TEHRAN – An encyclopedia of herbs and medicinal plants endemic to Iran was unveiled in a ceremony on Wednesday.

In this line, data related to 7,400 different plants in the fields of botany and ecology, pharmaceutical plants, and edible plants have been gathered in the encyclopedia along with some 9,000 pictures, ISNA reported.

In terms of pharmaceutical use, the plants have been categorized into 135 sections. For instance, there are 73 plants effective in lowering blood sugar.

Some 2,300 species of medicinal plants are cultivated across Iran, of which 1,738 species are endemic species, Tarahom Behzad, deputy director of the Forests, Ranges, and Watershed Management Organization, has said.

Of the 8,425 species of herbs identified in the country, 2,300 have medicinal, aromatic, and cosmetic properties, he added.

Iran earns some $500 million annually by exporting medicinal herbs, Mohammad Hassan Asareh, an official with the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology said.

About $350 million of the revenue is related to saffron and the rest is related to other medicinal herbs, he noted.

A 10-year plan for the development of technological activities in the field of medicinal plants and the growth of herbal industrial products was prepared by the headquarters for developing medicinal herbs.

The plan is considered as a roadmap in the field of medicinal plants industry, according to the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology.

According to this program, the most important medicinal plants with useful properties are identified, then knowledge-based, creative, and technology companies that are active in the industry are supported.

In order to determine the appropriate indicators for control and expert supervision in the process of production of seeds and seedlings of medicinal plants and the development of required standards, the roadmap was developed.

The main activities of the project are carried out in three fields, one of which is the registration of plant genetic resources, indigenous and local cultivars of medicinal plants.

MG