University of Kansas Studies Plants for Medicinal Properties

The Native Medicinal Plant Research Garden in Kansas is part of a research plan at the university that aims to grow and harvest native plant life in search of medicinal compounds suitable for remedies, food, cosmetics, etc.

Senior scientist Kelly Kindscher of the Kansas Biological Survey said that the world is in dire need of herbal antioxidants, preservatives or food. “If we can find some antioxidants from native plants, we can develop them into a commercial product that would be great for the Kansas economy,” he added.

The Plant Research Garden is part of a program that is sponsored by Heartland Plant Innovations Inc, granting $5 million for five years. Heartland is a private organization formed to obtain financial support from the Kansas Bioscience Authority.

The program targets two main fields: chemistry and botany.

According to a report by the Topeka Capital-Journal, 20 species of plant were planted. Kindscher and his team then started collecting the plants last fall and formed a long list of plant species for potential research. Plants from the wild or from the university’s greenhouse were transferred to the garden last April.

Once the plants mature, they would be tested for their varied medicinal properties, while also considering their geographic locations or their reaction to stress.