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Conser vat i on of Medi c i nal Pl ant s i n Bangl adesh*

Prof . Dr. Mohammad Abdur Rahman **

ABSTRACT
Medicinal plants continue to be an important therapeutic aid for alleviating ailments of humankind. The ancient civilization of
India, China, Greece, Arab and other countries of the world developed their systems of medicine independent of each other
but all of them were predominantly plant based. It is estimated that 70-80% of people worldwide rely chiefly on traditional,
largely herbal, medicine to meet their primary healthcare needs. Arecent study, of the top 150 proprietary drugs used in the
USA in 1993, found that 57% of all prescriptions contained at least one major active compound currently or once derived
from (or patterned after) compounds derived from biological diversity. About 500 medicinal plants grow in Bangladesh,
where ~80 per cent of the rural population depends on traditional remedies for ailments such as cough, cold, fever,
headache and dysentery. Actually all aromatic plants are medicinal but not all medicinal plants are aromatic. Medicinal
plants are primarily used in Ayurvedic, Unani and Homeopathic drugs in Indian Sub-Continent.
Increasing interest by multinational pharmaceutical companies and domestic manufacturers of herbal-based medicines is
contributing significant economic growth of the global medicinal plants sector. Medicinal plants are not only used in
preparation of Ayurvedic and Unani medicines but around 125 types of such plants are being used in allopathic medicines.
Herbal Physicians (i.e. Kabiraj) also use medicinal plants in various forms. Raw medicinal and aromatic plants are also used
in herbal cosmetics, toiletries and nutritional foods Therefore the conservation of such a valuable resource in the country is
very .important.

Large proportion of the total consumption of medicinal plants are harvested from the wild while cultivation provides only a
very small per cent of medicinal plants. This is evident from the fact that of the total consumption of medicinal plants in
China 80%, in India 90%, in South Africa 99% are met from collection from the forest and other natural habitats. There are
many parts of the world in which there is virtually no cultivation on any significant scale, including, by way of examples,
Albania and Turkey in Europe, Pakistan and Bangladesh in Asia, and all countries in Africa. In Bangladesh where herbal
medicines have been used for centuries, the most important markets are the rural consumers. Each year, companies
producing herbal medicines import huge amounts of raw plant ingredients into Bangladesh. The cultivation is becoming both
profitable and environmentally friendly. Increasing interest by multinational pharmaceutical companies and domestic
manufacturers of herbal-based medicines is contributing significant economic growth of the global medicinal plants sector.

Medicinal plant conservation refers to the management for human use of the biodiversity so that it may yield the greatest
sustainable benefit to present generation while maintaining its potential to meet the needs and aspirations of future
generations
The primary goals of biodiversity conservation as envisaged in the World Conservation Strategy include maintenance of
essential ecological processes and life support systems on which human survival and economic activities depend;
Preservation of species and genetic diversity and sustainable use of species and ecosystems which support millions of rural
communities as well as major industries.
The World Health Organization (WHO), IUCN The World Conservation Union, WWF - World Wide Fund for Nature in 1993
published detailed Guidelines on the Conservation of Medicinal Plants. The Guidelines include basic studies, and studies
related to utilization, conservation, and communication & cooperation. These have been highlighted briefly.

The systems involved in medicinal plant conservation tend to be complex, with many variables and many types of actual or
potential stakeholders. For the sake of presentation, 4 distinct sub-systems are recognized here, namely (1) production
systems and in situ conservation, (2) commercial systems, (3) ex situ conservation, propagation, domestication and the
breeding of crop varieties, and (4) new product discovery, though actually all can be closely connected.

Plant species can be found away from the sites where they naturally occur in a range of contexts, including in botanic and
other types of gardens, nurseries, seed banks, tissue culture units, etc. In the commercial systems various stakeholders are
involved in commercial systems, including producers (collectors or growers), traders of various types, manufacturers and
consumers. Several stages are involved in the process of prospecting the chemical properties of plants to discover drugs or
other novel products

*Paper prepared for presentation at the Annual Bangladesh Botanical Conference, 2006, to be held at Khulna University,
Khulna, Bangladesh on 2-3 March, 2007. ** Forestry and Wood Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna.

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In Bangladesh at present there are 16 protected areas for in situ conservation under the management of Forest Department.
The protected areas are spread almost all over the country covering an area of 243 677 ha. According to IUCN categories of
protected areas, there are 9 national parks, 7 wildlife sanctuary and 1 game reserve. The location, area and year of
establishment of 16 notified protected areas of Bangladesh are provided. In some of these protected areas survey of flora
have been completed which reveal a large number of medicinal plants, but detailed work to conserve the medicinal plants
are yet to be done to achieve sustainable yield of medicinal plants from the protected areas.

Considering the threats on plant species, particularly with changing concept after the proclamation adopted in the
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992, conservation has been the most important agenda of most in situ and ex
situ centres in Bangladesh. But unfortunately the protection and conservation activities have been ineffective and arrested in
most protected areas (in situ) due to indiscriminate cutting of trees and encroachments. At present the rate of deforestation
is very high. As the natural habitat is disappearing rapidly, ex situ conservation of rare and endangered species in botanic
gardens is gaining greater relevance as they contribute as the safest refuge to the preservation of gene pools of indigenous
flora.

The status of ex-situ conservation of medicinal plants are primarily limited to Botanical Gardens, Eco Parks, Bangladesh
Forest Research Institute (BFRI), Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) Chittagong Laboratory;
BARI, BTRI, BSRI, BADC. There are also a number of botanical gardens associated with the universities and research
institutes and small city parks under the control and management of City Corporation and Municipality. Besides in recent
years various NGOs, private entrepreneurs, farmers particularly in Natore District and a few other places in the North
Bengal have taken up commercial cultivation of medicinal plants.

Through a careful comparison of the 18 top priority medicinal plants as recommended by the National Task Force formed
by the Planning Commission of the Government of India to report on Conservation and Sustainable use of Medicinal Plants
of India and which are also present in Bangladesh, 18 priority medicinal plants in the judgment of 50 herbal physicians
(Kabiraj) of Shyamnagor Upazila of Satkhira district and, 7 priority medicinal plant species which are being commercially
grown currently in Natore district of Bangladesh, it has been found the six species viz. Amloki (Embelica officnalis Gaertn);
Ashok (Saraca indica); Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (Linn.) Dunai ; Bael (Aegle mermelos) (Linn.) Corr.;, Gulancha
(Tinospora cordifolia) Miers, Shatomuli (Asparagus racemosus) Willd. are in common between the Task Force priority list
and the herbal physicians priority list and two species i.e Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (Linn.) Dunai and .Shatomuli
(Asparagus racemosus) are found to be common between those under commercial cultivation in Natore and Task Force
priority list and one species (i.e. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (Linn.) Dunai is found to be common all the three
cases. Therefore these six species are recommended for large scale cultivation for medicinal use in Bangladesh.

There is a growing demand for natural product based medicines, health products, pharmaceuticals, food supplements,
cosmetics etc. in the national and international markets. For meeting demand cultivated material is infinitely more
appropriate for various uses. Systematic cultivation of medicinal plants needs following research and development support:
? Good agricultural/silvicultural practices which will include appropriate selection, identification, propagation methods,
cultivation techniques, harvesting, stepwise quality control of raw material upto processing stage, post harvest
treatment, storage and safety.
? Development of protocols for producing planting materials with desirable agronomic and therapeutic chemical
derivatives.
? Organic farming of medicinal plants as per world demand.
Ethnobiological survey should be conducted in the tribal areas, village groves and systematic inventory of all forest areas
should be carried out to know precisely about the medicinal plants. Besides data should also be collected about the
traditional knowledge bases from the medicinal plant users (i.e. kabiraj), Unani and Ayurbedic industries of the country to
know about the resource bases and potential demand.
In order to achieve sustainable conservation and equitable development of the medicinal plant sector a "Medicinal Plants
Board" in line with that present in each of the states of India should be established in Bangladesh.


