Cultivation Of Medicinal Plants Research Articles

Family Medicinal Plant Cultivation (TOGA) in the New Normal of the Covid-19 Pandemic

The existence of Covid-19 quickly resulted in many losses, so the government implemented a new normal. This policy encourages all parties to take various ways to restore the economic, social, and cultural conditions, one of which is by cultivating Family Medicinal Plants (TOGA) which also functions to increase the body immunity and utilizing yard land that has not been managed optimally. The activities are socialization about TOGA, cultivation techniques, cultivation practices, mentoring, and evaluation. This activity was carried out during the new normal at RT.03 RW. 05, Limbungan Rumbai was attended by 15 partners. Partners are enthusiastic about cultivating TOGA and have increased knowledge after the implementation of the extension. The practice of planting the 45 TOGA seeds given, 100% succeeded in growing well. The success of growing seedlings include quality seeds, correct planting techniques and giving fertilizer at the right dose.

Innovación verde en área urbana como modelo de cultura cívica inclusiva. El caso de PAZ (Parque Agroecológico de Zapopan).

This research aims to analyze the model of inclusive civic culture created and developed in the Agro ecological Park of Zapopan (PAZ). Based on the need to rescue vacant urban land use with the participation of residents residing in the surrounding colonies, social movements, civil society, and local government, they have designed and implemented actions to create PAZ (PEACE). The Agro ecological Park of Zapopan is an area of green innovation where in addition to the cultivation of vegetables, vegetables, medicinal plants, and decoration under relations of cooperation, trust and community support, the formation of social capital that sustains a culture of peace based on environmental sustainability activities. The results of the implementation of this project, born from bottom of the social and power structures, constitute a significant experience in the regeneration of public spaces and green areas that provides greater economic efficiency in terms of family income, a greater relevance of equity, inclusion and social justice and improvement of environmental sustainability.

Constraints to Cultivation of Medicinal Plants by Smallholder Farmers in South Africa

Growing demand for therapeutic products from indigenous medicinal plants has led to increased interest in its cultivation, which presents a viable option for improving smallholder farmers’ livelihoods, as well as sustaining the availability of these resources for future generations. Serious bottlenecks however exist for subsistent farmers in the cultivation of these valuable plants. It was pertinent to probe whether the cultivation of medicinal plants provides feasible solutions to rural poverty, while effectively conserving threatened indigenous biodiversity. The paper employed a comprehensive review of existing literature to explore issues constraining smallholder farmers from involvement in a potentially lucrative plant value chain. Findings indicate challenges such as inadequate domestication of valuable plants species, continued over-harvesting from wild populations, poor knowledge of required agronomic practices, low efficacy perception regarding derivatives from cultivated plants, among others. These constraints occur alongside the conservation-oriented strategy driven by international conservation agencies and wholly adopted by the South African government. Recommendations to improve smallholder involvement in the cultivation of medicinal plants include support to research and extension, targeted inducement to smallholders, contracting and off-take agreements, aimed at promoting an alternative poverty-alleviation-focused economic development strategy. The review adds to the conceptual discourse related to plant diversity, resource conservation, poverty alleviation, and economic development

Stimulation of Physiological Processes in St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum L.) Seedlings by Treatments with Triacontanol and Benzyladenine

Abstract Treatment of St. John’s wort plantlets with 1 µM triacontanol and 2 µM benzyladenine stimulates growth and metabolic processes, being an environmental-friendly approach for optimizing the cultivation of these valuable medicinal plants under controlled conditions. When the two growth regulators (a bioactive cuticular wax constituent and a cytokinin) are applied simultaneously, they act synergistically, enhancing each other’s effect on the biomass accumulation and on certain parameters of the photosynthetic light use efficiency, such as the effective quantum yield of photosystem II and the overall vitality index of the photosynthetic apparatus which performs the conversion of light energy into usable forms for carbon dioxide assimilation. The results concerning the interactions between the two externally applied growth regulators during the early development of St. John’s wort plants may lead to a more efficient cultivation of this herbal medicinal product, including the possibility to modulate the production of pharmacologically active metabolites.

