The main objective of this paper is to review recent advances in plant drug research and developments in orchid study, in an attempt to provide useful references for plant drug studies. Plants have been used as medicine for millennia. Out of estimated 250 000 to 350 000 plant species identified so far, about 35 000 are used worldwide for medicinal purposes. It has been confirmed by WHO that herbal medicines serve the health needs of about 80 percent of the world's population; especially for millions of people in the vast rural areas of developing countries. Meanwhile, consumers in developed countries are becoming disillusioned with modern healthcare and are seeking alternatives. The recent resurgence of plant remedies results from several factors: 1) the effectiveness of plant medicines; 2) the side effect of most modern drugs; and 3) the development of science and technology. It has been estimated that in the mid-1990s over 200 companies and research organizations worldwide are screening plant and animal compounds for medicinal properties. Actually, several important drugs used in modern medicine have come from medicinal plant studies, eg, taxol/paclitaxel, vinblastine, vincristine, topotecan, irinotecan, etoposide, teniposide, etc. As for drugs derived from orchids, some novel discoveries, both in phytochemical and pharmacological properties, were reported by some universities. However, studies on plants are very limited. Only about a third of the million or so species of higher plants have been identified and named by scientists. Of those named, only a tiny fraction has been studied. Nowadays the linking of the indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants to modern research activities provides a new approach, which makes the rate of discovery of drugs much more effective than with random collection.

Recent advances in traditional plant drugs and orchids.

Therapeutic orchids: traditional uses and recent advances--an overview.

The fresh or dried stems of many Dendrobium species are well known as one of the most expensive tonics in traditional Chinese medicine Documented as a “superior grade” herbal medicine in the ancient text “Shen Nong’s Herbal Classic”, Dendrobium has been used for thousands of years and is now a popular health food worldwide The main chemical components of Dendrobium are alkaloids, aromatic compounds, sesquiterpenoids and polysaccharides, with multiple biological activities, including immunomodulatory, neuroprotective and anti-tumor effects, etc Various qualitative and quantitative methods have been developed for the quality evaluation of Dendrobium In this review, the research progress since the 1930s relating to the chemistry, bioactivity and quality control of Dendrobium is summarized, existing problems and prospects are also discussed

Chemistry, bioactivity and quality control of Dendrobium, a commonly used tonic herb in traditional Chinese medicine

This review provides an informative and broad overview of orchid biotechnology, addressing several important aspects such as molecular systematics, modern breeding, in vitro morphogenesis, protoplast culture, flowering control, flower color, somaclonal variation, orchid mycorrhiza, pathogen resistance, virus diagnosis and production of virus-free plants, functional genomics, genetic transformation, conservation biotechnology and pharmaceutical biotechnology. This resource will provide valuable insight to researchers who are involved in orchid biology and floriculture, using biotechnology to advance research objectives. Producing an improved orchid through biotechnology for industrial purposes or to serve as a model plant for pure and applied sciences is well within reach and many of the current techniques and systems are already employed at the commercial production level.

The Application of Biotechnology to Orchids

Dendrobium species, commonly known as “Shihu” or “Huangcao,” represents the second largest genus of Orchidaceae, which are used commonly as tonic herbs and healthy food in many Asian countries. The aim of this paper is to review the history, chemistry, and pharmacology of different Dendrobium species on the basis of the latest academic literatures found in Google Scholar, PubMed, Sciencedirect, Scopus, and SID.

https://downloads.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2015/841752.pdf

P.L. Majumder

Papers

Crepidatin, a bibenzyl derivative from the orchid Dendrobium crepidatum