Encouraging Mediculture
The concept of growing crops for health rather than food or fiber is slowly chang-
ing plant biotechnology and medicine. The rediscovery of the connection between
plants and health is responsible for launching a new generation of botanical thera-
peutics that include plant-derived pharmaceutical, multicomponent botanical
drugs, dietary supplement, functional foods and plant products, and recombinant
3.5 Improving the Quality, Safety and Efficacy of Herbal Medicine 73
proteins. Mediculture is defined as the cultivation of medicinal plants on a scien-
tific basis. The emphasis on genetic stability and uniformity of plant population is
important in order to ensure reproducible results.
Correct Identification of Plant Material
Classical methods of plant taxonomy for the identification of plant material pro-
vide an authentic and viable methodology. However, in many situations, for exam-
ple when whole plants are not available to the taxonomist, a genetic approach will
be more reliable. DNA molecules are more reliable markers than chemicals based
on proteins or caryotyping because the genetic composition is unique for each in-
dividual and it is less affected by age, physiological and environmental conditions.
The DNA can be extracted from leaves, stems, and roots of herbal material. Thus
DNA fingerprinting can be very useful tool to assess and confirm the species con-
tained within a plant material of interest.
The concept of growing crops for health rather than food or fiber is slowly chang-
ing plant biotechnology and medicine. The rediscovery of the connection between
plants and health is responsible for launching a new generation of botanical thera-
peutics that include plant-derived pharmaceutical, multicomponent botanical
drugs, dietary supplement, functional foods and plant products, and recombinant
3.5 Improving the Quality, Safety and Efficacy of Herbal Medicine 73
proteins. Mediculture is defined as the cultivation of medicinal plants on a scien-
tific basis. The emphasis on genetic stability and uniformity of plant population is
important in order to ensure reproducible results.
Correct Identification of Plant Material
Classical methods of plant taxonomy for the identification of plant material pro-
vide an authentic and viable methodology. However, in many situations, for exam-
ple when whole plants are not available to the taxonomist, a genetic approach will
be more reliable. DNA molecules are more reliable markers than chemicals based
on proteins or caryotyping because the genetic composition is unique for each in-
dividual and it is less affected by age, physiological and environmental conditions.
The DNA can be extracted from leaves, stems, and roots of herbal material. Thus
DNA fingerprinting can be very useful tool to assess and confirm the species con-
tained within a plant material of interest.
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