MEDICAL SIIGNIFICANCE OF SOME CULTIVATED SPECIES AND THEIR INVESTMENT ACPECTS IN ANBAR PROVINCE

The importance of medicinal plants at the local level has increased in recent times, in both medical and economic terms, and due to the great importance of alternative medicine, it has attracted researchers to study in this area to dispense with chemical treatments and their side effects, this research has dealt with a (Climate, soil, water sources, and vegetation) and human characteristics (population number, age groups and labor force). The second topic dealt with studying the geographical distribution of medicinal plants in Anbar Governorate (desert plants, swamp plants, tree plants, weeds and crops). Furthermore, second chapter studies the appropriate geographical environment for medicinal plants in the governorate and the cultivation seasons for these plants, and the third topic included the medicinal importance of some plants grown in Anbar Governorate in terms of therapeutic and economic terms and the importance of developing this agriculture study of several studies, the first of which is a study of the geography of the governorate in terms of location. And space, boundaries and natural properties. The study focused on update of medicinal plants cultivation and using the condensed agriculture. Moreover, some medicinal plants could tolerate the environmental stresses viz., colocynth and datura. It found that the most cultivated important medicinal and aromatic plants are Baraka seed, dill, fenugreek, fennel, cumin and aniseed.

Temporary Immersion System for Production of Biomass and Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Plants

The cultivation of medicinal plants and the production of bioactive compounds derived from them are of fundamental importance and interest, not only at the pharmacological level but also in nutraceutical and cosmetic industries and in functional foods, as well as plant protection in agriculture. In order to respond adequately to the increased demands of the global market from a quantitative and qualitative point of view and to guarantee environmental sustainability of the productions, it is necessary to resort to innovation tools, such as tissue culture in vitro technology. Nowadays, it is well known that the cultivation through the Temporary Immersion System (TIS) in a bioreactor has considerable advantages both for the in vitro mass production of the plants and for the production of secondary metabolites. The present review focuses on the application of TIS during the last two decades to produce biomass and bioactive compounds from medicinal plants. Indeed, almost one hundred papers are discussed, and they particularly focus on the effects of the culture system, vessel design and equipment, immersion time and frequency, and substrate composition for 88 medicinal species in TIS bioreactor culture.

Endophytic fungus Cladosporium tenuissimum DF11, an efficient inducer of tanshinone biosynthesis in Salvia miltiorrhiza roots

Salvia miltiorrhiza is a traditional medicinal plant mainly used for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease treatment. Tanshinones are the main bioactive constituents of S. miltiorrhiza, which mainly accumulate around its root periderm tissue. Endophytic fungi are important bioelicitors or probiotics that can promote the accumulation of secondary metabolites and sustainable cultivation of medicinal plants. Among them, endophytic Cladosporium spp., possessing a variety of biotransformation and metabolic abilities, is an ideal elicitor source. Here, we used a gnotobiotic system to investigate the effects of the endophytic fungus Cladosporium tenuissimum DF11 on tanshinone biosynthesis in S. miltiorrhiza roots. The results showed that C. tenuissimum DF11 mainly colonizes the intercellular space of the root tissues and promotes tanshinone biosynthesis and accumulation in S. miltiorrhiza roots by upregulating the expression of the genes encoding for key enzymes HMGR, DXS, DXR, GGPPS, CPS, KSL and CYP76AH1 of the tanshinone biosynthesis pathway. The expression levels of almost all genes encoding for key enzymes reached the response peak in the first or second week after DF11 colonization. Taken together, the endophytic fungus C. tenuissimum DF11 could promote secondary metabolite accumulation in S. miltiorrhiza roots. These results indicate that DF11 will be a potential biofertilizer fungus to regulate and stabilize the quality of cultivated S. miltiorrhiza medicinal materials.

