Fajinmi Olufunke O, Olarewaju Olaoluwa O, Van Staden Johannes
Department of Nature Conservation, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Mangosuthu University of Technology, Durban 4031, South Africa.
Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa.
Plants (Basel). 2023 Mar 3;12(5):1174. doi: 10.3390/plants12051174.
South Africa is blessed with vast plant resources and unique vegetation types. Indigenous South African medicinal plants have been well-harnessed to generate income in rural communities. Many of these plants have been processed into natural products to heal a variety of diseases, making them valuable export commodities. South Africa has one of the most effective bio-conservation policies in Africa, which has protected the South African indigenous medicinal vegetation. However, there is a strong link between government policies for biodiversity conservation, the propagation of medicinal plants as a source of livelihood, and the development of propagation techniques by research scientists. Tertiary institutions nationwide have played a crucial role in the development of effective propagation protocols for valuable South African medicinal plants. The government-restricted harvest policies have also helped to nudge natural product companies and medicinal plant marketers to embrace the cultivated plants for their medicinal uses, and thus have helped support the South African economy and biodiversity conservation. Propagation methods used for the cultivation of the relevant medicinal plants vary according to plant family and vegetation type, among others. Plants from the Cape areas, such as the Karoo, are often resuscitated after bushfires, and propagation protocols mimicking these events have been established through seed propagation protocols with controlled temperatures and other conditions, to establish seedlings of such plants. Thus, this review highlights the role of the propagation of highly utilized and traded medicinal plants in the South African traditional medicinal system. Some valuable medicinal plants that sustain livelihoods and are highly sought-after as export raw materials are discussed. The effect of South African bio-conservation registration on the propagation of these plants and the roles of the communities and other stakeholders in the development of propagation protocols for highly utilized and endangered medicinal plants are also covered. The role of various propagation methods on the bioactive compounds' composition of medicinal plants and issues of quality assurance are addressed. The available literature, media online news, newspapers, and other resources, such as published books and manuals, were scrutinized for information.
南非拥有丰富的植物资源和独特的植被类型。南非本土药用植物已得到充分利用，为农村社区创造了收入。其中许多植物已被加工成天然产品，用于治疗各种疾病，使其成为有价值的出口商品。南非拥有非洲最有效的生物保护政策之一，该政策保护了南非本土药用植被。然而，生物多样性保护的政府政策、作为生计来源的药用植物繁殖以及研究科学家开发繁殖技术之间存在着紧密联系。全国的高等院校在为南非珍贵药用植物制定有效的繁殖方案方面发挥了关键作用。政府限制采收的政策也促使天然产品公司和药用植物销售商采用种植的植物用于药用，从而有助于支持南非经济和生物多样性保护。用于种植相关药用植物的繁殖方法因植物科属和植被类型等因素而异。来自开普地区（如卡鲁地区）的植物常在丛林大火后复苏，通过控制温度和其他条件的种子繁殖方案，已建立起模拟这些事件的繁殖方案，以培育此类植物的幼苗。因此，本综述强调了高利用率和贸易量的药用植物繁殖在南非传统医药体系中的作用。文中讨论了一些维持生计且作为出口原材料备受追捧的珍贵药用植物。还涵盖了南非生物保护登记对这些植物繁殖的影响，以及社区和其他利益相关者在高利用率和濒危药用植物繁殖方案开发中的作用。探讨了各种繁殖方法对药用植物生物活性化合物组成的影响以及质量保证问题。对现有文献、媒体在线新闻、报纸以及其他资源（如已出版的书籍和手册）进行了信息审查。
