Ghana abounds in natural products, however not much successes have been chalked in collaborative research. This was made known by the Country Co-ordinator of the West African Network of Natural Product Research, WANPRES, Ghana, Dr. (Mrs.) Rita Dickson ,in her welcome address at the 2010 in-country symposium held recently under the theme, “Updates in Natural Research “.
Dr. Mrs. Dickson noted that systematic input of science into indigenous technologies is needed to add value to natural products. She said it is through training and research that skilled manpower can be acquired in order to add the desired value to natural products for industrial development.
Dr. (Mrs.) Dickson acknowledged that individual countries within West Africa are limited in that capacity, thereby necessitating the need to establish a network, share ideas, information and resources, both human and material towards achieving this goal which WANPRES seeks to promote.
Dr. (Mrs.) Rita Dickson hoped that the symposium would serve as a platform for brainstorming and dissemination of information and at the end of it move some interesting and exciting results from the laboratories and journals to the reach of the Ghanaian and the Global community.
In a presentation, Prof. M.L.K. Mensah, of the Department of Herbal Medicine, KNUST gave an overview of natural products research in Ghana. He said natural products have been used since the beginning of time in preparation for man’s comfort and wellbeing. Again man has since his appearance on earth lived in symbiosis with ambient flora and fauna which include food, fodder, furniture, clothing, fuel and medicine.
Prof. Mensah explained that natural products are products of natural origin with benefits to man. They may be extracted from tissues of terrestrial plants, marine organisms or microorganisms or broths. They offer a vast and virtually unlimited source of new agents for both the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries, he added.
He said that research in natural products may therefore include areas of chemistry which deals with the isolation, identification, structure elucidation and study of the chemical substances produced by living organisms. Again, he said they may include areas of bioprospectinng, formulation and development of products of natural origin, commercialization and documentation.
Mr. Mensah concluded by saying that a lot of work must be done in the area of natural products research. He therefore called for more clinical research and funding to enhance the country in its effort towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals of reducing poverty morbidity and mortality from communicable and non-communicable diseases.
The West African Network of Natural Products Research Scientists, WANPRES, Ghana, is a scientific body devoted to the study, promotion and development of natural products for the benefit of mankind.
URO
Ghana abounds in natural products, however not much successes have been chalked in collaborative research. This was made known by the Country Co-ordinator of the West African Network of Natural Product Research, WANPRES, Ghana, Dr. (Mrs.) Rita Dickson, in her welcome address at the 2010 in-country symposium held recently under the theme, “Updates in Natural Research “.
Dr. Mrs. Dickson noted that systematic input of science into indigenous technologies is needed to add value to natural products. She said it is through training and research that skilled manpower can be acquired in order to add the desired value to natural products for industrial development.
Dr. (Mrs.) Dickson acknowledged that individual countries within West Africa are limited in that capacity, thereby necessitating the need to establish a network, share ideas, information and resources, both human and material towards achieving this goal which WANPRES seeks to promote.
Dr. (Mrs.) Rita Dickson hoped that the symposium would serve as a platform for brainstorming and dissemination of information and at the end of it move some interesting and exciting results from the laboratories and journals to the reach of the Ghanaian and the Global community.
In a presentation, Prof. M.L.K. Mensah, of the Department of Herbal Medicine, KNUST gave an overview of natural products research in Ghana. He said natural products have been used since the beginning of time in preparation for man’s comfort and wellbeing. Again man has since his appearance on earth lived in symbiosis with ambient flora and fauna which include food, fodder, furniture, clothing, fuel and medicine.
Prof. Mensah explained that natural products are products of natural origin with benefits to man. They may be extracted from tissues of terrestrial plants, marine organisms or microorganisms or broths. They offer a vast and virtually unlimited source of new agents for both the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries, he added.
He said that research in natural products may therefore include areas of chemistry which deals with the isolation, identification, structure elucidation and study of the chemical substances produced by living organisms. Again, he said they may include areas of bioprospectinng, formulation and development of products of natural origin, commercialization and documentation.
Mr. Mensah concluded by saying that a lot of work must be done in the area of natural products research. He therefore called for more clinical research and funding to enhance the country in its effort towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals of reducing poverty morbidity and mortality from communicable and non-communicable diseases.
The West African Network of Natural Products Research Scientists, WANPRES, Ghana, is a scientific body devoted to the study, promotion and development of natural products for the benefit of mankind.