Mentha spicata L. grown with nitrate: Ammonium proportions in different light environments

Mentha spicata L. is an aromatic and medicinal plant, known as mint and used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry and in phytotherapy. Although the cultivation of medicinal plants is traditional, there are several questions about which practices are most appropriate in the management of these plants, especially regarding nutrition and availability of light. The objective of this work was to evaluate the growth, phytomass production and physiological aspects of M. spicata cultivated in proportions of nitrate (NO3-) and ammonium (NH4+) and light environments. The research was carried out in a greenhouse at the Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Cruz das Almas, BA, Brazil. The experimental design used was completely randomized, in a 5 x 3 factorial scheme, with five proportions of NO3-:NH4+ (0: 100; 25:75; 50:50; 75:25; 100: 0) and three light environments (ChromatiNet® meshes red, black and in full sun), with seven repetitions. There was a significant interaction between the proportions of ammonium and nitrate with the light environments for most of the evaluated parameters. It is concluded that M. spicata plants grown under balanced proportions of nitrate and ammonium in a light environment favorably favored the initial growth and physiological indications of this species.

Economic Analysis of Thyme (Origanum Syriacum) Production for Smallholder Farmers

Cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants significantly contribute to affordable healthcare and livelihood security. This study aims to investigate the economic analysis of Syrian oregano (Origanum syriacum) production with total area of 1000 m2, depending on some standard economic indicators. The results showed that the annual net profit constitutes 56% of the total annual revenues. Furthermore, the net present value after six years was a positive value, and the index of profitability was 2.71, which confirms the economic viability of this project. The internal rate of return (IRR) reached 90.67%, which is a good number compared to the bank interest rate. Although this project does not occupy large areas, (a small possession 500-2000 m2 is sufficient for its establishment), but it is able to achieve guaranteed profits within a short period. Therefore, Thyme cultivation should be expanded by providing small farmers the necessary technical support and drawing their attention to economic efficiency of such project.

Current status of organophosphorus pesticide residues in root and rhizome medicinal materials and research progress of rapid detection methods

The medicinal plants with roots and rhizomes as the medicinal parts account for about 1/3 of Chinese medicinal herbs. Root and rhizome medicinal materials are widely used in clinical practice, whereas their wild resource reserves are insufficient to meet the market demand. With the expansion of planting areas, the formation of large-scale production areas, and the increase in planting years, diseases and insect pests of these medicinal plants, which are diverse and have broad transmission routes, strong concealment, and heavy damage, have become more and more serious. The prevention and control of these diseases and insect pests is characterized by multiple ways of pesticide application, large consumption of pesticides, susceptibility to soil barrier, difficulty in the control, and unstable control efficiency. Organophosphorus pesticides(OPPs) are widely used in the cultivation of Chinese medicinal plants because of their diverse varieties, broad-spectrum, good efficacy, and low residues, and have a positive effect on the yield and quality of Chinese medicinal materials. However, the abuse of OPPs not only increases the planting cost, but also affects the quality and safety of Chinese medicinal plants, the safety of clinical use of Chinese medicine, and the ecological safety of production areas. This paper reviewed the research and development progress of OPPs, the registration status of OPPs used in root and rhizome medicinal materials, residue limit standards, residue status, and rapid detection technology progress of OPPs. This review aims to provide research ideas and references for standardizing the use of OPPs in root and rhizome medicinal materials, reducing OPP residues, and establishing a fast, efficient, accurate, and reliable method for the detection of OPP residues in Chinese herbal medicine.

Effect of water deficits on the growth and secondary metabolites of Salvia dolomitica Codd. and Salvia namaensis Schinz

Background: Salvia dolomitica Codd. and Salvia namaensis Schinz. are indigenous to southern Africa and are used as medicinal plants in folk medicine.Aim: This study aimed to assess the effects of different levels of water deficit treatments on the growth, concentration of secondary metabolites, and anti-Fusarium oxysporum activity of S. dolomitica and S. namaensis.Setting: Experiments were carried out on the Bellville campus of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town.Methods: Four weeks old seedlings of the two species were subjected to 3-, 6-, 9- and 12-day water deficit regimes. Secondary metabolites such as polyphenols, alkaloids, and flavanols were assessed using spectroscopic methods. The anti-fungal activities of crude extracts obtained from plants were evaluated in a micro-dilution bioassay.Results: In all treatments, the plant height, crown width, number of stems and leaves, and fresh and dry weights reduced with increased water deficits. Acetone extracts from all treatments showed anti-fungal activity. However, extracts from the treatment with moderate water deficit (6-day watering interval) recorded significantly (P 0.01) better inhibition of F. oxysporum at the 18 h post incubation than the commercial fungicide, Mancozeb.Conclusion: This research has revealed that mild to moderate water deficit level favours the accumulation of alkaloids in S. dolomitica. Meanwhile, mild to severe water deficit significantly lowered flavanol content in S. namaensis. There was a correlation between the increase in total alkaloid contents and the enhanced anti-fungal activity of extracts of S. dolomitica. The present findings pave the way for optimised cultivation of medicinal plants and development of bioactive natural products.

