, e.g. in cotton and yellow mustard Sinapis alba
- Marine toxins
-Collaboration on medicinal plants with
scientists from Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Singapore, Kuwait
and New Zealand.
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Bangladesh
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- Research on cultivation and biochemical
aspects of medicinal plants
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- Bangladesh Council for Scientific
and Industrial Laboratory at Chittagong oversees development of
appropriate chemical technologies, and pharmacopoeia of plants.
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Bhutan
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- Sustainable protection and use of
forest resources and development of plant tissue culture
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- Capacity building in plant biotechnology
for rural markets and development of forest seedlings Indigenous
Hospital in Thimphu has recorded 180 species of medicinal and aromatic
plants
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Canada
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- Southern Crop and Food Production
Centre of Agriculture and Agrifood Canada mandated to develop novel
technologies in production and protection of new crops inclusive
of medicinal plants
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- Active research on crop production,
genetics, germplasm improvement, micropropagation, and protection
of medicinal herbs. Attention is given to research in developing
base-line agronomic information, elucidating the chemistry of bioactive
principles, etc.
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China astralgus
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- Chinese root extracts from
Astragalus membranaceus have been developed for use as a
general tonic food and for boosting immunity
- Institute of Medicinal Plants established
in 1983 with branches in provinces of Yunnan, Hainan and Guangxi
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- Used in Chinese herbal medicine to
strengthen the vital energy Qi in general health and well
being
- Product widely used in China, and
South Asia
- Work deals with the development,
conservation and utilisation of medicinal plant resources, and the
discovery of new potent drugs. The Institute is also recognised
as a WHO Collaborating Centre on Traditional Medicine
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- Hong Kong Society for Traditional
Medicine and Natural Products Research
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- Established in 1995, activities focus
on research, training and public education in traditional medicine
and natural products. Professional services available for commercial,
government and industrial sectors.
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Dominican Republic
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- Launched in 1982 as a traditional
medicine for the islands (TRAMIL) network with support from IDRC,
activities focus on developing scientific proven medicinal plant
remedies as alternatives to patent drugs that are expensive and
difficult to obtain in rural populations
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- Regional node was established in
Panama in 1994 to cover area from Belize to Panama. Over 150 medicinal
plants evaluated and results disseminated in Caribbean Pharmacopoeia.
TRAMIL widely recognised in Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua
and Panama as effective mechanism in devising primary healthcare
programmes.
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Estonia
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- Network of plant genetic resources
inclusive of medicinal plants
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- Development of computerised genebank
system at Jogeva Plant Breeding Institute linking inputs from the
Polli Horticultural Institute and the Estonian Agricultural University
and Botanical Garden.
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Guatemala
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- Farmaya Laboratory, following
screening of 700 different plants, has developed 15 pharmaceutical
products using traditional knowledge of indigenous and rural groups;
Farmaya engaged in organic cultivation of medicinal plants,
pharmacological research, production of plant-derived pharmaceuticals,
and engaged in developing protocols for the safe use of medicinal
plants
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- Collaborates with the Central America
Centre of Studies on Appropriate Technologies (CEMAT)
- Created a National Commission for
the Use of Medicinal Plants which serves as a model for other Latin
American countries in developing guidelines and standardised protocols
for production of plant-based pharmaceuticals
- Co-operates in the IDRC project on
the Application, Research and Dissemination of the Use of Medicinal
Plants in the Caribbean.
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India
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- Governmental programme launched in
1993 for implementation by an NGO called "Foundation for Revitalisation
of Local Health Traditions"
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- 30 in situ "Medicinal Plant
Conservation Areas" (MPCA),
15 ex situ "Medicinal Plant Conservation Parks (MPCP), and
one Model Production Unit (MPU) have been established in the programme,
for large-scale production in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
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- Herbal Gene Bank at the Tropical
Botanic Garden Research Institute at Thiruvananthapurnam
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- All-India ethnobiological project
for the development of drugs from medicinal plants and herbs. Promotion
of ethnopharmacological research
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- Central Institute of Medicinal and
Aromatic plants in Lucknow
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- Institute deals with plant tissue
culture of medicinal plants of commercial significance; monitors
All-India Co-ordinated project on Conservation of Endangered Plant
species; maintenance of living herbaria or plant gardens that feed
traditional systems of medicine such as Ayurveda, Unani and Sidha.
Ayurveda recognised by WHO as an alternate system of medicine.