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1. INTRODUCTION
Medicinal plants continue to be an important therapeutic aid for alleviating ailments of humankind. Search for eternal health
and longevity and to seek remedy to relieve pain and discomfort prompted the early man to explore his immediate natural
surrounding and tried many plants, animal products and minerals and developed a variety of therapeutic agents. Over
millenia that followed the effective agents amongst them were selected by the process of trial, error, empirical reasoning
and even by experimentation. These efforts have gone in history by the name discovery of 'medicine'. In many eastern
cultures such as those of India, China and the Arab/Persian world this experience was systematically recorded and
incorporated into regular system of medicine that refined and developed and became a part of the Materia Medica of these
countries. The ancient civilization of India, China, Greece, Arab and other countries of the world developed their systems of
medicine independent of each other but all of them were predominantly plant based. But the theoretical foundation and the
insights and indepth understanding on the practice of medicine that we find in Ayurveda is much superior among organized
ancient systems of medicine.

According to past records, Babylonians (about 3,000 B.C.) were aware of a large number of medicinal plants and their
properties. Some of the plants are still used today in the same way and for the same purposes. The earliest mention of the
medicinal use of plants in the Indian subcontinent is found in the Rig Veda (4,5001,600 B.C.), which noted that the Indo-
Aryans used the Soma plant ( Amanita muscaria), a narcotic and hallucinogenic mushroom, as a medicinal agent. The
Vedas made many references to the healing powers of sharpagandha (Rauvolfia serpentina), while a comprehensive Indian
herbal book, the Charaka Samhita, cites more than 500 medicinal plants (Gani 1998; Shamshad, 2004).

It is estimated that 70-80% of people worldwide rely chiefly on traditional, largely herbal, medicine to meet their primary
healthcare needs (Farnsworth & Soejarto, 1991; Pei Shengji, 2001). The global demand for herbal medicine is not only
large, but growing (Srivastava, 2000). The market for Ayurvedic medicines is estimated to be expanding at 20% annually in
India (Subrat, 2002), while the quantity of medicinal plants obtained from just one province of China (Yunnan) has grown by
10 times in the last 10 years (Pei Shengji, 2002b). An example of increased pressure on collecting grounds is provided by
the Gori valley in the Indian Himalayas, where the annual period of MAP harvesting has increased from 2 to 5 months
(Uniyal et al, 2002). Factors contributing to the growth in demand for traditional medicine incl ude the increasing human
population and the frequently inadequate provision of Western (allopathic) medicine in developing countries.

Hamilton (2001) mentions that in terms of the number of species individually targeted, the use of plants as medicines
represents by far the biggest human use of the natural world. Plants provide the predominant ingredients of medicines in
most medical traditions. Estimates for the numbers of species used medicinally include: 35,000-70,000 or 53,000 worldwide
(Farnsworth & Soejarto, 1991; Schippmann et al., 2002); 10,000-11,250 in China (He & Gu, 1997; Pei Shengji, 2002a; Xiao
& Yong, 1998); 7500 in India (Shiva, 1996); 2237 in Mexico (Toledo, 1995); and 2572 traditionally by North American
Indians (Moerman, 1998). The great majority of species of medicinal plants are used only in Folk Medicine. Traditional
Medical Systems employ relatively few: 500-600 commonly in Traditional Chinese Medicine (but 6000 overall) (Pei Shengji,
2001); 1430 in Mongolian Medicine (Pei Shengji, 2002b); 1106-3600 in Tibetan Medicine (Pei Shengji, 2001; Pei Shengji,
2002b); 1250-1400 in Ayurveda (Dev, 1999); 342 in Unani; and 328 in Siddha (Shiva, 1996). Arecent study, of the top 150
proprietary drugs used in the USA in 1993, found that 57% of all prescriptions contained at least one major active compound
currently or once derived from (or patterned after) compounds derived from biological diversity (Grifo & Rosenthal, 1997).

About 500 medicinal plants grow in Bangladesh, where ~80 per cent of the rural population depends on traditional remedies
for ailments such as cough, cold, fever, headache and dysentery. Neem, for example, is used to treat skin disease and in
beauty care products. Turmeric is used as an anti-inflammatory, to treat digestive disorders and skin diseases, and in wound
healing. Despite this, and the presence of more than 400 companies producing herbal medicines, more than 90 per cent of
the plants and products needed to meet demand are imported by Bangladesh from other countries such as India, Nepal and
Pakistan. According to a December 2003 study by the World Bank's South Asia Enterprise Development Facility and a
Swiss development organization Inter-cooperation, Bangladesh's medicinal plant market is worth US$14 million each year
at wholesale for ~17,000 tonnes of final product. The report predicted that the demand for imported raw materials would
increase by US$4.9 million within five years. But at present medicinal plants are not commercially farmed in Bangladesh and
are only used when gathered from the wild. Plants such as garlic, mint, turmeric and neem could boost Bangladesh's
economy if planted on a larger scale, even if it is just in villagers' backyards. Although Bangladesh has no government policy
or regulations about growing, conserving and marketing medicinal plants, some universities and non-governmental
organizations are collaborating to boost the country's production of the plants.

The dividing line between a medicinal and an aromatic plant is very blurred, and many plants are used in both,
pharmaceutical as well as fragrance industries. Actually all aromatic plants are medicinal but not all medicinal plants are
aromatic. Medicinal plants are primarily used in Ayurvedic, Unani, Homeopathic drugs in Indian Sub-continent. Ayurveda is a
South Asian, holistic therapeutic concept, based not only on medical therapy, but including all aspects of the life cycle.
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Medicinal plants are hardly ever used for their specific curative agents in most cases, a number of different drugs with
varying effects are administered. In Ayurvedic medicines, fermentation process is being practiced. Unani is a branch of
medical science/ practice, which deals with both medicinal plants/ plant parts as well as some essential chemicals in the
preparation of medicines. In Unani medicines, no fermentation process are being practiced, rather some chemicals as
preservative are being used. In Homeopathy the medicines derived from plant, mineral and animal sources and used in
extremely dilute amounts, generally in globule form. Popular or folk medicine is a non-institutionalized, individual, family or
tribal use of medicinal plants passed down from generation to generation, this is the oldest form of medical therapy that has
survived in most countries till date. Medicinal plants are not only used in preparation of ayurvedic and unani medicines but
around 125 types of such plants are being used in allopathic medicines. Raw medicinal and aromatic plants are also used in
herbal cosmetics, toiletries and nutritional foods

The difficulties experienced in the collection of plants from forest and the problems encountered therein together with heavy
demand of medicinal plants necessitate domestication of medicinal plants. Cultivation at present is dictated by user
industries since they are fixing the price. They go for cheaper alternatives in order to have a grip in price of medicinal plants.
Therefore for quick disposal and for fair price a well knit buy back arrangement is essential. This is perhaps the most
important limiting factor for large-scale cultivation of medicinal plants.
Increasing interest by multinational pharmaceutical companies and domestic manufacturers of herbal-based medicines is
contributing significant economic growth of the global medicinal plants sector. In 1997, for example, 3,500 tons of the bark of
the shrub Prunus africana (valued at US $220 million) was exported from Africa, to be used in the treatment of prostate
disease. The global market potential of aloeused to treat burns and added to skin creams and cosmeticsis estimated in
the billions of dollars. Devils Claw, is a major export from Namibia for use in the treatment of arthritis and other inflammatory
diseases. In the three Himalayan countries of Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, several thousand tones of MAPs are
extracted from forests providing earnings that run into millions of dollars each year (Karki, 2003).

In Bangladesh where herbal medicines have been used for centuries, the most important markets are the rural consumers.
Each year, companies producing herbal medicines import huge amounts of raw plant ingredients into Bangladesh. The
cultivation is becoming both profitable and environmentally friendly. The Government has encouraged the development of
the industry since the Prime Minister launched `plantation fortnight in 2002 with a call to plant medicinal plants & fruit trees.
It is estimated that around 12,000 tones of dried medicinal plants are sold from the rural collection and production areas
worth around 4.5 million USD to the rural economy. The wholesale value is estimated to be US$ 6 million and the import of
around 5,000 tons worth US$ 8 million. In summary the MAP sector in Bangladesh is worth US$ 14 million with local supply
comprising of 70% by volume and 40% by value (SEDF/IC, 2003). Dey (2006) using data obtained from Hamdard
Laboratories Limited noted that the annual demand of medicinal plants is around 19250 tons in the country. Out of this
medicine industry uses 10800 tons, herbal physicians use 6050 tons and cosmetic industries use 2400 tons. Therefore there
conservation of such a valuable resource in the country is vitally important.