Identifying prioritized planting areas for medicinal plant Thesium chinense Turcz. under climate change in China

As an important plant resource in China, medicinal plants dominate the Chinese herbal medicine market. The intensified human activities and the deteriorated ecological environment have caused the reduction or even extinction of medicinal plants nationwide. The artificial bionic cultivation of medicinal plants has become an important way for the healthy development of the Chinese medicine industry, given the increasing demand for Chinese medicinal materials. However, the blind introductions of medical plants ignoring the planting area's environmental suitability will waste many human and financial resources. Currently, species distribution models, widely used to predict the potential geographic distribution of species, enable the proper planning of prioritized planting areas with fully considered climatic factors. To scientifically and reasonably determine the best planting area of medicinal materials under current and future climate, we used the MaxEnt model to predict the suitable habitat for Thesium chinense Turcz., and determined the potential migration trends of its suitable areas. In addition, we also evaluated the main environmental variables that affect the distribution of T. chinense. In all the suitable habitat predictions, the training and testing area under the curve (AUC) values were greater than 0.9, indicating the robust performance of our model. Meanwhile, we found that annual mean temperature (Bio1), the maximum temperature of the warmest month (Bio5), annual temperature range (Bio7) and annual precipitation (Bio12) are the main environmental variables determining the T. chinense distribution, with the temperature being the most important factor under bionic cultivation conditions. The potential distribution areas of T. chinense are mainly the provinces along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Under the future climate scenario, the highly suitable areas of T. chinense will generally increase, with the distribution ranges extending to higher latitudes. The Yellow River Basin may become another important planting area of T. chinense. Overall, the analysis provided the scientific basis for planning prioritized planting areas and improving bionic cultivation management techniques.

Initial performance of Achillea millefolium in response of humic acids

Owing to numerous health benefits, the cultivation of medicinal plants has significantly increased. Achillea millefolium L. (common names: milefoil, yarrow) is attributed important medicinal properties. Consumers of herbal medicinal products demand for production systems based on ecological farming principles, thus an interesting technology would be application biostimulant based on humic acids. The objective of this study was to evaluate the rooting and initial performance of Achillea millefolium in response to the use of humic acids (HA) isolated from composted cattle manure and poultry litter and applied in different concentrations (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 mmolL-1 of HA) at the propagation phase. Rooting and plant biomass accumulation were analyzed. Humic acids derived from poultry litter promoted root development and increase of fresh biomass and total dry mass, proving their biostimulant effect. The optimal concentration of humic acids estimated for the initial development of A. millefolium was 22.25 mmolL-1.

Socio-Economic Analysis and Land Suitability Mapping in the Development of Medicinal Plants (Biopharmaca) During COVID-19 Situation in Tinombo District, Parigi Moutong Regency, Indonesia

The research objectives were to analyze the socio-economic conditions of farmers while identifying the suitability level of the land and develop a mapping of high potential for medicinal plants (biopharmaca). The method used was purposive sampling carried out by conducting direct surveys, followed by sampling the soil at the research sites, and analyzing the socio-economic level of farmers in Tinombo District. The maps of slope class, soil, and land use were overlaid by using the ArcGIS 10.0 application. The observation revealed that in general, the socio-economic value of the farming community on the cultivation of medicinal plants was quite good. Farmers put a high level of interest, cultivation techniques, and land suitability, with an average of 2.22, 2.72, and 2.1, respectively. However, the level of knowledge on seedling and marketing parameters found low, with an average of 1.5 and 1.0, respectively. The analysis of soil samples seemed to determine the land suitability. The pH parameter H2O has a value ranging from 5.81 to 7.09, C-organic was 1.14 - 6.37%, total N-value was 0.28 to 0.49%, P- availability was 3.29 - 130.55 ppm, and cation exchange capacity was 0.08 - 1.46 cmol+/kg. In the parameters of the exchangeable bases of the land, including K about 0.07 - 1.46 cmol+/ kg, Ca about 0.13 - 8.88 cmol+/ kg, Mg about 0.18 - 8.66 cmol+/ kg, and Na about 0.10 - 0.18 cmol+/ kg. Then, the soil base saturation parameter valued of 1.34 - 56.63%. The characteristics of the cultivated land for medicinal plants, both chemical and physical, have been identified in order to create agricultural land with suitable characteristics of the cultivated plants.