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- Germplasm Bank, Point Calimere Wildlife
Sanctuary
Tamil Nadu
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- More than 40 species of medicinal
plants are maintained and protected. Examples are Manilkara hexandra
to treat jaundice, Salvadora persicum to treat ulcers; Mucuma
purata used for preparation of a health tonic.
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Japan
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- Tsukuba Medicinal Plant Research
Station focuses on plant cultivation breeding and conservation methods
of medicinal plants; and research on the development of bioactive
components
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- Affiliate of the National Institute
of Health Sciences, this Medicinal Plant Research Station maintains
an exchange programme with about 400 research programmes in over
60 countries.
- Medicinal plants such as Duboisia,
Scopolia, Curcuma, Salvia and Zingiber are maintained in
tissue cultures
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- Research Centre of Medicinal Resources
Medicinal Plant Gardens, Chiba University
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- Chemical, biochemical and pharmacological
studies on plant secondary metabolites.
- Pharmacological studies of neurotoxic
proteins in Lathyrus sativus.
- Screening for biologically active
products in Asian medicinal plants.
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Kazakhstan
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- Conservation of crop germplasm (wheat,
barley, maize,
rye, medicinal plants)
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- Development of national programme
to increase drought, disease and frost-resistance of plants of economic
significance.
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Korea, Republic of
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- Natural Products Research Institute
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- Has played, for over 50 years, leading
role in research of natural drugs in Korea. Designated in 1977/1978
as Headquarter Centre for UNESCO Regional Network for the Chemistry
of Natural products in Southeast Asia, and in 1988 as WHO
Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine. In 1997, the
Institute was appointed as the Korea-China Collaborating
Centre for Traditional Oriental Medicines Research
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Latvia
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- National Network of plant genetic
resources inclusive of medicinal plants
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- Development of computerised database
at the Institute of Biology of the Latvian Academy of Sciences pooling
inputs from 8 different Latvian institutions
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Lithuania
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- Network of plant genetic resources
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- Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture
co-ordinates collection of agricultural crops, hops and medicinal
plants in Kaunas Botanical Garden, herbs in the Botanical Institute
in Vilnius, and industrial plants in the Horticultural Institute
on Babtai.
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Malaysia
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- Malaysia Natural Products Society
formed in 1994 overseeing co-ordination of activities with medicinal
plants and eventual release of Malaysian Pharmacopoeia
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- Screening of marine and terrestrial
biochemical diversity for medicinal principles, phytomedicinals
and nutraceuticals
- Active partners are:
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia; Universiti
Pertanian Malaysia; Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; Universiti Sains
Malaysia; Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and the Forest Research Institute
of Malaysia, which are pioneering research into the isolation, screening
and crystallisation of bioactive compounds and phytomedicinals from
e.g. Mitragyna speciosa, Alstonia anguslifolia, and
Dehaasia incrassata that have been used in traditional medicine.
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Malta
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- Medicinal plants are widely used
as part of folk medicinal remedies. Well-known Maltese examples
are: fejgel, faqqus il-hmir, and hobbeja.
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- Need for conservation since land
exploitation and recovery is destroying natural habitats.
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Moldova
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- Crop improvement and seed distribution
programmes
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- Development of disease, pest, and
environmental-stress resistant of oil-bearing and medicinal plants.
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Mongolia
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- Inventorization and classification
of more than 450 medicinal and nutritional herbs
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- Institute of Botany, Mongolian Academy
of Sciences. Research results reveal more than 30 new flowers.
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Myanmar
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- Conservation of plant genetic resources
and medicinal plants
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- Research programmes at Yangon (formerly
Rangoon) University focus on folk medicinal herbs; pharmacognostic
studies; and bioassay of plants credited with anti-tumour, anti-pyretic
and anti-diabetic properties.
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Nepal
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- Plant biotechnology, mushroom cultivation,
bioenergy production, environmental microbiology and medicinal plants
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- University programmes in plant tissue
culture, and environmental microbial-based technologies; medicinal
plants widely cultivated in Shivpuri, Doti, Tistung, Urindavan and
Tarakava Herbal farms. Herbal products widely marketed as Ayurvedic
therapeutics.
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New Zealand
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- Conservation of medicinal plants
used in Maori medicine
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- Coprosma robusta - a sacred
Maori medicinal plant, and Aristotelia serrata used by early
settlers maintained in nurseries.
