Introduction

• The 10^th five year plan (2003-2008) gave emphasis to the development of MAPS as priority program for poverty alleviation.
• Rare and high priced medicinal herbs are on top priority for domestication, research, cultivation, processing and marketing.
• DPR published “Medicinal Plants of Nepal” in 1970 and supplement in 1984.

Research status of MAPS

1. Botanical research
2. Ethnobotany:

• Is the systematic study of lesson of indigenous plants.
• Ethnobotanical studies are contributing a vast knowledge on medicinal plants of Nepal.
• These studies helped to compile the list of more than 160 medicinal plants useful to treat a wide range of diseases.

1. Inventory and survey:

• Includes the studies from the field survey works to database preparation.

1. Distribution:

• Some studies are related to the distribution of medicinal plants in district level or regional level.

1. Physiological study:

• The studies are confined on the germination test of chiraito ( Barakoti, 2000 ; Bhattarai and Basnet, 2000) and some medicinal plants ( Shrestha, 2000).

2. Phytochemistry:

• Phytochemist are interested to screen active compounds of different medicinal plants.
• Studies on phytochemical screenings were also done by Karanjit and Singh (2003) and Shrestha et. al. (2000).

3. Pharmaceutical and clinical research:

• Pharmaceutical investigations were done for Stephania glandulifera (Amatya and Pradhan, 2003).
• Clinical tests were conducted to know the effect of medicinal plants on different health problems.
• Studies includes the screening of medicinal plants for anthelmintic problems (Joshi and Shakya, 2004)., Antimicrobial activities ( Risal, 2000) ,antifertility activity ( Shakya, 2003; Singh et. al., 2000), Antitumor ( Shrestha et. al., 2000).
• Some studies are on the effects of medicinal plants on isolated tissue of albino mice (Pradhan, 2003).

4. Agriculture:

• Some works are confined on different aspects of agriculture ranging from haunting (Shakya, 1989), domestication, Propagation (Chapagain, 2004; Joshi, 2004), Production (Karki et. al., 2003) to development (Adhikary, 1989) and marketing of medicinal plants (Sheak, 1989).