China is probably the country with the greatest acreage of medicinal plants under cultivation, with over 300,000 hectares
devoted to just one species Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) with 10,000 people employed (Lambert et al.,
1997). However, even in China, only 100-250 species are cultivated (Schippmann et al., 2002) and more than 80% of the
700,000 tonnes of medicinal plants reportedly used annually come from wild sources (Heywood, 2000).
China 80%, in India 90%, in South Africa 99%,

Only 130-140 of the 1200-1300 species that are both traded in, and native to, Europe are derived predominantly from
cultivation (Lange, 1998). There are many parts of the world in which there is virtually no cultivation on any significant scale,
including, by way of examples, Albania and Turkey in Europe (Lange, 1998), Pakistan and Bangladesh in Asia (Begum,
2002), and all countries in Africa (Dold & Cocks, 2001; Marshall, 1998).

An estimated 99% of the 400-550 species currently sold for use in traditional medicine in South Africa originate from wild
sources (Williams, 1996).

In Spain and Texas, for example, the Rosy Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), a species which originated in Madagascar
and which is the source of the anti -leukemia drugs vincristine and vinblastine, is widely cultivated (Balick & Cox, 1996).

There is no reliable estimate for the number of medicinal plants that are globally threatened, variously calculated as 4160 or
10,000 (Schippmann et al., 2002; Vorhies, 2000). There would seem little doubt from theoretical considerations (Holsinger &
Gottlieb, 1991; Menges, 1991) that many medicinal plant species that have been listed as threatened, and indeed others
that have not, must be suffering from genetic erosion now, or will do so in the near future. This is because populations of
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many species are in retreat, with outlying populations being destroyed, as the extent and quality of many natural habitats
decline (WWF & IUCN, 1994- 1997).

2. CONSERVATION OF MEDICINAL PLANTS
2.1 Definition : The world conservation strategy (IUCN, UNEP & WWF, 1980) defines conservations as "the management
for human use of the biodiversity so that it may yield the greatest sustainable benefit to present generation while maintaining
its potential to meet the needs and aspirations of future generations". The above definition invokes two complementary
components "conservation" and "sustainability".

2.2 Goals of Biodiversity Conservation: The primary goals of biodiversity conservation as envisaged in the World
Conservation Strategy can be summarized as follows:
? Maintenance of essential ecological processes and life support systems on which human
survival and economic activities depend,
? Preservation of species and genetic diversity and
? Sustainable use of species and ecosystems which support millions of rural communities as well as major industries.

2.3. Guidelines on the Conservation of Medicinal Plants: The World Health Organization (WHO) IUCN The World
Conservation Union WWF - World Wide Fund for Nature (1993) published detailed Guidelines on the Conservation of
Medicinal Plants. The following extracts have been taken from that documents. Conservation of medicinal plants require
basic studies on traditional knowledge on the use of plants in health care and studies to identify the medicinal plants, outline
their distributions and assess their abundance. These involve the following:
2.3.1. Basic Studies
2.3.1.1 To study traditional knowledge on the use of plants in health care:
1 Each country should identify and support one or more institutions to plan, coordinate and implement ethnobotanical
surveys. ; 2 The selected institution(s) should implement a nationwide programme of surveys on the use of plants for
medicinal purposes in traditional societies.; 3 The data on ethnobotany should be catalogued and analyzed but only
disseminated in such a way that the communities providing the data would receive benefits from any commercial use of the
information.; 4 The Ministry of Health should incorporate proven traditional remedies into national programmes of Primary
Health Care.; 5 Traditional Health Practitioners (THPs) should constitute themselves into national bodies.
2.3.1.2 To identify the medicinal plants, outline their distributions and assess their abundance:
Each country should have adequate facilities for plant identification. Botanical institutions should make a catalogue of all the
plant species used for medicinal purposes in the country. The following data should be included on each species as far as
practicable: a) Its scientific (Latin) name, and its vernacular name(s); b) Its geographical distribution; c) Its scarcity or
abundance, population size and conservation status; d) Its habitat; e) Description of the part of the plant used (e.g. stem or
leaf) and how collected; f) Its use(s) in medicine, traditional or otherwise; g) Its occurrence in protected areas; h) Whether
cultivated or not, and the availability and location of ex situ germplasm. Where a modern comprehensive Flora of a country
or region exists, this should be followed to ensure ease of reference, particularly for legislators. Line drawings or
photographs should be included wherever possible.
The National Herbarium should identify which of the medicinal plants are threatened in the wild so they can be given priority
in conservation programmes.
Wherever possible, information on medicinal plants should be stored in computerized databases, which should follow
international data standards and transfer formats where they exist.
2.3.2 Utilization
2.3. 2.1 Wherever possible, to cultivate the medicinal plants as the source of supply.
The WHO Traditional Medicine Programme has outlined two basic strategies for the production and use of medicinal plants:
(a) the agro-industrial production and use of medicinal plants of standardized pharmacologically active constituents; and (b)
the distribution of seeds, seedlings and/or saplings to individuals and communities for cultivation in home gardens.
2.3.2.2 Checklist of steps in bringing a species into cultivation3 include:
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Collecting propagating material of the most suitable genetic material and improve the stock genetically; Finding the best
form of propagation; Finding the optimal cultural conditions (e.g. soil, climate, shading, watering regime); Finding ways to
protect the plants from pests and diseases; Finding ways to control weeds; Choosing the best time of harvest; Considering
the possibility of mechanization; Developing the best system for post-harvest storage.
2.3.2.3. Cultivation practices should minimize the use of chemicals.
The use of weed-killers and pesticides may represent a risk to the environment, to those growing the plants and to those
treated with the resulting drug. Therefore, the use of chemicals (if used at all) should be reduced to an absolute minimum,
and where chemicals are used, necessary regulations should be in place and rigidly followed.
2.3.2.4 Botanic gardens and horticultural institutes should provide effective horticultural training and information.
Provision for training and information is vital. Training may be the best approach for those working in medicinal plant
nurseries. Information leaflets and other forms of extension may be more suitable to help members of the public grow their
basic home pharmacies themselves.
2.3.2.5 To ensure that any collection from the wild is sustainable
Sustainability should be the guiding principle for the ways in which people use nature and natural products. True
development can only be sustainable development. If collecting a medicinal plant reduces the wild population, continuing to
do so will inevitably impair the rights of future generations.5
In the past, many societies had complex systems of rules, often unwritten, to control the exploitation of the natural world. As
these traditions have broken down, a legal framework is needed to replace them. The basis for that framework, much
simplified, is presented below6.
2.3.3. Conservation
2.3.3.1. To conserve population of medicinal plant species in natural habitats.
The Parks Department should prepare a policy at national level on the conservation and utilization of medicinal plants in
protected areas. The policy should include: - Identifying which of the protected areas are most important for medicinal
plants; - Targets and techniques for recording and monitoring medicinal plants in protected areas; - Techniques and
procedures for collection of medicinal plants within protected areas; - A legal mechanism to ensure that benefits reach local
people ;
The Parks Department (Forest Department in case of Bangladesh) should assess the extent to which the protected areas
system covers the medicinal plants of the country. It should then create new protected areas and extend existing ones to
ensure that all the medicinal plants of the country are conserved. The Parks Department should devise economic and social
incentives for maintaining natural habitats and wild species.4 Park managers should ensure that the conservation and
exploitation of medicinal plants are incorporated into site management plans. Species that are heavily depleted by over-
collection should be re-introduced into areas where they once grew wild. In appropriate cases, species which have become
extinct in nature may be re-introduced either to their original localities or if that no longer exists into a similar habitat.
Guidelines for such re-introductions are being prepared by Botanic Gardens Conservation International and IUCN's Species
Survival Commission.
2.3.3.2. To conserve populations of medicinal plant species ex-situ
Ideally all medicinal plant species should be conserved as evolving populations in nature. However, these species should
also be conserved ex situ (i.e. outside their habitat) as well. The primary purpose of this is asan insurance policy. But it also
has the advantage that it is usually easier to supply plant material for propagation, for re-introduction, for agronomic
improvement, for research and for education purposes from ex situ collections than from in situ reserves. The disadvantages
of ex situ conservation are that the sample of the species conserved ex situ may represent a narrower range of genetic
variation than that which occurs in the wild. Species conserved ex situ can also suffer genetic erosion and depend on
continued human care. For this reason, ex situ conservation must not replace, but should complement, in situ conservation.
Most important of all, ex situ conservation should not be used as a reason for failing to safeguard representative samples of
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themedicinal plants and their habitats in nature. Priority for ex situ conservation should be given to species whose habitats
may have been destroyed or cannot be safeguarded. It should also be used to bulk up populations of depleted or even
locally extinct plants for
restocking in nature. In some countries it may be appropriate to conserve all medicinal plants ex situ, in others, where for
example some medicinal plants are common weedy species, this may not be necessary.
2.3.4. Communication and Cooperation
2.3.4.1. To build public support for the conservation of medicinal plants through communication and cooperation. Various
ways of preventing over exploitation of medicinal plants in protected areas are suggested by McNeely and Thorsell (1991).
2.4 Systems of Conservation of Medicinal Plants

