CURRENT STUDIES ON MEDICINAL PLANTS-II

There are approximately 750.000 to 1.000.000 plant species in the world, of which approximately 500.000 have been identified. In addition, a large number of plants are identified each year. It has been shown that approximately 20.000 different plant species are used worldwide for medicinal purposes. More than 4000 of these species are widely used as herbal medicines, and more than 2000 herbal medicines are traded in European countries. In addition to their therapeutic purposes, medicinal and aromatic plants play a major role in many products such as essential oils, cosmetic products, health supplements, coloring agents, plant protection products and intermediate products. The market value of these plants is also increasing day by day worldwide. The growth in the natural and alternative medicine sector creates an increasing market demand for medicinal plants. In order to carry out sustainable agriculture and to evaluate the market potential in the best way, it is important for production to meet the demand in terms of quality and quantity. Although Türkiye has an important position in the world in terms of medicinal and aromatic plants, the foreign trade of these products is well below the desired level.