POST EVENT – Public Lecture on ” Natural Products in Society – Patient-Focused Challenges for the Future”
A FASCINATING OVERVIEW OF NATURAL PRODUCTS IN SOCIETY
Plants have formed the basis of medicinal drugs in all the medical systems of the world until the modern era, when synthetic drugs started to predominate. The medicinal properties of plants are due to a class of compounds known as Natural Products which contain an immense variety of molecular structures and biological effects.
The eminent Natural Products chemist, Prof. Geoffrey Cordell, who is currently in Sri Lanka on an assignment at Link Natural Products, gave a fascinating overview of Natural Products in Society at a well-attended public lecture which was jointly organized by the National Academy of Sciences of Sri Lanka and the National Science Foundation, at the auditorium of the National Science Foundation on the 13th of August, 2024.
The key thrust of the lecture was that unless the peoples of the world as a whole realizes that the resources of the earth are limited and action is taken to utilize these in a sustainable manner, there is no hope for the future of mankind. He reminded the audience that sustainability is a forever journey. Perhaps drawing inspiration from the “Woodstock Generation” of the 1960’s and 70’s, Prof. Cordell spoke of L.O.V.E. (Learning to Optimize the Valuables of the Earth) and P.E.A.C.E. (Preservation of Earth’s Assets is Critical for our Existence). as essential for our survival.
A secondary theme of the lecture was the need to look at the medicinal use of plants and Natural Products from the perspective of the patient. He thus introduced the concept of Medicines Security focusing on sustainability, authenticity, availability and affordability. Medicines Security is as important for a country as Food Security, even though there is no international agency which deals with it. In this context, he raised the important question of where the raw material for the synthesis of modern medicinal drugs would come from when the world would be de-fossilized in the future. The importance of utilizing bio-waste in a cyclic materials economy was pointed out to meet this requirement.
Apart from these policy-based issues, many of the technical aspects and modern methods that could be used in providing quality plant-based medicines to the patient were also touched upon by Prof. Cordell in his lecture. A lively discussion with audience participation brought the enjoyable and informative session to a close.
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