The systems involved in medicinal plant conservation tend to be complex, with many variables and many types of actual or
potential stakeholders. For the sake of presentation, 4 distinct sub-systems are recognized here, namely (1) production
systems and in situ conservation, (2) commercial systems, (3) ex situ conservation, propagation, domestication and the
breeding of crop varieties, and (4) new product discovery (Fig. 1), though actually all can be closely connected (Hamilton,
2003).



Fig.1 Some sub-systems involved in medicinal plant conservation, showing where feedbacks are needed from commercial
systems, ex situ efforts and new product discovery (From Hamilton, 2003).

2.4.1 Approaches to Production Systems and in situ Conservation

There are various ways in which efforts to promote in situ conservation or sustainable production can be strengthened
through off-site work, including through:
policy development, in particular to increase the benefits of medicinal plants to local people, including through official
recognition of traditional medical systems, measures to increase the proportion of income received from the sales of
medicinal plants at the sites of harvesting or growing, official recognition of the rights of local and indigenous peoples, laws
that protect customary rights, and laws that designate protected areas with provisions for regulated harvesting of medicinal
plants within them, or else promotion of cultivation in their support zones;
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the dev elopment of ex situ facilities, these having conservation of threatened species and the reinforcement of livelihood
security among their objectives, and having good connections to communities;
stimulating the purchasing decisions of traders, manufacturers and consumers to be in favour of conservation and
sustainable use; and
the compiling of information relevant to the conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants, and its dissemination in
readily comprehensible forms to those people who turn it to practical use. Finally, there is a need for more work to ensure
that benefits from prospecting plants for new drugs or botanicals are fairly and equitable distributed, as required by the
Convention on Biological Diversity. In doing so, it is vital that undue restrictions are not imposed on other types of research
as has started to happen in some countries and regions or else there is a danger that more damage will be done to the
causes of conservation and sustainable development than benefits received (Hamilton, 2003).
2.4.2 Approaches to commercial systems:
Various stakeholders are involved in commercial systems, including producers (collectors or growers), traders of various
types, manufacturers and consumers (Fig. 2). Apart from self-regulation, commercial systems for medicinal plants are
subject to many types of standard, statutory or otherwise. Conservationists can become engaged in various ways, including
helping to formulate and promote appropriate standards, supplying relevant information to the parties involved, and also
putting parties in touch which each other. Thus, it can make sense to work simultaneously both with producers (to improve
their management systems) and manufacturers (to make their purchasing of raw materials more conservation-friendly). In
many countries, the MAP sector is economically liberalized and in the hands of private enterprise. In such cases,
commercial systems tend to be complex, poorly integrated vertically and secretive.

Bhutan has a central system which controls the harvesting of medicinal plants made into medicines in the capital Thimpu
and then the distribution of the medicines to hospitals throughout the country.
In China, there is one major business, the state-owned Company of Chinese Medical Crude Drugs, which is responsible for
the bulk of the collection and distribution of raw materials, but there are several major manufacturers of Chinese Traditional
Medicine, some under national and others under private ownership.
The collapse of Communist regimes in eastern Europe resulted in considerable deregulation of statecontrolled commerce in
MAPs and a weakening of pre-existing quota-controlled harvesting structures . As a result, the number of traders in MAPs
has increased and wild collection has grown in an unregulated fashion, with associated conservation concerns (Lange,
1998).

Fig. 2: Simplified model showing movements of MAP materials or products in a commercial system based on medicinal
plants (Hamilton 2003).

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2.4.3 Approaches to ex- situ conservation, propagation, domestication and the breeding of crop varieties :
Plant species can be found away from the sites where they naturally occur in a range of contexts, including in botanic and
other types of gardens, nurseries, seed banks, tissue culture units, etc. In fact, ex situ conservation is not always sharply
separated from in situ conservation. There are intermediates between the purest forms of in situ and ex situ conservation,
as represented possibly, on the one hand, by the total protection of wild populations of species without any other form of
management and, on the other hand, by seed banks with specialist scientists situated at a far distance from the places
where the plants naturally grow. The term circa situ conservation has been used for a range of practices commonly
associated especially with more traditional (and biodiversity-rich) agricultural systems (Hawkes et al., 2001). They include
the deliberate encouragement of certain species of wild plants (which could include MAPs) in ' natural' habitats, the
retention of valued 'wild' plants when land is cleared for agriculture or crops are weeded, the growing of valued 'wild' plants
in home gardens, and the selection and storage of seed at household level for later replanting. Circa situ conservation
grades into both in situ and ex situ conservation (Hamilton, 2003).

2.4.4 Approaches to new product discovery:

This subject is covered authoritatively in some recent publications (Laird and Pierce, 2002; Laird & ten Kate, 2002; ten Kate
&Laird, 1999) and partially elsewhere in this paper. Several stages are involved in the process of prospecting the chemical
properties of plants to discover drugs or other novel products. First, unless discoveries are fortuitous, decisions are made
about which plants to sample and how to sample them. Sampling may be in the field or from ex situ collections, the latter
perhaps represented by plants growing in botanical gardens or by dried specimens in herbaria. These decisions are based
on published and unpublished information, including sometimes knowledge of local medical uses and about the relative
difficulty of undertaking research in different contexts. The next step involves isolation of chemical fractions for automated
screening, for example the in vitro testing of activity against cell lines. Promising results may lead to further tests, including
perhaps clinical trials, and these may result in the development, including licensing, of marketable products. As an
alternative to chemical screening, there is growing interest today in screening extracts from plants for genetic information, a
branch of science set to grow spectacularly (Hamilton, 2003).

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 80% of the population of developing Countries relies on traditional
medicines, mostly plant drugs, for their primary health care needs. Also modern pharmacopoeia contained at least 25%
drugs derived from plants and many others which are synthetic analogous built on prototype compounds isolated from
plants.

2.5 Concerns about Declines in Local Knowledge and Cultural Survival
Knowledge of medicinal plants, as once embedded in tens of thousands of indigenous cultures, is rapidly disappearing.
Every year, the sum total of human knowledge about the types, distribution, ecology, methods of management and methods
of extracting the useful properties of medicinal plants is declining rapidly a continuation of a process of loss of local cultural
diversity that has been underway for hundreds of years. There has, of course, been a great growth in scientific information
about medicinal plants in recent decades, but in many ways this has proved poor compensation, because such information
is accessible, in practice, only to a very few people and, anyway, rather little of it is relevant to problems of management and
utilization, as encountered in the field (Hamilton, 2003).

