Genetic Diversity of Selected Medicinal Plants in Protected Landscape Areas in the Czech Republic

Agrimonia eupatoria, Betonica officinalis, Hypericum perforatum, Plantago media, Salvia pratensis and S. verticillata were selected as subjects for a research project studying the genetic diversity of wild medicinal plants in the Czech Republic. Some plants (both in the vegetative form and as seeds) from 26 localities at 5 protected landscape areas around the Czech Republic were transferred to the field nursery in Olomouc; there the contents of the active compounds (essential oil, tannins, hypericin and hyperforin, mucus) were evaluated. The large number of results provides a good opportunity to evaluate the quality of natural medicinal plants for pharmaceutical purposes; with regard to its origin, and to selecting starting materials for both breeding and the production of drugs.