[MPWG] NEWS: Medicinal Plants are Big Business in Germany

[Bob Beyfuss]

Hi All
I have attached a copy of a recently published paper on the results of 
crossing wild American ginseng from West Virginia with field cultivated 
American ginseng from Wisconsin and cultivated ginseng from West Virginia 
as well as self pollinating wild ginseng and crossing with other wild 
ginseng plants within the same population. The wild plants crossed with the 
cultivated produced bigger (presumably more vigorous?) offspring after a 
couple years of growth suggesting that isolated wild populations may suffer 
from inbreeding depression. Current federal guidelines discourage the 
introduction of cultivated ginseng seed or plants into wild ginseng 
populations due to fear of outbreeding depression, i..e the possibility of 
introducing harmful genes that may harm the wild populations. Although this 
is a preliminary study and long term survival of the offspring has not been 
determined I would hope that this paper will cause federal officials to 
review their management recommendations and guidelines.  In my opinion the 
best way to protect an important natural resource such as wild ginseng is 
to encourage and not discourage landowners to grow it. The practice of 
planting cultivated seed into forested environments with wild ginseng 
populations has also been well documented for the past 100 years.




At 01:42 PM 2/5/2008, Olivia Kwong wrote:
>http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3106747,00.html
>
>Drugs | 05.02.2008
>Medicinal Plants are Big Business in Germany
>
>Each year, 45,000 tons of medicinal plants are used in Germany -- more
>than in any other European country. But this booming business also creates
>problems for species preservation.
>
>Drugs made from medicinal plants have become ever more popular among
>doctors and patients in Germany in recent years. Around 75 percent of
>customers in German pharmacies reach for a natural product when they buy
>non-prescription medications. In 2006, so-called phytopharmaceuticals
>accounted for around 2 billions euros ($2.9 billion) worth of revenue, or
>about a third of the total revenue in non-prescription medications. That
>translates into a high demand for the raw materials for these products --
>medicinal plants and their leaves, flowers, roots, and seeds.
>
>See the link above for the full article text.
>
>
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