Herbal medicines commercial cultivation

Two types of chamomile (camomile) are commonly employed in herbal medicine, Roman chamomile Chamaemelum nobile (formerly Anthemis nobilis) (Compositae/Asteraceae), and German chamomile Matricaria chamomilla (Chamomilla recutica) (Compositae/Asteraceae). German chamomile, an annual plant, is the more important commercially, and is often called matricaria to distinguish it from the perennial Roman chamomile. Both plants are cultivated... 

Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (2004/24/ EC) (THMPD) (European Union, 2004). Coming into force in 2011, the Directive will bring consistency and regulation to the herbal medicines market across Europe. In additional to concerns over safety, the increased amount of wild crafting is raising sustainability questions. Of the 40,000-50,000 plant species used in herbal medicines, 70% are wild crafted and 4,000 of those face extinction. The opportunity for commercial cultivation of medicinal herbs has been reviewed (Williamson and MacTavish, 2007). The study identified up to 36 species of plants suitable for cultivation in Northem European agroclimatic conditions or under controlled conditions. The authors reviewed potential volumes and prices and the species with greatest potential for economic development are shown in Table 3. 

Many Chinese herbal species currently are unavailable commercially in North America. However, hundreds of Chinese medicinal herbs commonly used in China also can be found in natural habitats in North America. The majority have a phyletic relationship with either the same species or the same genus of Chinese herb (see Tables 3 4). Some of the principal ingredients in Chinese herbs can be extracted from related plant species in the West. Thus, it may be possible to substitute Chinese herbs with more readily available herbs in the West. Moreover, these North American plants are, or can be, cultivated, harvested, and processed under proper management that will ensure their safety, quality, and efficacy. 

During the recent past, rising commercial demand for herbal drugs and dependence on produce harvested from the wild has led to the rapid depletion of a number of MAPs (Maikhuri et al., 1998a 2002 Nautiyal et al., 2002). The bulk of the medicinal plant is still harvested from the wild and only a very small number of species are cultivated (FAO, 1993). About 30% of the drugs sold worldwide contain compounds derived from the plants. Thus, it is now essential to focus on the conservation of natural resources, especially the biodiversity hotspots of the world. 

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