Enough research has not been carried out to tap the potential medicinal plants,the research must be focused in this area to get the benefit out of it.
Hi
Of course the time comes, but you know there is some limitations. for example some plant species are somewhere that they haven't been identified yet. as a result, it need a great energy, money, time and specialists to do that.
Regards
Hi Atena,
In addition the above, we need the support from the Government and NGOs to work in this direction.
Endemn adderu,
May I take it that you are already familiar with the excellent Journal of Ethnopharmacology (published by Elsevier) and African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology? The former features papers more specific to your question and the latter has a broader scope. Your question is very relevant - I hope the information helps.
Well I am convinced that there are a lot of plants that we don't know yet. Mexico is a country with a lot of herbs used for aztecs, mayas, and others since pre hispanic period.
Hi Carmen,Thanks Absolutely, its indeed a huge resources and right way of managing will benefit the community.
The field of medicinal plant research is plagued by a lack of funding and concerted efforts to establish efficacy and safety. In Mexico alone, numerous plants continue to be neglected. One of the most widely known examples is Turnera diffusa or "damiana". The State of Louisiana has effectively banned its sale and there are calls in the UK for the same action. Despite concerns of toxicity and centuries of use, both the benefits and safety of the plant have yet to be adequately established and human studies are profoundly lacking. For a recent review, see: Szewczyk K and Zidorn C. Ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and bioactivity of the genus Turnera (Passifloraceae) with a focus on damiana--Turnera diffusa. J Ethnopharmacol. 2014;152(3):424-43.
Ceratinly the answer is yes.
However, as per the basic Ayurveda principles a single ingredient of plant extract may not give proper result although one may be able to identify single ingredients and some may be patentable too, the trick will be to study in depth various combinations of the ingredients in different proportion to get clear reproducible results and a successful product - very time consuming and laborious task. And this explains the unwillingness to do take it up.
-Parimal
Sounds like good discussions to bring to the ACMAP Conference in Spokane, WA in June 2015. See www.acmap.org We are just getting organized for the next meetings but have a look at what has been presented in past meetings. Abstracts available on website. Carol Stiff, ACMAP Treasurer
Since the documents were written in the late 1990s, the regulatory status of medicinal plants in many countries has changed. Aside from regulatory considerations, the traceability and standardization of medicinal plant products is critical for establishing markets. Supply is another issue and often impedes marketability. Without adequate supply, many markets are not feasible, no matter how useful a plant may be. Cost of transporting the final product to the intended market is another important consideration. For those and other reasons, numerous medicinal plants will not come to the international stage and at best will remain regional.
There are several issues associated with medicinal plants availability, utilization and quality evaluation and standardization of herbal drugs. Many medicinal plants are over-exploited and their availability is a big problem. Several Indian and Chinese medicinal plants have become rare and endangered. Cultivation is limited. There are excellent discussions and lot of information is available on the subject in several websites including that of WHO.
Governments and research institutes are striving to strike a balance between utilization and exploitation.
It is true that many plants are still under-utilized and efforts are being made to utilize them.
Dear Sultan Salah
There is a similar question "why there is a lacuna in herbal research?" by Annadurai Shanmuganathan. You may be interested in following the question/discussions or possibly interacting with the questioner.
Good luck.
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