Conservation of medicinal plants

Conservation of medicinal plants

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  Conservation of Medicinal Plants PresentedBy- Diksha Kataria Assistant Professor Lord Shiva College of Pharmacy
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  Introduction  India hasone of the richest plant medicinal cultures in the world.  Herbal plants that have been used by Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Ttibetan system of health care face an uncertain future due to over exploitation.  Conservation is about preventing damage and loss to our cultural heritage.
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  Conservation Activities: i. Preservation ii.Restoration iii. Examination iv. Documentation v. Research vi. Advise vii.Treatment viii.Training and Education
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  Need for Conservation ❑While the demand for medicinal plants is increasing their survival in their natural habitats is under threat. ❑ Over and a half million practitioners of Indian system of medicine use medicinal plants in preventive, promotive and curative applications. ❑ Medicinal plants are potential renewable natural resources. ❑ Several medicinal plants have been assessed as endangered, vulnerable and threatened due to over harvesting in the wild.
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  Extinction  The specieswhich can not be found in the areas they have been inhabited from are called extinct species.  Causes of extinction: i. Forest depletion ii. Greenhouse effect iii. Acid rain iv. Pollution v. Illegal exports trade
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  Endangered species  Theseare the species which have become extinct or are on the verge of extinction.  IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has classified endangered species as the following: a) Rare species- Species with small population restricted geographically with localized habitats. They are not in immediate danger of extinction. b) Vulnerable species- Species are under threat of extinction or actually declining in number. c) Endangered species- Species with low population that are in considerable danger of becoming extinct. d) Critically endangered species- When a species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in wild in the immediate future.
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  Strategies for Conservationof Medicinal Plants There are two main strategies for conservation of medicinal plants: 1. Ex- situ conservation It is the conservation and maintenance of samples of living organisms outside their natural habitat, in the form of whole plants, seeds, pollens, vegetative propagules, tissues or cell cultures. Achieved by establishing gene banks. It has several purposes: ▪ Rescue threatened germplasm ▪ Produce material for conserving biology research ▪ Produce material for reintroduction, reinforcement, habitat restoration and management.
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  The choice ofspecies for ex-situ conservation is made on the basis of the current local importance of the species and its capacity for natural recognition. 2. In- situ conservation ▪ It includes the conservation of organisms in natural habitats, either by protecting or restoring the habitat itself or by defending the species from predators. ▪ This can be achieved by building national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, community reserves etc. ▪ It helps to ensure the process of evolution and adaptation within their environment.