At a conference on medicinal plants and natural compounds held from April 15-17 in Quy Nhon, Prof. Dr. Duong Tan Nhut issued a warning about the overexploitation of ginseng. He highlighted that Vietnamese ginseng is at risk of extinction due to overexploitation and recommended preserving rare medicinal herbs while developing farming practices on a larger scale.
Prof. Dr. Nhut, with over 30 years of research experience on Ngoc Linh ginseng, shared that researchers have identified 52 saponin compounds, including 26 new compounds isolated from ginseng rhizomes. These compounds, such as MR2, G-Rb1, and G-Rg1, have high saponin content, with MR2 accounting for more than 50% of the total content. This unique composition makes rare herbs like ginseng effective in nerve stimulation, anti-fatigue, anti-aging, stress relief, and antioxidants.
The conference featured presentations by about 50 scientists discussing medicinal plants and valuable natural resources. Topics included advances in discovering natural compounds, cultivating plants, producing biologically active compounds, and exploring new applications in the field. Professor Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai emphasized the importance of medicinal chemistry in creating new health products using domestic medicinal resources.
The first international conference on medicinal plants and natural compounds hosted over 120 researchers from 13 countries at the ICISE Center in Quy Nhon. Professors and scientists from prestigious universities worldwide attended the event to share research findings, discuss innovations, and address practical challenges in medicinal plant biology and natural compound research. Organized within the framework of the 20th “Meeting Vietnam” program, the conference aimed to promote scientific collaboration and knowledge exchange among experts in the field.
Vietnam is recognized as one of 15 countries on the medicinal plants map due to its diverse plant origins with high economic value. However, the challenges of climate change and ecosystem degradation necessitate a more scientific approach to developing medicinal plants and natural products to ensure sustainability in the long term.
Throughout the conference, various biological aspects of medicinal plants were explored at different levels – agronomic and molecular – new active ingredient discovery was discussed along with food development derived from herbs through research presentations and experience sharing.
Overall, this conference provided an opportunity for researchers to identify new opportunities for innovative advances in natural compound research by sharing their knowledge and experiences with each other while also promoting scientific collaboration among experts in different fields related to medicinal plant biology