2.6 Conservation of Medicinal Plants in Bangladesh
2.6.1 Opportunity of In-Situ conservation
In-situ conservation of medicinal plants can be accomplished through the active support and participation of people who
dwell in or near and around the protected forest areas. Involving the local mass in all phases of conservation programmes,
such as planning, policy decision process, implementation etc. will be asignificant component in achieving efficient
management and utilization of medicinal plant resources. A few such in-situ conservation areas have been marked
declared as medicinal plant in-situ conservation areas in the forests of Bangladesh. At present there are 16 protected areas
for in situ conservation under the management of Forest Department. The protected areas are spread almost all over the
country covering an area of 243 677 ha. According to IUCN categories of protected areas, there are 9 national parks, 7
wildlife sanctuary and 1 game reserve. The location, area and year of establishment of 16 notified protected areas of
Bangladesh are provided in Table 1:
10
Table 1: Location, area and year of establishment of Sixteen (16) notified protected areas of Bangladesh.
A National Parks Location Area (ha) Established
(Year)
1. Bhawal National Parks Gazipur 5022 1974
2. Modhupur National Parks Tangail/Mymensingh 8436 1962
3 Ramsagor National Parks Dinajpur 28 2001
4. Himchari National Parks Coxs Bazar 1729 1980
5. Lawachara National Parks Moulavibazar 1250 1996
6. Kaptai National Parks Chittagong Hill Tracts 5464 1999
7. Nijhum Dweep National Parks Noakhali 16352 2001
8. Medha Kassapia National Parks Coxs Bazar 396 2004
9. Satchari National Parks Hobigonj 243 2005
B Wildlife Sanctuaries Location
10. Rema-Kelenga Wildlife Sanctuary Hobigonj 1796 1996
11. Char Kukri-Mukri Wildlife Sanctuary Bhola 40 1981
12. Sundarban (East) Wildlife Sanctuary Bagerhat 31227 1996
13. Sundarban (West) Wildlife Sanctuary Satkhira 71502 1996
14. Sundarban (South) Wildlife Sanctuary Khulna 36970 1996
15. Pablakhali Wildlife Sanctuary Chittagong Hill Tracts 42087 1983
16. Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary Chittagong 7761 1986
C 17. Teknaf Game Reserve Coxs Bazar 11615 1983

D Other Conservation Sites
1. National Botanical Garden Dhaka 84 1961
2. Balda Garden Dhaka 1.37 1909
3. Madhabkunda Eco-Park Moulavibazar 266 2001
4. Sitakunda Botanical Garden and Eco-Park Chittagong 808 1998
5. Dulahazra Safari Park Cox Bazar 600 1999
Source: Bangladesh Forest Department (http://www.bforest.gov.bd)
2.6.2 Opportunity of Ex-Situ Conservation
Conservation of medicinal plants can be accomplished by the ex-situ i.e. outside natural habitat by cultivating and
maintaining plants in botanic gardens parks, other suitable sites, and through long term preservation of plant propagules in
gene banks (seed bank, pollen bank, DNA libraries, etc.) and in plant tissue culture repositories and by cryopreservation).
Botanical gardens can play a key role in ex-situ conservation of plants, especially those facing imminent threat of extinction.
Several gardens in the world are specialized in cultivation and study of medicinal plants, while some contain a special
medicinal plant garden or harbor special collection of medicinal plants.
In Bangladesh there are, at present 3 Botanical Gardens (National Botanical Garden in Dhaka, Balda Garden in Dhaka,
and Sitakunda Botanical Garden and Eco-Park in Chittagong); 2 Eco-parks (Madhabkunda Eco-Park at Moulavibazar and
Sitakunda Botanical Garden and Eco-Park in Chittagong and 1 Safari park (Dulahazra Safari Park in Coxs Bazar) under
the management of Forest Department for ex situ conservation (http://www.bforest.gov.bd)
Bangladesh Forest Research Institute has also established 2 preservation plots for conservation of 17 endangered tree
species, 2 clone banks and arboretum for bamboo, cane and medicinal plants in different places of Chittagong district. Plant
Genetic Resources Division of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) and the Bangladesh Agricultural
Development Cooperation (BADC) have established field stands for conservation of minor fruit spp. in various sub-station
farms. Bangladesh Tea Research Institute (BTRI) has been given the responsibility for conservation of tea and coffee
genetic resources, and Sugarcane Research Institute (SRI) for conservation of sugar crops. Beside these, there are a
number of botanical gardens associated with the universities and research institutes and small city parks under the control
and management of City Corporation and Municipal Committee (Rahman, 2006).
2.6.3 Status of in-situ conservation and the dominant need for ex-situ conservation
Considering the threats on plant species, particularly with changing concept after the proclamation adopted in the
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992, conservation has been the most important agenda of most in situ and ex
situ centres in Bangladesh. But unfortunately the protection and conservation activities has been ineffective and arrested in
11
most protected areas (in situ) due to indiscriminate cutting of trees and encroachments. At present the rate of deforestation
is very high. As the natural habitat is disappearing rapidly, ex situ conservation of rare and endangered species in botanic
gardens is gaining greater relevance as they contribute as the safest refuge to the preservation of gene pools of indigenous
flora. So, ex situ conservation has become an important tool for promotion and maintaining of species and genetic diversity
of plants, and thus, it has become a last resort for many species that would otherwise extinct out as their habitat is
destroyed. Apart from conservation, botanic gardens can also play a vital rolein educating the visitors and the general public
on sustainable development and conservation through undertaking education programmes. Education programmes can be
effective tools for disseminating information, knowledge and awareness raising about the plants and their importance for
conservation (Rahman, 2006).
2.6.4 Selection of medicinal plant species for cultivation and conservation
Selection of proper planting site and then matching the site with appropriate medicinal plant species is very vital for getting
the optimum benefit. In India there has been a lot of works on medicinal plants including selection of 200 sites and 32
medicinal plant species for commercial cultivation for which there is arrangement for financial support through the Bank. For
each species detailed studies have been done to find out best clone/varieties, silvicultural/agronomic characteristics,
biofertilizer need and doses, pest and /or disease control, cost of and benefit from production, demand of individual species
and production potential, export potential and the like. But in Bangladesh there is very little published work on medicinal
plants in these directions.

Shamshad (2004) recorded 14 medicinal plants and provided information on habitat, uses etc. Thompsen et al,. (
2005)noted a list of 38 primary health care plant species for Bangladesh which is provided in Table -2.

Table 2 : Primary health care plants (From Thompsen et al, 2005).

Serial Local Name Botanical name Serial Local name Botanical Name
1. Amloki Emblica officinalis 20. Kalomegh Andrographis paniculata
2. Anantamul Hemidesmus indica 21. Kontikari ?? Solanum surattense
3. Apang Achyranthes aspera 22. Kurchi Holarrhena antidysentrica
4. Arohor Cajanus cajan 23. Mahogany Switenia macrophylla
5. Ashok Saraca asoca 24. Neem Azadirachta indica
6. Bahera Terminalia belerica 25. Nishinda Vitex nigunda
7. Basok Adhatoda vasica 26. Payara Psidium guajava
8. Bael Aegle marmelos 27. Pathorkuchi Kalanchoe pinnata
9. Chatim Alastonia scholaris 28. Pepul Piper longum
10. Dalim Punica granatum 29. Pitraj Aphanamixis polystachya
11. Dondokolosh Leucas linifolia 30. Shefali Nyctanthes arbortristis
12. Durba Cynodon dactylon 31. Sugarcane Saccharum officinalis
13. Turmeric Curcuma longa 32. Talmull
14. Gandhavadule Paederia foetida 33. Thankuni Centella asiatica
15. Ghritokumari Aloe indica 34. Tulshi Ocimum sanctum
16. Gulancha Tinospora cordifolia 35. Ulotkambal Abroma augusta
17. Horitoki Terminalia chebula 36. Vhat Clerodendrum viscosum
18. Hastikarnopalash Lee macrophylla ? 37. Pineapple Ananas comosus
19. Jute Corchorus capsularis
C. olitorius
38. Shatomuli Asparagus racemosus

