Life-saving plants at risk of extinction
January 20, 2008Hundreds of plants used to produce more than 50 percent of the world's prescription drugs are at risk of becoming extinct, researchers say.
Members of the Botanic Gardens Conservation International blamed stockpiling and habitat loss for putting the plants at risk, the BBC reported Saturday.
Experts expressed fear that illnesses like cancer and AIDS could never be cured if the plants become extinct.
The study, conducted by a group representing botanic gardens in 120 countries, reviewed input from more than 600 affiliates and university specialists. It sited concerns about the extinction of 400 medical plants.
At the top of the list were the yew tree, hoodia, magnolia and autumn crocus.
"The loss of the world's medicinal plants may not always be at the forefront of the public consciousness," said report author Belinda Hawkins. "However, it is not an overstatement to say that if the precipitous decline of these species is not halted, it could destabilize the future of global healthcare."
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
-
Mixed data on child cancer rates near French nuclear sites
Jan 11, 2012 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Depleted gas reservoirs can double as geologic carbon storage sites
Jan 06, 2012 |
4 / 5 (1) |
14
-
Ecologists call for screening imported plants to prevent a new wave of invasive species
Jan 04, 2012 |
5 / 5 (2) |
0
-
Which wheats make the best whole-grain cookie doughs?
Dec 20, 2011 |
4 / 5 (1) |
0
-
India's uranium mines cast a health shadow
Dec 05, 2011 |
not rated yet |
1
-
Engineers build first sub-10-nm carbon nanotube transistor
Feb 01, 2012 |
4.9 / 5 (33) |
30
-
Something old, something new: Evolution and the structural divergence of duplicate genes
Jan 31, 2012 |
4.6 / 5 (7) |
1
-
The hidden nanoworld of ice crystals: Revealing the dynamic behavior of quasi-liquid layers
Jan 30, 2012 |
5 / 5 (4) |
1
-
Stock market network reveals investor clustering
Jan 27, 2012 |
3.9 / 5 (23) |
8
-
Of microchemistry and molecules: Electronic microfluidic device synthesizes biocompatible probes
Jan 26, 2012 |
5 / 5 (2) |
0
More news stories
A mitosis mystery solved: How chromosomes align perfectly in a dividing cell
Although the process of mitotic cell division has been studied intensely for more than 50 years, Whitehead Institute researchers have only now solved the mystery of how cells correctly align their chromosomes during symmetric ...
3 hours ago |
5 / 5 (4) |
0
|
The proteins ensuring genome protection
Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, have discovered the crucial role of two proteins in developing a cell 'anti-enzyme shield'. This protection system, which operates at the level of molecular ...
3 hours ago |
5 / 5 (2) |
0
|
Researchers find extensive RNA editing in human transcriptome
In a new study published online in Nature Biotechnology, researchers from BGI, the world's largest genomics organization, reported the evidence of extensive RNA editing in a human cell line by analysis of RNA-seq data, demons ...
3 hours ago |
5 / 5 (3) |
0
|
Entire genome of extinct human decoded from fossil
(PhysOrg.com) -- In 2010, Svante Pääbo and his colleagues presented a draft version of the genome from a small fragment of a human finger bone discovered in Denisova Cave in southern Siberia. The ...
Feb 07, 2012 |
4.7 / 5 (59) |
48
|
Why are there so few fish in the Earth's oceans?
(PhysOrg.com) -- A Stony Brook University researcher has found that, contrary to popular belief, there are not plenty of fish in the sea.
Feb 08, 2012 |
4.3 / 5 (17) |
27
|
Google might launch Drive for cloud storage soon
(PhysOrg.com) -- Google's next big move, according to the Wall Street Journal, is a cloud storage service called Drive. Hardly first to the plate, Google is simply catching up to introducing its cloud reposi ...
Scientists discover molecular secrets of 2,000-year-old Chinese herbal remedy
For roughly two thousand years, Chinese herbalists have treated Malaria using a root extract, commonly known as Chang Shan, from a type of hydrangea that grows in Tibet and Nepal. More recent studies suggest that halofuginone, ...
New method to examine batteries -- MRI from the inside
There is an ever-increasing need for advanced batteries for portable electronics, such as phones, cameras, and music players, but also to power electric vehicles and to facilitate the distribution and storage of energy derived ...
Lab study raises questions over nano-particle impact
Tests involving chickens have raised questions about the impact on health from engineered nano-particles, the ultra-fine grains commonly used in drugs and processed foods, scientists said on Sunday.
Injured boomers beware: Know when to see doctor
(AP) -- It happened to nurse Jane Byron years after an in-line skating fall, business owner Haralee Weintraub while doing "men's" push-ups, and avid cyclist Gene Wilberg while lifting a heavy box.
Starve a virus, feed a cure? Findings show how some cells protect themselves against HIV
A protein that protects some of our immune cells from the most common and virulent form of HIV works by starving the virus of the molecular building blocks that it needs to replicate, according to research published online ...
Jan 20, 2008
Rank: not rated yet