THE Department of Traditional Medicine plans to conduct tests on medicinal herbs and plants found throughout the country to determine their properties towards establishing an herbal pharmacopoeia, said Dr Tin Nyunt, the director general of the department.

He said the department will try to finish laboratory tests on many medicinal herbs and plants in the next three years.

He revealed the plan at the Eighth Traditional Medicine Practitioners’ Conference, held from November 27 to 29 at Yangon’s University of Nursing.
“The pharmacopoeia will include the botanical character and scientific name of each medicinal plant, its nature, its chemical content and its exact amount, its use in traditional medicine and its effects,” said Dr Tin Nyunt.

He said the information will be used to set standards for defining herbs and plants, which can have different names in different geographical areas, and to solve disputes among traditional medicine practitioners in classifying various kinds of plants.

He said the department needs funding for the project and will request help from international organisations.

U Win Myint, the director of the department’s Research and Development Division, said the department already had the technicians, equipment and most of the materials needed for the lab tests but required funding for the necessary chemicals.

“The department has started laboratory tests on three plants,” he said, adding that the plants to be tested will be chosen by senior traditional medicine practitioners to get baseline information.

“The lab tests will be conducted by officials from the department in collaboration with senior traditional medicine practitioners, botanical and technical experts, doctors and pharmacologists,” he said.