Status of medicinal and aromatic plants in - Inia

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PRESENTED PAPERS 85 Status of medicinal and aromatic plants in Malta Everaldo Attard Institute of Agriculture, University of Malta, Msida, Malta Introduction Although the Maltese Archipelago has a restricted environment due to its small size, the diversity in biological species is vast. The variation in biodiversity is mainly linked to the connection of the warm North Africa to the cold southern Europe. The bioclimatic conditions of Malta are also found in coastal regions of other Mediterranean countries. In fact, about 66% of the flora of Malta is common to other Mediterranean regions. Common medicinal flora of the Mediterranean region and Malta include conifers (Pinus halepensis and Cupressus sempervirens), broadleaved trees (Laurus nobilis, Morus nigra, Tamarix gallica and Rhus coriaria), fruit trees (Ceratonia siliqua, Ficus carica, Punica granatum, Cercis siliquastrum, Nerium oleander, Citrus aurantium and Olea europea) and others (Allium sativum, Aloe ferox, Arbutus unedo, Capparis spinosa, Myrtus communis, Opuntia ficus-indica, Origanum vulgare, Papaver somniferum, Phytolacca decandra and Pistacia lentiscus). The other 34% of the flora is adapted to cold European conditions (Populus alba, Salix spp. and Crataegus monogyna) and subtropical conditions (Ceratonia siliqua, Ficus carica, Myrtus communis and Cynomorium coccineum). There are about 1264 vascular plant species, including casual or naturalized aliens. Of these, 458 species possess medicinal value and have been used in traditional medicine for several ailments (Lanfranco 1975, 1993) particularly related to the Mediterranean region. These refer to the nervous system (15%), gastrointestinal (24%), cardiovascular (14%), dermatological (13%) and antimicrobial (4%). Predominating medicinal plant families include Compositae (15%), Labiatae (7%), Leguminosae (6%), Rosaceae (4%), Umbelliferae (4%), Liliaceae (3%), Solanaceae (3%), Cruciferae (3%), Caryophyllaceae (2%), Ranunculaceae (2%) and Papaveraceae (1%). These aromatic and medicinal herbs are found in small patches throughout the country (Haslam et al. 1977). Medicinal and aromatic plant status A considerable number of medicinal plants are under threat, mainly not due to overuse but to degradation by human activities including building and agricultural practices. Table 1 shows the status of the threatened population of medicinal plants in relation to the local threatened plant species (Lanfranco 1989). Table 1. Medicinal plants under threat in Malta (adapted from Lanfranco 1989) Extinct Endangered Vulnerable Rare Indeterminate Total Medicinal plants 9 9 5 20 1 44 Total species 109 74 44 137 34 398 Ex situ conservation In Malta, few ex situ conservation measures are undertaken for medicinal plants. However, the Institute of Agriculture, University of Malta in collaboration with the Micropropagation Centre, Department of Plant Health, has looked into conservation of medicinal plants through micropropagation. Another area of interest for medicinal plants is their yield of secondary metabolites under in vitro and in situ conditions (Cassar 1998; Attard 2001). In the near future, the threatened species will be considered on an individual basis in order to regenerate their populations. The University Botanic Gardens and the Government's nursery
86 WORKING GROUP ON MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS: FIRST MEETING at Wied Incita have propagated a large variety of plants. In fact threatened medicinal plants are found both at the Botanic Gardens and on the University Campus, and in public gardens or public areas. Amongst these are included plants such as Ephedra fragilis, Paleocyanus crassifolia, Rosmarinus officinalis, Vitex agnus-castus, Quercus ilex, Coronilla emerus, Viola odorata, Aloe vera, Pancratium maritimum, Salvia triloba, Spartium junceum, Centranthus ruber, Laurus nobilis, Ruscus hyphophyllum, Tamarix africana and Orchis morio. Inventory of MAP natural resources A Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Database was initiated in 1995 with the emergence of a MAP project at the University of Malta consisting of a multidisciplinary research group. Throughout the years collection of data on the local medicinal flora has led to the creation of another more powerful and user-friendly database at the Institute of Agriculture, University of Malta. This database is multidisciplinary with the main focus on: - plant nomenclature - botanical description - local and foreign ethnobotanic uses - description of the natural habitat and cultivation requirements - plant pests and diseases - local, Mediterranean and worldwide distribution - plant toxicity to humans and animals - chemical constituents and pharmacological uses. To complement this, a photo gallery is being compiled alongside the database. Review of the acreage of MAPs under cultivation and use of MAPs by processing industries In Malta, commercial natural products, found in pharmacies, are mainly obtained from European countries. Due to the lack of space available for agricultural practices, to date no medicinal or aromatic plants are being cultivated for purposes other than for culinary uses. Considering the entry of MAP-related produce into the national marketplace for the year 2001 (Table 2), it can be noted that the local cash crop, the potato tuber, is the most cultivated crop. Besides, the most prominent export for the Maltese Islands is the potato export to the Dutch markets, with a total of 6069 tonnes for the year 2001 (PQS 2002). The local medicinal and aromatic plant industry is still very young. Attempts have been made to set up an industry but due to marketing reasons, commercial problems outweigh the feasibility of such projects. Table 2. Entry of MAP-related produce for the year 2001 into the national marketplace (Anonymous 2002) Produce Weight (kg) Allium cepa 1319637 Allium sativum 124941 Anethum graveolens 1916 Capparis spinosa 91 Capsicum spp. 36436 Ficus carica 16641 Foeniculum vulgare 838 Morus alba 39 Morus nigra 1725 Ocimum basilicum 4857 Passiflora caerulea 220 Petroselinum crispum 332 Potato tuber 2625209 Thymus vulgaris 85 Other herbs 19308
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ISBN 92-9043-633-6 Cover photos: co
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