Long-term scientific research of medical plants in Lithuania: in relation to the 95th anniversary of the medical and spice (aromatic) plants scientific sector at Botanical Garden at Vytautas Magnus University

Abstract

Introduction. In 1924 the department of Medical Plants was established in the Botanical Garden of the university of Lithuania. This department is now called the science division of Medical and aromatic plants. It deals with the problems of medical and spice (aromatic) plants variety profusion, their introduction and naturalization. Scientific research of medical plants, their problems, directions and collection formation varied in different periods: I- 1924-1949 scientific advisor professor habil. dr. Kazimieras Grybauskas, II – 1949-1984 – dr. Stasys Gudanavičius, dr. Algimantas Morkūnas, III – 1984-1999– dr. Gražina Ona Juknevičienė , IV – 1999-2019– prof. dr. habil. Ona Ragažinskienė. Materials and methods. The introduction, research of chemical composition and retrospective method development analysis of promising medical, spice (aromatic) plants and hop species was performed by means of a theoretical descriptive method using scientific publications, reports and archival data (1–5). Results and discussions. The constituent part of the scientific paper, research and study object is medical plants, classified according to pharmacognostic principle on the basis of biologically active substances. The collections of pharmacies present a unique pharmacognostic garden – the research center of European and Baltic states region of accumulation, protection, introduction and naturalization of medical spice (aromatic) plants natural resources. With the growth of the requirements on medical raw material quality and preservation of plants biological diversity the introduction and cultivation of medical plants in industrial plantations are becoming more and more important in the world and Lithuania. Long-term complex and interdiscilinary scientific research of medical plants are performed on the basis of national and international projects in cooperation with Lithuanian and foreign scientists.[...]