Medicinal plant cultivation: Beliefs and perceptions of traditional healers and muthi traders in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, South Africa

Cultivation of medicinal plant species has been recommended as a conservation intervention to reduce the pressure on wild populations that are under threat of extirpation due to overexploitation, but there have been reports of resistance among some traditional healers and muthi traders to such initiatives. This resistance raises questions of whether there are cultural barriers to cultivation that go beyond the frequently cited concerns that cultivated plants lack ‘strength’ and are ‘polluted’ in some way. This study therefore aimed to examine medicinal plant cultivation in the context of beliefs and perceptions held by resource users towards plants that are considered culturally acceptable to cultivate, those that should not be cultivated, and plants that are perceived to be scarce and/or declining in availability, and to evaluate whether there are relationships between these factors. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to interview 42 traditional healers and 72 muthi traders sampled from one rural village, two townships and five traditional medicine markets between KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, South Africa. Participants named 185 plant ethnospecies during the investigation (corresponding to ±171 species), of which, according to cultural norms and ancestral guidance, 98 ethnospecies were allowed to be cultivated, 68 should not be cultivated, and 23 were cited as being both allowed and should not be cultivated. The cultural factors were not specified due to sacred traditions that knowledge holders were typically not at liberty to reveal and they are thus defined only broadly as ‘beliefs’ and ‘norms’. There was a very weak, non-significant correlation between ethnospecies that are culturally acceptable to cultivate and those that are perceived to be declining in availability, hence plants that were most frequently cited as declining tended not to be cited as those that were allowed to be cultivated. There was also weak, but significant, correlation between ethnospecies that both traditional healers and muthi traders said they were allowed to cultivate. Furthermore, there was no correlation between plants that are allowed to be cultivated and those that should not be. Since traditional medicine practices encompass culture and the workings of ancestors, it is essential that traditional healers and muthi traders are included in cultivation initiatives to ensure that these interventions are culturally appropriate for the beneficiaries.

A review of the interaction of medicinal plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere

Medicinal plants are well known to have the advantages of high concentration of medicinal ingredients having clinical importance, curative value, small toxic and side effects. Important compounds viz., paclitaxel, camptothecin, and vincristine have been developed from medicinal plants as first-line of clinical drugs, leading to their consistently increasing demand globally. However, the destruction of natural environment due to excessive mining threatened such resources jeopardizing the successful growing of medicinal plants. A group of beneficial arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi is known to exist in the rhizosphere of medicinal plants, which can establish a reciprocal symbiosis with their roots, namely arbuscular mycorrhizas. These AM fungi are pivotal in the habitat adaptation of medicinal plants. Studies have demonstrated that AM fungi aided in growth promotion and nutrient absorption of medicinal plants, thereby, accelerating the accumulation of medicinal ingredients and aiding resistance against abiotic stresses such as drought, low temperature, and salinity. An AM-like fungus Piriformospora indica is known to be cultured in vitro without roots, later showed analogous effects of AM fungi on medicinal plants. These fungi provide new mechanistic pathways towards the artificial cultivation of medicinal plants loaded with ingredients in huge demand in international market. This review provides an overview of the diversity of AM fungi inhabiting the rhizosphere of medicinal plants, and analyzes the functioning of AM fungi and P. indica, coupled with future lines of research.

