Report on the 4th Global Summit on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
Hot, steamy and interesting...
I am writing this from a hot and steamy Kuching at this gathering of people from mostly India, some from other parts of Asia, (Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Korea, China), several from Iran, and a few from Iraq, South Africa, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, Botswana, and one from each of Georgia, USA, Libya, Moldova Republic, Egypt, Lithuania, Germany, Turkey and NZ – me.
I am here as the interim convener of the International Research Group for the Conservation of Medicinal Plants.
The Conference is based around research with conventional models being used – at least 200 papers being presented, each having 15minutes each with 20 minutes for the three plenary sessions each day. It is a shambles, poorly organized and the communication by the organizing committee to delegates and presenters is non-existant.
My presentation on ‘Global Issues and the Conservation Status of Medicinal Plants' was challenging to most, I was asked questions around the impact of Genetic Engineering and the role of Pharmaceutical Companies, it gave me a platform to express all of my concerns (the alteration of the phytochemical profile in response to GE, the need for education on the current situation of the loss of two plant species every hour, that there are other ways of researching without using animal ‘models').
I read in the Borneo Times that a chemical compound found in Palm oil has been shown to reduce the incidence of and spread of breast cancer – now that will increase the jungle decimation and increase the Palm plantations. A taxi driver told me that he believes at least 50% of the jungle is already decimated and that other than the State Parks none will be left in 20 years.
I have occasionally managed to stumble across a presentation I was interested in;
- the role of native bees in keeping the plant species as necessity to conservation
- recent research on colony collapse disorder
- the importance of microrrhizal fungi in the health of cultivated plants
- the medicinal properties of Rooibos (on adrenal cortex – reduction in the impact of stress)
- the adaptogenic actions of Southerlandia fructescens
- the phytochemical profile of 4 species of Curcuma (and the importance of excluding light especially on levels of Bioflavonoids)
I had an interesting discussion with a Swedish Professor, an advisor to the Center for Biodiversity here, about the use on Artemisia abrotanum as a prevention for exercise induced asthma, a relaxant on the muscles of the respiratory system.
My visit to the jungle to see the Orang-utans left me imagining but I did spot a climber that looked exactly like Kawakawa and is in fact a Piper used traditionally in much the same way.
Two days later and a day in the jungle 21/2 hours north of Kuching to see the Rafflesia, the largest flower in the world as well as village markets full of a vast array of vegetables and fruits and a traditional long house. The Rafllesia is endangered now, the bud was used for medicine and takes nine months to develop from bud burst to flower.
On the last day I did see the Orang-utans…
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