Project Unearths Plant Medicines
Dr Tran Van On from the Hanoi College of Pharmacy interviewing a family from the Humong tribe about their medicinal plants.
Media Release
Dec 18 2003
Dozens of previously undocumented uses of medicinal plants have been discovered by a research team working with remote hill tribes people in Northern Vietnam. The researchers, from the Hanoi College of Pharmacy, are working for an NZAid sponsored project managed by Forest Herbs Research Ltd of Nelson.
Forest Herbs developed the internationally distributed Kolorex brand of anti-yeast products from the New Zealand native plant Horopito. Their Medicinal Plants Innovation project in Vietnam is charged with achieving something similar for hill tribe people in the Sa Pa region.
International Project Coordinator for Forest Herbs, Dr Chris Wheatley, said if laboratory research confirms the new plant properties there may be intellectual property worth patenting for the hill tribes.
"They are literally dirt poor, and the climate is harsh in winter. We have just returned from a trip where the hills were constantly in a thick mist. It would be good to see the hill tribes make enough money from their medicinal plant knowledge to at least afford gumboots for their kids."
The other objective of the project is the conservation of medicinal plants endangered by excessive wild foraging.
"The two nurseries we have established have successfully propagated our target species," said Dr Wheatley. "We now have to show the hill tribes people that cultivation is the best long term strategy."
For further information contact:
Dr Chris Wheatley
International Project Coordinator
Forest Herbs Research Ltd
Tel 03 544 2597
Fax 03 544 2503
Email c.wheatley@tasman.net