CONSERVATION OF MEDICINAL

PLANTS
 ~ 5,00,000 species of vascular plants
 As per IUCN (International Union for Conservation of
Nature) and WWF (World Wildlife Fund)
 70-80 % species – Medicinal value
 90-95% plants – Collected from wild
 ~ 15,000 species – Threatened with extinction due to overharvesting
and habitat destruction
 Earth – loosing one potential major drug every two years

 ~ 20 % wild resources – Already exhausted

 Over 50 % medicinal cycads (gymnosperms) –
Threatened with extinction
 Of the total global medicinal plants – 50 % in Asian
subcontinent
 40 % in India and China

Therefore, increased risk of extinction of medicinal

plants in these countries
 NMPB (National Medicinal Plant Board)
 India: 8 % of world’s total biodiversity
More than 45,000 species
 Out of 18,000 flowering plants, >7000 have medicinal value
 Endangered* Medicinal Plant Species in India: 10-15 %

*
e.g.: Aegle marmelos (Bael), Bacopa monnieri (Brahmi), Chlorophytum
borivilianum (Safed musli), Commiphora mukul (Guggul), Gentiana
kurroo (Karu), Saussurea costus (Kuth), Stevia rebaudiana (Meethi
patti), Tribulus terrestris (Gokhru), etc.
 CONSERVATION STRATEGIES
(WHO Prescribed)

 Basic Studies
 Utilization
 Conservation
 Communication and Co-operation
 Basic Studies
Surveys should be conducted to gather information on use
of plants as medicines by traditional societies:
Ethnobotany/Ethnopharmacology

Concerns All Plants Concerns Medicinal Plants

Surveys help in identifying:

 Plant species of importance
 Threats for their extinction
  Utilization
 Studies should be conducted to know the source of
collection – Wild or Cultivated
 To conserve medicinal plants, Promote their cultivation

 Conservation
In situ  National parks
(At natural habitat)  Sanctuaries

 Botanic gardens (Arboreta)

Ex situ  Seed banks
(Outside natural habitat)  Biospheres (artificial structures enclosing
self contained ecosystems)
 Preserving germ-plasm
 Communication and Co-operation
 Importance of medicinal plants should be communicated
to general public through –
Educational and Awareness programmes

This would motivate general public to conserve

medicinal plants