Biswas (2004) collected data about the use of 20 priority medicinal plants by each of 50 Kabiraj (herbal doctor) along with
mention of the priority of use by the Kabiraj. Then the data of the of the medicinal plants were compared and 26 medicinal
plants were found to be used by the 50 Kobiraj of Shyamnagor Upazila of Satkhira district at the south western part of
Bangladesh. A list of the 26 medicinal plants arranged in order to decreasing priority to the Kabiraj included: Anantamul
(Tylospora asciatica); Kahir (Acacia catechu); Ulotkombol (Abroma augusta); Dhutura (Datura metal ); Guloncha (Tinospora
cordifolia), Nageshwar (Mesua nagessarium), Bael (Aegle mermelos), Ashok (Saraca indica), Akanda (Calotropis gigantia),
Arjun (Terminalia arjuna), Neem (Azadirachta indica), Amloki (Embelica officinalis), Tulshi (Ocimum sanctum), Pathorkuchi
(Kalanchoe pinnata), Bashok (Adhatoda vasica), Horitoki (Terminalia chebula), Lajjabati ( Mymusa pudica),Thankuni
(Hydrocotyl asiatica), Amrul (Oxalis corniculata), Satomuli (Asparagus racemosus), Varenda (Ricinus communis),
Gritokumari (Aloe barbadensis), Sarpogandha (Rauwalfia serpentina), Bahera (Terminalia belerica) and Bakful (Sesbania
12
grandifolia). The first mentioned species had a ranking score of 13 while the last named one had a ranking score of 7.71
(Biswas, 2004). Thompsen et al (2005) by way collecting data from different categories of herbal traders (beparies), the top
selling medicinal plants and their annual demand from local market of Natore district. Annual demand of seven such
medicinal plants are provided in Table -3.
Table-3: Top selling medicinal plants at Natore and their annual demand as collected from various categories of Beparies
(From Thompsen et al, 2005).
Local name Botanical name Annual demand
1. Ashwagandha Withania somnifera 900 Kg/annum
2. Bhuikumra Ipomea digitata 7.7 ton/annum
3. Dudmul - 15.3 ton/annum
4. Hastikornopolash Leea spp. 1.9 ton/annum
5. Shimul Bombax ceiba 30.7 ton/annum
6. Shonkhomul - 7.4 ton/annum
7. Shatomuli Asperagus racemosus 9.6 ton/annum

The farmers are very enthusiastic about the shotomuli (Asparagus racemosus) planting. Theteam was shown a small area
recently cleared of vegetation. 300 shotomuli seedlings had been planted on 6 decimal of fallow/ marginal land. The
expected yield is 15 kg per plant in 2-3 years. The expected price is Tk 10-15 per kg (fresh weight of the tuber). This would
equate to not less than Tk 300,000 per field of 6 decimal a return far above other crops. Though there is a huge demand
for Ashwagandha at local as well as national markets, annual sales for beparies is only 900 kg. The dried leaf and stem is
100 Tk/kg, while the dried root costs 200 Tk/kg (Thompsen et al, 2005).


2.6.4.1 Indian experience in cultivation of medicinal plants

Cultivation of Medicinal Plants :Given the demands of the market for a continuous and uniform supply of raw materials,
and the increasing depletion of the forest resource base, expanding the number of medicinal plants in cultivation appears to
be an important strategy for research and development. However, according to one estimate, of more than 400 plant
species used for production of medicines by Indian Industry, less than 20 are currently under the cultivation in the country
(Anon, 1997). The potential returns to the farmer from cultivation of medicinal plants is reported to be quite high. A 1995
study suggested that the cultivation of certain high altitude Himalayan herbs could yield products priced anywhere between
Rs. 7,150 to 55,000 per hectare although it is not clear at which point in the marketing chain these prices are paid (Nautiyal
1995). What is clear however is that although estimates of returns vary widely, medicinal plants can be valuable crops. Rao
and Saxena (1994) reported average annual (per hectare) income of Rs. 120,000 through mixed cropping of high altitude
medicinal herbs. High altitude medicinal tend to command higher prices but those of lower altitudes are still significant. Data
for some lowaltitude crops from the Amarkantak region of Madhya Pradesh show economic returns for four profitable
species. Cultivation is clearly a sustainable alternative to collection of medicinal plants from the wild (Tewari, unpublished
manuscript).

Most of the produce of cultivated medicinal and aromatic plants is exported as crude drugs e.g. Psyllium, senna leaves,
opium poppy and Ashaganda. Unfortunately, however, due to emphasis being placed on important cash crops, as well as
the fact that the majority of the cultivated species are not indigenous to India, most cultivation efforts are not alleviating the
pressure being exerted on the natural resource base. Nevertheless, a number of techniques have been developed to
increase the quality and
yield of many of the cultivated species. It is estimated that Indian public sector research institutions have developed
standardized practices for the propagation and agronomy of a total of about 40 species.

Much of the research progress to date has resulted from the decision of the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR)
to establish an All-India Coordinated Research Project on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants(AICRPMAP), in 1972, under the
auspices of the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR). Efforts have mainly focused on the development of
agro- technology techniques, including propagation methods for medicinal and aromatic plants. Aromatic plants have
however tended to receive more attention, perhaps because their market values are in general more widely known.

ICAR works through a network of research stations, including the National Research Centre for Medicinal and Aromatic
Plants located in Anand, Gujarat, which specializes in domestication, and has created structural links between the NBPGR
and its Plant Breeding Division in order to develop improved varieties of some of the medicinal plant species used
inallopathic preparations.
13

Another major national public research organisation, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has also
played a significant role with regard to cultivation of medicinal plants, through its creation of (CIMAP), the Central Institute of
Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, in Lucknow. CIMAP is now an eminent institution in India focusing on agrotechnology as well
as basic studies; improvement and enhancement of the resource base, and chemistry and related research regarding
product development from plants.

In connection with the two major research efforts described above, the Central Government initiated a five year program
(1992-1997) implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture to accelerate research and development of medicinal plants. With
the support of 16 state agricultural universities, state horticulture and agriculture departments, regional research laboratories
and the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), the GOI is establishing herbal gardens,
nursery centres and demonstration seed production centres nation-wide.

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (Department of ISM&H) started a "central scheme for development and cultivation of
medicinal plants" in the year 1990-91 to encourage development of agrotechnique for important species through Govt/semi-
government organisations having expertise and infrastructure for this work. The scheme is expected to initiate studies on
harvesting, drying, and storage of medicinal plants.

Private companies have also started to invest in the cultivation of medicinal plants, since they face difficulties with regard to
increasing supply gaps as well as in some cases adulterated materials from the wild. One such company, the Arya Vaidya
Sala, in Kottakal, Kerala, in addition to maintaining two large herbal gardens, has also undertaken research on the
propagation of 10 species, the demand for which currently outstrips supply, or may soon do so.

Under Reproductive Child Health (RCH) programme of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare it was decided to include
Ayurvedic $ Unani medicines, and, to ensure the availability of raw material of good quality and quantity, "Vanaspati Van
Yojna" was incorporated. Each Vanaspati Van was to be identified over waste lands and denuded forest of 3000 to5000
hectare of contiguous areas. Since the forestland cannot be transferred and sold, the interested State Governments were
advised to register a society under the Society Registration Act in the name of Vanaspati Van Society for a particular State.
TheSociety was to be headed by the Forest Officer with the members from the Department of Family Welfare and from the
Department of Indian Systems of Medicine in its Executive Committee. The experts of forest, agriculture, botany, Ayurveda
and Unani were also incorporated in the Executive Committee. Keeping in view the geo-climatic conditions suitable for
medicinal plants the conservation and propagation of about 100 plants species in the "Vanaspati Van" are encouraged in in-
situ/ex-situ conditions. The site of the Vanaspati Van and suitability of the plants are identified by the Expert group of
Government of India, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, and the State Government. There is a provision of providing
assistance of Rs.1.00 crore per year for a period of 5 years. Subsequently the Vanaspati Van Society will be self-sustained
by scientific harvesting the produce for the benefit of the community as we!! as the society. The State Governments of
Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have started implementing this scheme and the State
Governments of Rajasthan, Karnataka, Kerala, Gujarat, U.P. and Tamilnadu are also approaching with the proposals. The
ultimate objectives of the Scheme is to have at least one Vanaspati Van in each Stateso as to have full range of medicinal
plants used in ISM. (Panning Commission -Government of India, 2000).

