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Research
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Until we know what they are, where they are found and how many remain we can do little to safeguard the world’s plant resources. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a world leader in all aspects of plant research from taxonomy to genetics.
One key research area at Kew is the study of plants for medicinal uses. About 25% of modern medicines, including familiar drugs such as aspirin and codeine, are derived from plants, or were developed originally from chemicals produced by plants. Despite this, only a small proportion of the world’s plants have been investigated for potentially beneficial compounds. Many others are disappearing before we can investigate their potential use in the fight against major killers such as malaria and AIDS.
The Jodrell Laboratory at Kew is spearheading the search for plants with medicinal uses. One major programme is investigating British native plants as sources of medicinal compounds to treat diabetes, liver diseases and wound healing. Support from donors has so far allowed 72 species to be examined, but with 1,400 native British plants, there is still a long way to go.
Your
support could help us continue our search to find new treatments for some
of the most common UK ailments.
