[Comparative study on main economic characters of different populations of Pinellia ternata in China].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the content of guanosine, total alkaloid and individual yield of Pinellia ternata from different populations in China and evaluate its quality. METHOD: Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to determine the content of guanosine. The content of alkaloid was determined by ultra violet spectrophometry. The results were analyzed by SPSS software. RESULT: The contents of guanosine and total alkaloid in P. ternata were 0.0136% -0.0264% and 0.0155% -0.0652% respectively. Individual yield was 0.5536-2.9740 g. All of the populations could be classified into 3 types through hierarchical cluster analysis. CONCLUSION: There exist significant differences in the content of guanosine, total content of alkaloid and individual yield of P. ternata from different populations. It is suggested that breeding and selection for type II of P. ternata should be strengthened.

[Study on cultivation of Dendrobium flexicaule by habitat imitation].

Dendrobium drug, a rare medicinal herb, reproduces differcut for growth environment to lead rare resources. By studying of cultivation for many many years in Fuliu mountain area, authors had found out the cultivated method simulating the habitat of wild Dendrobium flexicaule. The results could supply a basis for its development and utilization.

Medicinal plant genetic resources and international cooperation: the Brazilian perspective.

Brazil is a gene rich country, host to 24% of known primate species, between 10 and 15 million species of insects, and 22% of the world's higher plant species. The debate over how and by whom these resources should be protected has intensified over the last few years due to a growing awareness of the links between sustainable utilization of natural resources, conservation of biodiversity, and economic development. Within this context the pharmaceutical exploitation of natural products for drug development has a prominent place. For a significant portion of Brazilian society, fair cooperation is welcome and can facilitate drug discovery. Nevertheless, the complexity of the consequences of patenting and utilization of natural resources calls for a thorough cost/benefit analysis in order to promote policies that can ensure significant and long term benefits for the country.

Juridical and sociocultural problems on the definition of a law concerning property, usage and access to genetic resources in Colombia.

The property, usage, and access to genetic resources, is today one of the primary topics in international business, as a result of the strategic importance of the resources for the biotechnology industry. Internationally, the sovereignty that each country has over its natural patrimony is recognized. However, the new laws of international marketing have obligated countries in the process of development, such as Colombia, to adopt and copy a concept of intellectual property on living resources that does not have anything to do with the country's sociocultural identity, and sometimes even does not take into account its material enjoyment. The new juridical movement that treats genetic resources as private property produces a cultural conflict between indigenous populations, Afro-Americans and peasants, because for them the genetic resources are an element of community life. In these communities, knowledge is freely transmitted; it is an understanding that they have to conserve their agricultural customs and the relationship that they have with the environment. They do not recognize the term "property' according to patenting laws. These elements have to be considered, respected, and guaranteed in the laws that recognize the genetic resources in the country. On the other hand, not even countries that are pioneers in biotechnological development can adopt a concept about patents that is in agreement with the particularities that the living materials possess. This is obviously the reason for the numerous discussions on the legal interpretation, as well as complicated debates in court. Confronting that situation, there are countries rich in biodiversity, such as Colombia, but which do not have a proper concept and are not economically strong in the international context. These countries have to copy inadequate protection policies that do not take into account all their rights. This paper describes some of the technical, juridical, and sociocultural difficulties which Colombia has to confront, in order to set a guideline on patenting living organisms, and on the access and usage of the genetic resources.

Natural products research: perspectives from a major pharmaceutical company.

Natural products research continues to provide a tremendous variety of lead structures which are used as templates for the development of new drugs by the pharmaceutical industry. Advances in bioassay technology and in chemical methodology have combined to make natural products a cost effective source for new leads. While microbial products have been the mainstay of industrial natural products discovery, in recent years phytochemistry has again become a field of active interest. Drug discovery programs based on microbial products and phytochemicals are discussed and contrasted.