Lecture 30 Flashcards
(20 cards)
What is the most common method of natural product extraction globally?
Wild harvesting
In India, approximately 72% of medicinal plants are wild-harvested.
What are some risks associated with wild harvesting?
- Overexploitation
- Biodiversity loss
- Inconsistency in bioactive compound levels
- Pollution contamination
What percentage of global medicinal plants are cultivated?
Around 50%
Cultivation is more sustainable but resource-intensive and species-specific.
What are the threats to wild populations of medicinal plants?
- Pollution (e.g., Norilsk, Russia)
- Climate change
- Deforestation and agricultural expansion
- Overharvesting
What are the consequences of threats to wild populations?
- Loss of genetic and species biodiversity
- Reduced efficacy or safety of natural products
- Increased variability in bioactive compound concentration
What do WHO guidelines emphasize for ensuring sustainability?
- Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)
- Good Collection Practices (GCP)
- Certification schemes
What are Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)?
- Site selection
- Pest management
- Soil quality
- Irrigation
What are Good Collection Practices (GCP)?
- Harvest time
- Methods
- Post-harvest handling
What is a key consideration for field cultivation of medicinal plants?
Requires species-specific management plans
What is one method of adding value in cultivation?
Sourcing from existing crops by extracting from waste/by-products
How does the part of the plant used affect cultivation?
Leaves vs roots vs fruit affect how a plant is grown and harvested
What is the purpose of plant tissue culture?
Rapid, scalable propagation of high-value, disease-free, genetically identical plants
What are two techniques used in plant tissue culture?
- Axillary bud propagation
- Adventitious shoot formation
What components are essential for plant tissue culture?
- Culture media (nutrients + hormones)
- Growth environment (sterile conditions, light/temp control)
What is the advantage of clonal propagation?
True-to-type plants with higher bioactive content
What is an example of a plant improved through clonal propagation?
Artemisia annua (artemisinin)
What was the yield improvement for Artemisia annua through clonal propagation?
From ~25 kg/ha to 70 kg/ha
What are challenges associated with germplasm storage?
- Some seeds are infertile or short-lived
- Sexual reproduction leads to genetic variability
What is cryopreservation?
Long-term storage in liquid nitrogen (-196°C) to maintain viability of plant cells/tissues/artificial seeds
What urgent actions does the natural product industry need to adopt?
- Sustainable sourcing
- Improved cultivation using GAP and GCP
- Biotechnological approaches for propagation and conservation
