Molecules from nature: Reconciling biodiversity conservation and global healthcare imperatives for sustainable use of medicinal plants and fungi

Abstract

Plants and fungi have provided, or inspired, key pharmaceuticals for global health challenges, including cancer, heart disease, dementia, and malaria, and are valued as traditional medicines worldwide. Global demand for medicinal plants and fungi has threatened certain species, contributing to biodiversity loss and depletion of natural resources that are important for the health of humanity. We consider the evolving role of plants and fungi in global healthcare as new challenges to human health and to biodiversity arise. We present current and emerging scientific approaches, to uncover and preserve nature‐based health solutions for the future, through harmonization with biodiversity conservation strategies.

Extinction risk and threats to plants and fungi

“…Woody perennials were vastly overrepresented by assessments on the Red List, a bias likely to increase with the rapid progress of the Global Tree Assessment (Newton et al., 2015; Rivers, 2017). Species having recorded human use were also overrepresented, their societal importance having prompted assessment (e.g., Davis et al., 2019; Howes et al, 2020).…”

Unlocking plant resources to support food security and promote sustainable agriculture

“…Livestock and wild animals can also make use of the medicinal properties of plants to improve or maintain their health, for example, to control internal parasites (Villalba & Provenza, 2007; Villalba, Provenza, K Clemensen, Larsen, & Juhnke, 2011). Indeed, the boundaries between foods, including functional foods, medicine, and nutraceuticals are often blurred, attributed to certain phytochemicals in edible plants that have mechanistic effects relevant to human health, independent of fundamental nutrition (Howes, 2018b; Howes et al, 2020; Paradee et al., 2019). Certain edible plants and their constituents are associated with a reduced risk of some diseases.…”

New scientific discoveries: Plants and fungi

“…The importance and potential for humanity of plant and fungal species was recently highlighted (Antonelli, Smith, & Simmonds, 2019). See also in this Special Issue, Howes et al (2020). For full names and literature citations for all the species and publications mentioned see Dataset .…”