Traditional medicinal plants play very important role in primitive and rural societies in treatment of various ailments. Researches on the medicinal attributes of these plants will bring them in limelight consequently they would not only get protection and conservation in their natural habitats but would also be brought in cultivation owing to their medicinal attributes.

CSIR in association with AYUSH prepared a digital library of traditional knowledge of India nicknamed TKDL. The details of this mammoth effort can be viewed in CSIR website.

Dear

A good and thinking.

Algeria, is the largest country in Africa, rich flora and ancestral phytotherapy. We carry out often ethnobotanical studies in different regions and with different local populations, and believe me, every day and with each stud, we discover new interesenting things. Documenting the traditional knowledge is the first step to preserve this ancestral knowledge, and then, carrying out scientific studies will help to valorize it.

Best regards

 i think we need to provide awareness about the importance of medicinal plants in local communities. some local people do not understand that  which  part of medicinal plant  are used , the cut  whole plants.the local govt and NGO  should be involved to protect the medicinal plants, documentation of Medicinal plant  must be need.  

Thanks.

Dear Govind,

I do agree with responses from Hussain, Bachir, Rao and Arvind but one fundamental thing of interest that the preponderance of the traditional medical healers who are perhaps the repository of the traditional and folk medical knowledge are now too old particularly in the African context. It is through research that this extensive knowledge bases could be retained for the posterity after the healers have left the scene of medical practice. In this regard, a pharmacopoeia could be developed through research for the use of this medical knowledge by the generations not yet born.  

Despite the immense advancement in modern medicine, people in developing countries still rely on traditional medicine and traditional healing practices for their healthcare needs. Research can help in conservation of traditional medicines because scientific validation of folkloric claims provide lead compounds. This further support bio-resources conservation. So also, more than 25% of modern medicine originated from traditional medicine as a result of research, this has stimulated further researches and innovations toward traditional medicine. Research on traditional medicine has made many developed countries like US, China have gone far to standardized their local medicines. Research have also helped in reducing the challenges of safety and efficacy hunting traditional medicine. It has helped to preserve ethno-botanical knowledge.

we have to marriage traditional data with more experiments in order to proof scientifically the old knowledge. by the meantime is important people to learn how effectively to choose and use quality herbs by the old practice.

Traditional knowledge on herbal medicine is very instrumental in providing leads to discovery of new drugs. But since such knowledge is always with the old generation, documentation is essential. It highlights very useful plant species used against certain ailments that need to be conserved. This can be through establishment of private medicinal plant gardens and promotion of sustainable harvesting techniques

I agree with above comments.