Scheme for improving awareness and availability of medicinal plants and remedies of Indian Systems of Medicine
for Reproductive Child Health (RCH).
Because of pressure of population the cultivation of food grains and commercial crops has progressively practically
eliminated locally growing medicinal plants and because of the vast changes in the social system, the family traditions have
also become weak. Worldwide there has been a huge growth in the popularity of alternative medicine and herbal products
mainly due to their being no harmful side effects when genuine medicinal plants are used. To address both these problems
and to resurrect a highly cost effective preventive health and medical care system the NGOs will be assisted for raising
nurseries of medicinal plants which are known to grow in that particular area. They will distribute the medicinal plants free of
charge to desirous families and village level ISM practitioners. These practitioners will be encouraged to grow these plants
over a somewhat larger piece of land about 1-2 acres (if that can be managed). This will enable the products of these
medicines to be not only readily available but to be available in a pure form. The NGOs will also be simultaneously assisted
to do extension work and educate local population about the uses of locally available medicinal plants for preventive health
and for curative purposes. In order to ensure impact, NGOs will be asked to take up this work on a project basis for a district
and only a few of the NGOs with proven large capability will be assigned more than one district. The applicant NGO having
experience and expertise of medicinal plants in ISM will identify one district to propagate the ISM remedies. There is a
provision of up to Rs.15.00 lakh per year for the scheme and the scheme can continue three to four years. Uthhan-Centre
for Sustainable Development & Poverty Alleviation has improved awakening and availability of medicinal plants in
Allahabad-Koshambi districts of Uttar Pradesh (Panning Commission, Government of India, 2000)..

14
For improving awareness and availability of medicinal plants the task force recommends cultivation of 25 species which are
in great demand. Out of those 25 species the following 18 species are also available /present in Bangladesh. These are
provided in Table 4.
Table 4: List of high priority cultivable plant species which can be also be cultivated in Bangladesh.

Sl.
No.
Local Name in
Bangladesh
Family Type of plant Local Name
in India
Botanical Name
1 Amloki Euphorbiaceae Tree Amla Emblica officinalis Gaertn
2 Ashwagandha Solanaceae Shrub Ashwagandha Withania somnifera (Linn.) Dunai
3 Ashok Caesalpinaceae Tree Ashok Saraca asoca(Roxb.) de Wilde
4 Otibish Rununculaceae Atees Aconitum heterophyllum Wall.ex
5 Bael Rutaceae Tree Bael Aegle marmelos (Linn.) Corr.
6 Brahmi Shak Scrophulariaceae Herb Brahmi Bacopa monniera (L.) Pennell
7 Krishnochandan Santalaceae Tree Chandan Santalum album Linn.
8 Chirata Gentianaceae Herb Chirata Swertia chirata Buch-Ham
9 Gulancha Menispermaceae Shrub (Climber) Giloe Tinospora cordifolia Miers
10 Isabgul Plataginaceae Herb Isabgol Plantago ovata Forsk
11 Jatamanshi Barbaridaceae Herb Jatamansi Nardostachys jatamansi DC
12 Kalmegh Acanthaceae Herb Kalmegh Andrographis paniculata Wall.ex.
13 Amshula Gutiferae Tree Kokum Garcinia indica Chois
14 Joshtimodhu Leguminosae Herb Mulethi Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn.
15 Pipul Piperaceae Shrub (Climber) Pippali Piper longum Linn.
16 Gorshar Asclepiadaceae Shrub (Climber) Gudmar Gymnema sylveste R.. Br.
17 Shatomuli Asparagaceae Shrub (Climber) Shatavari Asparagus racemosus Willd.
18 Shonamukhi Caesalpiniaceae Tree Senna Cassia angustifolia Vahl.
Source: Planning Commission, Government of India, 2000.

For each of the above 18 species necessary information for commercial cultivation in India is provided in the Task Force
Report (Planning Commission, Government of India, 2000). As an example of package of information on Ashwagandha
(Withania somnifera) is provided in Table 5 for ready reference.

Through a careful comparison of the 18 top priority medicinal plants as recommended by the National Task Force formed
by the Planning Commission of the Government of India to report on Conservation and Sustainable use of Medicinal Plants
of India and which are also present in Bangladesh, 18 priority medicinal plants in the judgment of 50 herbal physicians
(Kabiraj) of Shyamnagor Upazila of Satkhira district and, 7 priority medicinal plant species which are being commercially
grown currently in Natore district of Bangladesh, it has been found the six species viz. Amloki (Embelica officnalis Gaertn);
Ashok (Saraca indica); Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (Linn.) Dunai ; Bael (Aegle mermelos) (Linn.) Corr.;, Gulancha
(Tinospora cordifolia) Miers, Shatomuli (Asparagus racemosus) Willd. are in common between the Task Force priority list
and the herbal physicians priority list and two species i.e Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (Linn.) Dunai and .Shatomuli
(Asparagus racemosus) are found to be common between those under commercial cultivation in Natore and Task Force
priority list and one species (i.e. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (Linn.) Dunai is found to be common all the three
cases. Therefore these six species are recommended for large scale cultivation for medicinal use in Bangladesh.








15


Table 5: Package of information on Aswahagandha as provided by the Task Force on Conservation of Medicinal
Plants (From Planning Commission, Government of India, 2000).

2.6.4.2. Ethnobiological survey: In India a survey conducted by the All India Coordinated Research Project on
Ethnobiology (AICRPE) during the last decade recorded over 8000 species of wild plants used by the tribal and other
traditional communities in India for treating various health problems. Some interesting observations made in the study is
the use of the same species found in different regions for the same ailments while some other species are used
differentially. In Bangladesh Forest Research Institute (BFRI), Bangladesh National Herbarium (BNH), Forest Department
(FD), International Union for Conservation of nature (IUCN) and the like have carried out survey, inventory of plants in
various plants of the Bangladesh from time to time. But no thorough Ethnobiological survey particularly the tribal areas and
village areas of the country need to be conducted to find out about our medicinal plant resources and their potential uses.

2.6.4.3 Selection of medicinal plant species for Bangladesh: In the light of what has been mentioned under section
2.6.4., 2.6.4.1 and further by conducting a survey pharmaceutical industries of Ayurvedic and Unani Drugs and considering
site requirements of the plants under consideration and also through a stock taking of the plant species under commercial
cultivation in various areas of North Bengal including Natore through a National Task Force or the like a priority list of
medicinal plants, their productive potential and demand and supply situation of each species should be determined for
Bangladesh.

