Phytopharmaceuticals in Mongolia: Past, Present, and Future

Over the last two decades, the consumption of medicinal plants has increased in Mongolia. Once banned by the post-revolutionary government, it is now valued by the practitioners of orthodox medicine, government as well as by the society. Yet the scientific community has to give this major and crucial component of traditional Mongolian medicine the attention it deserves, scientific knowledge about biologically active principles within medicinal plants remain poorly unknown. At the same time, due to over exploitation of plants many species are becoming extinct together with invaluable traditional knowledge being lost. For these reasons, there is a certain urgency to increase efforts in the area of medicinal plant research e.g. rapid chemical and biological screening of plant and drug extract as well as evaluation of biologically active principles contain. Further, focus area in research area behaviour of medicinal plants concerning environmental conditions. New attempts were made to manipulate secondary metabolism. Legislation of plant use as a drug, use/trade of endangered plant species as a medicine are of highest interest. Tendency of research, development of analytical technology and achievements in the past, present and future are discussed.