Editorial

According to reports, fifty two new species of animals and plants have been discovered in Borneo,

According to Prof. E.D. Wilson, the 1.5 million species so far discovered represent only 10% of the living species.

While exploring for new species of plants and biological specimens is important; it is more important for our universities to have interdisciplinary expeditions to explore/ identify the plants not only by the botanical name but also by the names in the regional languages and most important/ in Sanskrit. Teams can co-ordinate their work with base laboratories to identify them, analyse the products and document after comparing the ancient texts. Then Indian manufacturers of Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and other systems should combine to exploit them for preparing medicines for distribution in India, at affordable prices. Out of hundreds of varieties of mangoes and bananas in India, only a few are surviving.

After Dr. Mashelkarwon the historic battle of patents for turmeric and Basmati, a huge work is going on in CSIR. A digital data -base has now been built with an enormous number of slokas in Sanskrit as well as every treatise on Ayurveda, Unani and other ' Indian systems.

If our medicinal plants and biological specimens have to saved, all the universities hove to combine with CSIR to explore/ identify, document and exploit every single medicinal plant and search  for those which have been lost. It is a multidisciplinary activity.If the discovery of o single Arogya Paccha (Health greens) of tribal medicine can create waves in Kerala, many more, "Sanjeevinis" remain hidden all over India, ready to be exploited.