Abstract

PEREZ ALVAREZ, Sandra et al. Medicinal herbs, great potential and endangered problems in Asia (Kazakhstan), Africa ( Egypt) and America (Cuba). cultrop [online]. 2014, vol.35, n.3, pp. 5-16. ISSN 0258-5936.

The damage that world biodiversity is facing this days and their negative impact in the obtainment of new molecule of therapeutic interest is a sad reality, because there are species that have been disappear from this planet. The aim of this review is to analyze the great potential and endangered problems of some medicinal plants in three countries as a representation of three continents of our planet. Analysis of flora of some herbaceous plants in Kazakhstan has shown that about 40 % of sorts presented in its composition have economic importance. In Egypt up to 95 % of its lands are deserts. One of the most valuable treasures that can be found in those deserts are Medicinal and Aromatic plants where is possible to find 30 economically cultivated species. In Cuba medicinal plant species amount to 1 241 (97 are endemic ones), which belong to 725 genera from 172 families. Among them, 17 species, which have the same quantity of genera and families, are in the endangered categories and from them 4 are critically endangered. Medicinal herbs are taking their place alongside the likes of bioenergy crops, sources of renewable industrial feed stocks and bioremedials as potential beneficiaries of technological solutions. For this reasons scientific community most pay attention to this important source of plants especially to those that are endangered

Keywords : medicinal plants; biodiversity; Kazakhstan; Egypt; Cuba.

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