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Medicinal Uses of British Plants

Ajuga reptans (Lamiaceae) was traditionally used to treat internal wounds. Photo: G.Kite.

The British flora consists of about 1,600 species of which over 400 are documented to have medicinal properties. Whilst documenting the chemistry of these plants it was discovered that in most cases the compounds associated with their medicinal uses had not been characterised. In order to address this lack of knowledge a study was started on species traditionally used to treat certain conditions such as cancer, skin problems, tuberculosis, memory disorders and diabetes. In an initial survey of 100 species, 78 species were found to contain either new compounds or known compounds that had not been previously associated with a medicinal property.  For example, we found that diterpenoids from the bugle plant, Ajuga reptans, have anti-inflammatory activity and iridoids from the figwort, Scrophularia nodosa, have anti-bacterial activity and stimulate fibroblast growth.  The biological properties of these compounds could contribute to the traditional use of both these species to treat leg ulcers. The British Medicinal Plants appeal co-ordinated by the Kew Foundation in 2004 has provided the funds to enable the work to continue and it is planned to study the chemistry and activity of 300 species of British plants by the end of 2008.

Another part of the research into British plants involves documenting the diversity of species traditionally used in the Twentieth Century and those currently being used. The Countryside Agency was one of the sponsors of a survey by Kew into the diversity of wild harvested species currently being used commercially in Britain that was presented in a report “Commercial uses of wild and traditionally managed plants in England and Scotland” (2002) and then published as a book  “Britain’s Wild Harvest” in 2004. This survey along with the findings from Ethnomedica, a collaborative project gathering information about the medicinal uses of plants that involves ethnobotanists, the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, Chelsea Physic Garden, Natural History Museum and the Eden Project, have highlighted the increased interest in herbal medicines in Britain. This research also showed that many traditional uses of British plants are not fully documented and are being lost. The aim of Ethnomedica or “remembered-remedies” is to gather information about the species used medicinally in Britain prior to the introduction of the National Health Service in 1945.  To date, over 3000 records have been obtained and Kew is helping to co-ordinate data gathering throughout the UK. The information is currently being collated into a database that will be available via the Kew website.

The outcomes of this project will provide a better understanding of the uses of British plants and contribute to Targets 9-16 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. Special emphasis is placed on developing methods to manage plant-derived products sustainably (Target 12) that support the sustainable livelihoods that are dependent on plant resources (Target 13) with the dissemination of the results to increase communication and education about the importance of biodiversity (Target 14).

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