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Nigeria
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- Preservation of Nigerian genetic
patrimony comprised of 5000 acquisitions of edible, fodder, forest,
industrial and medicinal plants
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- Research supported by National Centre
for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology which functions also as
affiliate of International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.
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Norway
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- Collaborative project between UNESCO
and Governmental agency
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- Conduction of research work in the
origins, uses, trades, and constraints in the cultivation of medicinal
plants in Mozambique and Madagascar by students at M.Sc. level.
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Pacific Islands
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- Noni, a Tahitian herbal tonic
derived from Morinda citrifolia is used as a general tonic
food and energiser
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- Product widely used in China and
South Asia and widely marketed throughout the pacific islands.
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Peru
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- Non-governmental organisation Consejo
Aguaruna y Huambisa comprised of 30,000 members harvesting and
supplying plant material on sustainable basis
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- Cooperates with Shaman Pharmaceuticals
in ensuring employment and income for indigenous populations in
Africa, Asia and Latin America.
- Cooperation focuses on protection
of biological and cultural diversity.
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Russia
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- Medicinal Plants reared and protected
as economic bioresource in Karadag Reserve
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- Karadag Reserve serves as a base
for studying the bioecological properties for Crimean medicinal
plants such as Rosa canina.
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South Africa
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- A traditional medicines programme
(TRAMED) was started in 1994 at the University of Cape Town to promote
the cultural, health, environmental, scientific and socio-economic
benefits to be obtained from the development, conservation and sustainable
use of east and southern Africa's medicinal plants
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- Integral part of WHO collaborating
Centre for Drug Policy based in the University of Cape Town
and the University of the Western Cape.
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- Collaborating partners are:
- University of Durban-Westville, Durban
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi,
Kenya
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Adverse
Drug Event Monitoring, Uppsala, Sweden
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, U.K.
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- TRAMED activities focus on
-Development of database for east and
southern Africa
- Laboratory screening of traditional
medicines in malaria and tuberculosis
- Development of eastern and southern
Africa network as first step in evolution of an All-Africa network
of traditional medicines
- Inventorization of indigenous rural
and tribal knowledge of traditional medicines
- Articulation of national policy for
the conservation, control, regulation and use of traditional medicines
in South Africa.
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Sri Lanka
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- General biotechnologies, medicinal
plants
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- Possesses rich history of medicinal
plants intricately linked with religious and cultural practices.
Ayurvedic system of medicine is widespread.
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Suriname
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- Suriname Bioprospecting Initiative
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- In co-operation with governmental
authorities development of
-pharmaceutical industry in Suriname
catalysed by collaboration with US pharmaceutical industry
- economic incentives for conservation
of biodiversity of medicinal plants
- compensation protocols for acquisition
of tribal knowledge and medicinal recipes.
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Thailand
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- Laboratory of Natural Products -
research on medicinal plants
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- Species been investigated are: Look
Tai Bai (Phyllanthus amarus), Chai aim Thai (Derris escalata,
and Carophyllum inophyllum).
- Based at the Chulabhorn Research
Institute, research activities deal with the preparation of dietary
supplements and therapeutics from traditional medicinal plants.
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Turkey
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- Medicinal and Aromatic Plant and
Drug Research Centre
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- Established in 1982 at Anadolu University,
Es Kisehir, the centre is engaged in:
- UNIDO/Turkey project on Production
of Pharmaceutical Materials from Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
- in the preparation of pharmaceuticals,
perfumes, cosmetics, dyes, etc.
- in the preparation of surveys concerning
the assessment of phytochemical and phytopharmaceutical units.
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USA
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- Shaman Pharmaceuticals, based
in the San Francisco uses ethnobotany as foundation of drug development
process
- Conduct studies on epidemiology,
traditional medicine, culture and ecology of the region and its
environment
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- National Germplasm Resources Laboratory
of the US Department of Agriculture hosts PHYTOCHEMECO, a
phytochemical/geographic database
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- Contains unique blend of phytochemicals
taxonomic, ecological, geographic and climatic aspects
- phytochemical database contains data
on over 16,000 chemical compounds present in some 16,000 plants of
economic importance, and of some 1500 specific activities of some
4,000 plant-derived chemicals
- taxonomic database contains plant names
of over 8,000 taxa
- ecological database contains growing
locations of some 6,000 taxa
- yield database contains crop yields
of some 239 taxa
- geographical/climatic database holds
data on some 18,000 worldwide locations (with details on latitude,
longitude, elevation, soil type, rainfall, temperature and life zones.
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