Abstract:
Traditional and potential medicinal plants play a vital role in human health, but over-exploitation
has resulted in biodiversity loss that raise global concerns. Moreover, there are no known
breeding programs to improve their populations leaving them under threat from any form of
disturbances. To secure a future sustainable supply, cultivation and domestication are proposed.
Two case studies are presented here. First, the population genetics of Tripterygium wilfordii and
T. hypoglaucum, reveals a distinct genetic divergence through DNA sequences and microsatellites.
Tripterygium wilfordii exhibits lower diversity and subdivision than T. hypoglaucum, possibly due
to migration rates and population history. Cultivated populations have reduced genetic diversity
due to small sizes and vegetative propagation, underscoring diverse populations as primary
important to conservation and breeding. The study highlights the use of various DNA markers to
understand medicinal plant genetics. The second case study explores the genetic diversity of Nypa
fruticans, a potential functional food and medicinal resource with an extensive distribution across
the Indo-West Pacific region. Utilizing microsatellite markers, the research reveals significant
genetic differentiation influenced by geographical distances. It identifies barriers and migration
patterns, shedding light on the species' population structure and potential applications.
Domestication involves artificial selection and genetic bottlenecking, leading to the loss of wild
genetic diversity. This loss has serious implications, including reduced plasticity in secondary
metabolism (a major source of medicinal compounds), diminished genetic diversity for
compound yield improvement, reduced adaptability to changing environments, and negative
impacts on sustainable use. Furthermore, the genetic diversity of promising medicinal plants,
critical for new drug development, is rapidly declining due to over-harvesting. The problem of
homonyms exacerbates this issue, damaging wild resources and plant diversity. To protect these
resources and meet increasing demands, large-scale cultivation is urgently needed. Future
cultivation strategies can be improved by studying genetic diversity in both wild and cultivated
populations of these plant species.