Determination of Aristolochic Acids in Soil, Water, and Herbal Plants in Medicinal Plant Cultivation Areas: An Emerging Environmental Contaminant Worth Concerning

Determination of Aristolochic Acids in Soil, Water, and Herbal Plants in Medicinal Plant Cultivation Areas: An Emerging Environmental Contaminant Worth Concerning

Application of remote sensing technology in medicinal plant resources

The sustainable use of medicinal plants is the foundation of the inheritance of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) and the acquisition of information on medicinal plants is the basis for the development of TCM. The traditional methods of investigating medicinal plant resources are disadvantageous in strong subjectivity and poor timeliness, making it difficult to real-time monitor medicinal plant resources. In recent years, remote sensing technology has become an important means of obtaining information on medicinal plants. The application of this technology has made up for the shortcomings of traditional methods. The open-access remote sensing data with medium spatial resolution satellites provide an opportunity for extracting information on medicinal plant resources. This study firstly introduced the principles of remote sensing technology, summarized the satellites and the parameters commonly used in the field of medicinal plant resources, and compared the survey methods of remote sensing technology with traditional methods. Secondly, it reviewed the applications of remote sensing technology in the extraction of information on the cultivation of medicinal plants and the common methods for extracting the planting structure information of medicinal plants based on remote sensing technology. Thirdly, the applications of remote sensing technology in the investigation and monitoring of medicinal plants were further analyzed with the research objects divided into wild and cultivated medicinal plants according to the characteristics of the habitats. Finally, it pointed out the key unsolved technical problems in the remote sensing monitoring of medicinal plant resources, and proposed solutions for the intelligent information processing of medicinal plants based on remote sensing big data, which is expected to provide references for the development of remote sensing technology in derivative application in medicinal plant resources.

NEXT GENERATION SEQUENCING TECHNOLOGIES TOWARDS EXPLORATION OF MEDICINAL PLANTS

With the ever-increasing population, the plant cover is decreasing at an alarming rate. The medicinal plants are most affected by this because they are present in the last tier of cultivation. Let it be pharmaceutical companies or people using it for herbalism, medicinal plants have been exploited without getting a chance to flourish in their natural environment. Modern biotechnology acts as a bridge between the cultivation and utilization of medicinal plants. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology which is a decade old but emerging field helps to unveil the importance of medicinal plants. Thus, it paves the way for sustenance of medicinal plants by molecular breeding, micropropagation, large-scale tissue culture, and other methods to conserve the plants with great medicinal value. Various NGS technologies can be found in the market like Ilumina, PacBio, Ion Torrent, and others. The present review will summarize the NGS technologies and their potential use to study the genomes, transcriptome, epigenome, and interactome of medicinal plants towards the identification of bioactive compounds.

Determining constraints in medicinal plants adoption: A model geospatial study in the Indian state of Punjab

Understanding the constraints involved in the adoption of medicinal plant cultivation is the most important step to design future policies and action plans for effective outcomes. Keeping this in view, a model survey-based study involving medicinal plant cultivators by using a purposing sampling technique was carried out. Additionally, farmers identified via exploration of various channels from public and personal sources were geo-tagged using Geographic Information System (GIS). The digital maps shall act as a platform to establish linkage between concerned stakeholders viz. policymakers, traders, industries, regulatory agencies, and farmers. The scope of the study was limited to progressive farmers cultivating commercially important medicinal plants i.e. Curcuma longa L. (Haldi), Aloe vera (Linn.) Burm.f (Ghritkumari), Phyllanthus emblica L. (Amla), Ocimum sanctum L. (Tulsi), Rauvolfia serpentina (L.) Benth. ex Kurz (Sarpgandha). The survey questionnaire was developed through the expert advisory method, followed by statistical validation based on achieving Chronbach’s alpha value of 0.6. Statistical analysis of the responses by applying Mean Percentage Score (MPS) and significance determination using Chi-square test indicated prominent correlation among small and large farmers in context to technical, trade, social, and awareness aspects. The study highlighted the non-availability of quality planting material, lack of awareness about good agricultural and packaging practices, less knowledge about agro-climatic suitability, and commercialization avenues acted as one of the major constraints. The study will act as a basis to frame policies for promoting medicinal plant cultivation as a commercially successful crop diversification model in the region.