2.7 Market size of different medicinal plants : Beparies purchase herbs from local growers in bulk volume and
sometimes collect through wild harvesting from different parts of Bangladesh. Beparies of this area are categorized as A, B,
and C on the basis of their turnover which is estimated as Tk. 30 million/ annum, Tk. 12million/annum and Tk. 0.6 million
respectively. It is estimated that there are over 350 beparies in Bangladesh.
Hawkers usually collect herbs from the local traders / beparies or sometimes directly from the growers and distribute them to
different parts of Bangladesh. About 800 hawkers purchase different herbs both in fresh and dry form from Laxmipur
Kholabaria union of Natore. Their turnover is about Tk. 42 million per annum (1000Tk/week/hawker).
1

Moulavibazar the major trading market in Dhaka, to hawkers, kabirajs or to secondary processing companies such as
Hamdard. About 20 national wholesalers also import dried herbs, especially from India. The national wholesalers sell the
dried medicinal plants directly to consumers, hawkers, retailers, kabiraj and to secondary processors. The secondary
processors, such as Hamdard, manufacture finished products which are sold directly to the consumers from company
16
owned or private dispensaries and various distributors and retail outlets. The products are often prescribed by hakims (From
Thompsen et al, 2005).
2.8 Constraints of cultivation of medicinal plants :There is a lack of standardised cultivation and harvesting methods for
the production of edicinal plants. There is a lack of practical knowledge of organic cultivation methods including biological
pest control. The production volumes are low, frustrating wholesalers who easily give up durcing plants locally. There is a
lack of organisation amongst growers. There is little knowledge of best practice primary processing techniques for drying
and sorting plant material District and national wholesale are cautious about buying local produce due to the poor drying
(From Thompsen et al, 2005).
2.9 Controlled cultivation & harvesting of medicinal plants : Standardised cultivation and harvesting methods needs to
be developed for the short-listed medicinal plants. These include development of specific organic methods for crop
maintenance, weed and pest control. Good Agricultural Practice as outlined by the World Health Organisation should be
followed. Phytochemical analysis by the BCSIR should be used to guide the standardisation of the cultivation and harvesting
methods. The specific requirements for the different plant material need to be examined. Chemical analysis must be utilised
to define the best time to harvest. Plant material can be harvested after dew has dried in the mornings but there could be
other factors affecting the level of active constituents which must be taken into account when deciding how and when to
harvest the plant. Standard Operating Procedures should be developed (From Thompsen et al, 2005).

2.10 Constraints of processing of medicinal plants: The secondary processors tend to favour imported plant material
due to the poor quality of locally produced plant material. The low volume of locally produced plants lead to a dependence
on imported herbs. There is poor coordination between cultivators and potential buyers. Secondary processing is oriented
towards packaging; not processing of raw herbs (extraction) (From Thompsen et al, 2005).
Some of the constraints associated with the processing of medicinal plants which may result in reducing their
competitiveness in global markets and which have to be remedied are: -
? Poor agricultural practices
? Poor harvesting (indiscriminate) and post-harvest treatment practices
? Lack of research on development of high-yielding varieties, domestication etc.
? Poor propagation methods
? Inefficient processing techniques leading to low yields and poor quality products
? Poor quality control procedures
? High energy losses due to processing
? Lack of current good manufacturing practices
? Lack of R&D on product and process development
? Difficulties in marketing
? Lack of local market for primary processed products
? Lack of trained personnel and equipments
? Lack of facilities to fabricate equipment locally
? Lack of access to latest technologies and market information

Systematic cultivation of many medicinal plants needs specific cultural practices and agronomical requirements. These are
species-specific and are dependent on soil, water and climatic conditions. Hence research and development work has to be
done to formulate good agricultural practices which will include appropriate selection and identification, propagation
methods, cultivation techniques, harvesting, stepwise quality control of raw material up to processing stage, post -harvest
treatment, storage and safety. These aspects have to be incorporated into protocols for the cultivation of medicinal plants
(Planning Commission, Government of India, 2000).

2.11: Concerns about loss of biological diversity and the availability of resources
These concerns exist, for a large part, because most species of medicinal plants are collected from the wild. The total
number of species of medicinal plants cultivated on any scale is few, although this does include some species of MAPs that
are traded internationally in large volumes, as well as the many of the (small) number of species used as starting points for
pharmaceutical drugs. There is no reliable estimate for the number of medicinal plants that are globally threatened, variously
calculated as 4160 or 10,000 (Schippmann et al., 2002; Vorhies, 2000). There would seem little doubt from theoretical
considerations (Holsinger & Gottlieb, 1991; Menges, 1991) that many medicinal plant species that have been listed as
threatened, and indeed others that have not, must be suffering from genetic erosion now, or will do so in the near future.
This is because populations of many species are in retreat, with outlying populations being destroyed, as the extent and
quality of many natural habitats decline (WWF & IUCN, 1994- 1997).

3. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
17
In line with the knowledge and development of medicinal plant sector of India (Planning Commission, Government of India,
2000), China and other countries, in Bangladesh we should give due importance to medicinal plant sector. This is because
of the fact that:
i) The sector has traditionally occupied an important position in the socio-cultural, and medicinal arena of rural and tribal
peoples. In recent years, due to growing recognition of natural products and processes in sustaining human, cattle and
environmental health, the economic as well as environmental importance of the medicinal plant resources have increased
tremendously.

ii) The growing importance of herbal remedies in the developed countries has attracted the attention of all. The medicinal
plants being natural, non-narcotic, having no side-effects and effective in treatments for ailments like cerebral malaria,
cardiac diseases, hepatitis, arthritis, jaundice, mental disorder, premature aging, general immunity, stress related diseases,
diarrhoea, etc.
iii) Ethnobiological survey should be conducted in the tribal areas, village groves and systematic inventory of all forest areas
should be carried out to know precisely about the medicinal plants. Besides data should also be collected about the
traditional knowledge bases from the medicinal plant users (i.e. kabiraj), Unani and Ayurbedic industries of the country to
know about the resource bases and potential demand.

iv). Current practices of harvesting are unsustainable and responsible for depletion of resource base. Marketing of medicinal
plants is inefficient, imperfect, informal, and opportunistic. As a result, the raw-material supply situation is shaky,
unsustainable and exploitative.

v) Several medicinal plants have been assessed as endangered, vulnerable and threatened due to overharvesting or
unskillful harvesting in the wild. Habitat destruction in the form of deforestation is an added danger. Since rural communities
still depend on herbal medicines, sometime it is the only source of health care available to them.

vi) There is a growing demand for natural product based medicines, health products, pharmaceuticals, food supplements,
cosmetics etc. in the national and international markets. For meeting demand cultivated material is infinitely more
appropriate for various uses. Systematic cultivation of medicinal plants needs following research and development support:-
? Good agricultural/silvicultural practices which will include appropriate selection, identification, propagation methods,
cultivation techniques, harvesting, stepwise quality control of raw material up to processing stage, post harvest
treatment, storage and safety.
? Development of protocols for producing planting materials with desirable agronomic and therapeutic chemical
derivatives.
? Organic farming of medicinal plants as per world demand.

vii) The control of quality of the raw materials, finished products and of processes is an absolute necessity if one has to
produce goods for world market and human consumption. Quality has to be built into the whole process beginning from the
collection/cultivation of herbs to the final product reaching the consumer. Standard preparations need to be developed to
improve quality, efficacy and effectiveness of the traditional drugs.

viii) In order to achieve Sustainable and equitable development of the sector and to avert a crisis "Medicinal Plants Board" in
line with that present in each of the states of India should be established in Bangladesh. For sustainable development of
medicinal plants sector, obvious targets, most of which are recognized by the government and people. These are:
A. Focus on Environment and Biodiversity conservation especially forests, wastelands, gardens, sacred groves etc. as
these continue to be the primary habitat for medicinal plants, and linkages with incentives related to their conservation,
sustainable harvesting and rehabilitation of degraded areas.
B. Systematic cultivation of medicinal plants by adopting following techniques:-
? Selection of plants (best phenotypes, genotypes and chemotypes) for cultivation being demand and market driven.
? Development of high yielding varieties.
? In vitro propagation
? Organic farming


18
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+


). There would seem little doubt from theoretical considerations (Holsinger & Gottlieb, 1991; Menges, 1991) that many
medicinal plant species that have been listed as threatened, and indeed others that have not, must be suffering from genetic
erosion now, or will do so in the near future. This is because populations of many species are in retreat, with outlying
populations being destroyed, as the extent and quality of many natural habitats decline (WWF & IUCN, 1994- 1997). Hence
proper knowledge of conservation of such a valuable resource in Bangladesh is vitally important. Hence in this review paper
an attempt has been made synthesize relevant information for the conservation of medicinal plants in Bangladesh for use by
all the concerned persons.
22
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York, USA, and Oxford, UK.
Menges, E. S. (1991). The application of minimum viable population theory to plants. In Genetics and conservation of rare
plants (ed. D. A. Falk and K. E. Holsinger), pp. 45-61. Oxford University Press, New York, USA, and Oxford, UK
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