Conservation and promotion of endangered medicinal plant species from Western Ghats of India

Plants from the Western Ghats mountains (a biodiversity hot-spot) in western India are becoming globally important due to newfound curative properties e.g. Embelia ribes, that yield the chemical Embelin, used against diabetes. Over exploitation of such resources is leading to over harvests, threatening global health care and local livelihoods. Reducing harvest pressure on wild population and promoting viable commercial cultivation with the community and government participation is a huge challenge. The present project focuses on mass propagation, conservation and promotion of selected plant species that are ‘red listed’ and in high demand (trade > 300 tonnes/yr), besides scale-up of Nothapodytes nimmoniana, an endangered species used in cancer cure.