The world's most widely-used cancer drug, is Paclitaxel, which is derived from the bark of several species of yew tree. Its complex chemical structure and biological function has so far made it impossible to produce artificially.
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80 per cent of the global population - rely on traditional plant-based medicine as their primary form of healthcare.
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clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk Threat to medicines from plant extinctions Millions of lives could be at risk because the plants which provide the basis of more than half of all prescription drugs face extinction, a new report warns. The loss of plants and trees which provide natural medicines could provoke a global healthcare crisis, says Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI). Potential cures for some of the world's deadliest diseases - including currently untreatable cancer - may be lost if the problem is not checked. 70 per cent of all newly-developed drugs in the United States are derived from natural sources human health is still overwhelmingly dependent on the plant kingdom. in many cases it has proved impossible to reproduce the beneficial compounds found in plants. loss of the world's medicinal plants may not always be at the forefront of the public consciousness, however it is not an overstatement to say it could destabilise the future of global healthcare millions of lives at risk.