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Out of
about 258,650 species of higher plants reported from the world; more
than 10% are used to cure ailing communities. Beside many known drugs
(e.g.
tubocurarine, reserpine,
aspirin and morphine etc) are discovered based on traditional knowledge.
Majority of the people in Pakistan rely on medicinal plants
to find treatment for their minor, even in some cases major diseases.
Some wild plants are now being commonly used e.g. Ephedra, Artimisia,
St. John’s wort, Hippophae beside some that have been
domesticated e.g. Garlic, Ginseng and Cumin etc.
There is a
local market system (Pansara) specifically dealing with medicinal plants
business in Pakistan and several plants are exported. Plants having
active constituents are used to treat various ailments in both human and
animal. In most instances, certain plant species are considered specific
for a particular illness but occasionally they have mixed usage. Women,
followed by children, are identified as the principal collectors of
medicinal plants. Due to over-collection, several species have gone
extinct in the Hindukush-Himalayan regions. Local collectors, vendors,
herbal drug dealers and others are the ones who threaten the flora of
Pakistan contribute (though unknowingly) to the extinction of some and
bringing others to the brink of extinction. Though medicinal plants from
wild are important source of income for local communities, but if not
properly managed, this may lead to the destruction of habitat and in
return extinction of species. There is therefore, a need to find ways to
harvest medicinal plants sustainably from the wild, train local
collectors (in proper collection techniques, train the people in growing
medicinal plants, and remove some of the middlemen from the trading
chain. In the present article, an effort was made to review the status
of medicinal plants research in Pakistan.
Key
words: Medicinal plants of Pakistan, research and development, conservational
issues, marketing, problems and prospects. |
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