[PS 147] MODULE 1_WHO GACP (Part 3)

Permission to collect; Technical planning; Selection of medicinal plants for collection; Collection; Personnel

Components of good collection practices for medicinal plants (5)

Export permits; Phytosanitary certificates; Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) permit(s) (for export and import); CITES certificates (for re-export)

Permits required for medicinal plant materials intended for export from the country of collection (4)

Determining the geographical distribution and population density of the target medicinal plant species; Distance from home base and quality of the target plants available; Obtaining essential information on the target species; Data about environmental conditions, including topography, geology, soil, climate and vegetation

Included in technical planning of collection (4)

Botanical keys and other taxonomic identification

What may be useful in case of related species, or unrelated species of similar morphological characteristics?

The species or botanical variety selected for collection is the same as specified in the national pharmacopoeia or recommended by other authoritative national documents of the end-user's country.

What must be considered in selecting medicinal plants for collection?

Botanical specimen

Collectors of medicinal plants and producers of medicinal plant materials and herbal medicines should prepare ____ for submission to regional or national herbaria for authentication.

Management plans for collection

In collection, what provides a framework for setting sustainable harvest levels and describe appropriate collection practices that are suitable for each medicinal plant species and plant part used (roots, leaves, fruits, etc.)?

During the appropriate season or time period

When should medicinal plant materials should be collected?

Determined according to the quality and quantity of biologically active constituents rather than the total vegetative yield of the targeted medicinal plant parts.

How is the best time for collection (quality peak season or time of day) determined?

Only some of the lateral roots should be located and collected.

Proper collection for roots?

Longitudinal strips of bark along one side of the tree should be cut and collected

Proper collection for barks?

Do not collect medicinal plants in or near areas where high levels of pesticides or other possible contaminants are used or found (roadsides, drainage ditches, mine tailings, garbage dumps and industrial facilities which may produce toxic emissions).

Location where medicinal plants must not be collected?

Avoid collection of medicinal plants in and around active pastures, including riverbanks downstream from pastures to prevent microbial contamination of plants from animal waste.

What location must collection of medicinal plants be avoided?

Placed in clean baskets, mesh bags, other well aerated containers or drop cloths that are free from foreign matter, including plant remnants from previous collecting activities.

Where must collected materials be placed?

That the different plant species or plant materials should be gathered separately and transported in separate containers.

If more than one medicinal plant part is to be collected, what should be ensured?

Excess oil and other contaminants

Part with direct contact in collected medicinal plant materials should be free from what?

Local experts

Who is responsible for training any collectors who lack sufficient technical knowledge to perform the various tasks involved in the plant collection process and supervision of workers and the full documentation of the work performed?

Field personnel should have adequate botanical training, and be able to recognize medicinal plants by their common names and, ideally, by their scientific (Latin) names.

Characteristic of a field personnel?

All collectors and local workers should have sufficient knowledge of the species targeted for collection and be able to distinguish target species from botanically related and/or morphologically similar species.

Characteristics of all collectors and local workers?

On all issues relevant to the protection of the environment and the conservation of plant species; Social benefits of sustainable collection of medicinal plants.

Instruction that collectors should receive (2)

Visual inspection for cross-contamination by untargeted medicinal plants and/or plant parts; Visual inspection for foreign matter; Organoleptic evaluation, such as: appearance, damage, size, colour, odour, and possibly taste.

What may be included during post-processing inspection? (3)