Investigation on the medicinal plants: morphological, chemical and pharmacological characterisation

Investigation on genetic, chemical and morphological variation of medicinal plants is important for understanding different levels of diversity in natural populations, their biological history, present distribution and insight into assumed phylogenic relation. Such approach will be applied on investigation of not so well known traditional medicinal plants in course of more complete understanding validity of their use. Also, subject of research will be rare, endemic and endangered species for evaluating their medicinal potential, and especially their protection in the nature. Methodology will consider the usage of different molecular markers (nuclear and plastid genome), determination of metabolic profile, pharmacological screening and methods of micro- and macromorphology. Experiments will give some information about polymorphism and regulatory mechanisms of adaptation in natural populations. Influence of these phenomena on production of certain secondary metabolites will be followed. Practically, understanding the diversity is a starting point for selection of the individuals with desired characteristics and for taking measures for monitoring and protection of natural populations. Further, some knowledge about structure/activity relation can be obtained. That can be used for developing technology of production of pharmaceutically active substances, new biological materials or medicinal products for prevention and therapy of certain conditions and diseases.