BENGALURU: A two-day international conference on medicinal plants and drug discovery began in the city on Wednesday. Conservation biologists, research scientists and representatives of pharmaceutical companies attended the event. Dr N R Shetty, Chancellor of Central University, Karnataka, said, “According to World Health Organisation, 70% medicinal herbs form the basis for modern pharmaceutical products. Medicinal plants have been discovered and used successfully in traditional medicine practices since pre-historic times. Medicinal plants synthesise innumerable chemical compounds for the use of mankind. The defence of plants to disease, fungus and insects is remarkable.”
Dr K R Venugopal, Vice-Chancellor, Bangalore University and Dr Bai Shi Yin Guang Bo, Vice-President, International Green Economy Association were among those present. The conference is being organised by V Sivaram Research Foundation and Society for Conservation and Resource Development of Medicinal Plants.
“The special emphasis of this conference will be on presentations and discussions of basic and applied research in medicinal plants, photochemistry, herbal drug discovery and implementation of research projects on herbal medicine in healthcare,” said V Sivaram, president, V Sivaram Foundation. Indian National Science Academy scientist Dr R R Rao will start the conference on Thursday with a talk on the role of cross-cultural ethnic knowledge in bioprospection and drug development.