Status of medicinal and aromatic plants in - Inia

PRESENTED PAPERS 107
The Direcção Regional de Agricultura de Entre Douro e Minho (DRAEDM) has done a
systematic collection of seed and propagules of the following species: Hypericum
androsaemum L., Ruscus aculeatus L., Melissa officinalis L., Cynara cardunculus L. and
Centaurium erythraea Rafn.
Several other institutions such as polytechnic schools and delegations of the Ministry of
Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries have been collecting material in order to
create small gardens as a source for environmental education. An excellent example is the
Jardim Algarve located at the Direcção Regional de Agricultura do Algarve.
The Serralves Foundation has organized a medicinal and aromatic garden at Oporto
As a commercial enterprise the Cantinho das Aromáticas–Viveiros develops the
production and sale of MAPs using organic farming technology.
Evaluation
The BPGV and the Escola Superior Agrária de Elvas have been evaluating morphologically
and agronomically the accessions of local populations of garlic, onion, coriander, parsley and
hops. Some garlic and coriander accessions are being subjected to molecular analysis
(Table 2).
Table 2. Evaluation of MAP species
Action
Carried out
by
Genera / Species
Characterization and preliminary evaluation DRAEDM Coriander, garlic, onion, parsley, hops
Chemical characterization - essential oils
ESAPL
Thymus mastichina,
Rosmarinus officinalis
Chemical characterization - essential oils
UC
Thymus, Juniperus, Teucrium,
Origanum, Mentha
Ethnopharmacological survey and essential oils of
aromatic plants from Africa (Popular Republic of
UC
S. Tomé and Principe and Mozambique)
Technological valorization of the essential oils
UC
Antibacterial and antifungal activity of essential oils UC
DRAEDM = Direcção Regional de Agricultura de Entre Douro e Minho
ESAPL = Escola Superior Agrária de Ponte de Lima
UC = Universidade de Coimbra
Multiplication and utilization
The sustainable use of all genetic material collected, conserved and evaluated must be
promoted. Several institutions are working on propagation and multiplication, at the same
time carrying on with further evaluation (Table 3).
Table 3. Multiplication and utilization of MAP species
Action Carried out by Genera / Species
Propagation (trials on seminal
Hypericum androsaemum, Melissa officinalis,
DRAEDM
and vegetative propagation)
Cynara cardunculus, Centaurium erythrea
Hypericum androsaemum L., H. perforatum L.,
Production trials
DRAEDM Vaccinium myrtillus L., Melittis melissophyllum L.,
Woodwardia radicans L.
Selection and propagation
DRAEDM
Origanum virens, Lavandula spp., Thymus spp.
and Apium graveolens
Variety study
ESAC
Mentha x piperita, Origanum vulgare,
Salvia officinalis cv. "green",
S. officinalis cv. "purpurescens",
Lavandula angustifolia and Lippia citriodora
Selection and propagation
ESAPL
Petroselinum crispum, Coriandrum sativum,
Thymus vulgaris
DRAEDM = Direcção Regional de Agricultura de Entre Douro e Minho
ESAC = Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra
ESAPL = Escola Superior Agrária de Ponte de Lima