The proceedings of the eigth edition of the symposium „Medicinal Plants – Present and Perspectives” took place in Piatra Neamţ on August 28^th and 29^th 2003. The symposium was.comanized by the Research Centre „Stejarul” Piatra Neamţ, University of Bacău, University of Medecine and Pharmacy Iaşi and Medicinal Plant Research and Processing Centre „Plantavorel” of Piatra Neamţ. Over 120 specialists in the fields of pharmacy, biology, chemistry and agriculture from Romania, Bulgaria, Serbian Republic and Muntenegro, Republic of Moldavia attended the proceedings, taking great interest in medicinal plant breeding, amelioration, protection and turning to good account. The symposium was dedicated to Professor Emanoil Grigorescu from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Iaşi (Romania) as homage and recognition of his remarkable contribution to the development of pharmaceutical teaching methods and medicinal plant research in Romania, one of the initiators of this scientific manifestation (in 1996).

The symposium comprised two sections:

• a plenary section of communications
• a display of posters

as it follows:

1. Plant sources new to pharmaceutical industry;
2. Contributions to phytochemistry and phytotherapy.

Section activity was coordinated by Acad. Prof. Constantin Toma – for the first section and by Prof. Dr. Ursula Stănescu for the second section. During the opening meeting of symposium’s proceedings Prof. Dr. Gogu Gh.comhiţă rendered homage to Professor Emanoil Grigorescu, who was awarded an excellency certificate for his remarkable accomplishments of his 55 years of scientific and teaching activity. A series of wide-interest up-to-date reports were displayed for the attendants, such as: „Medicinal plants – a risk factor to Phytotherapy?” (Emanoil Grigorescu), „Building of databases for the fast chemical screening of essential oils by LS/MS technique” (M.Ristic et al.), „Clinical indication in phytotherapy”(P.Chirilă et al.), „The metodological principles for evaluation of medicinal plant biomass"(Gh.Coldea), „The activity correlation of different research domains of medicinal plants"(Viorica Istudor), „Medicinal mushrooms used as natural adaptogens and stimulants of immune system"(M.Petre and V.Petre) etc.

Within the section „Vegetal sources new to pharmaceutical industry. Genetics, plant amelioration and breeding", the papers presented referred to the study and valuing medicinal flora of some Romanian areas, bringing to culture and behaviour study for some medicinal species, „in vitro" behaviour of some medicinal plants and elaborating „in vitro" breeding techniques, ameliorating several medicinal and aromatic species through cross-breeding and experimental mutagenesis, improving breeding technologies and protection of medicinal plants cultures etc.

Within the framework of the second section, „Contribution to Phytochemistry and Phytotherapy" there were presented papers referring to: quantitative and qualitative studies over some species of medicinal and aromatic plants of spontaneous flora, brought to culture and cultivated, improvement of active principles investigation methods, evaluation of therapeutical action of some specific compounds of medicinal plants, study of natural and artificial factors’ influence over biosynthesis capacity of some active principles, turning to good account some medicinal herbs in varied ways, quality control for some herbal drugs etc. The summaries (translated into English) for the scientific papers displayed within this edition of the symposium were brought together in a volume that can be consulted in the attached document.

After paper presentation, section responsibles displayed reports on the scientific activity during the two days of symposium, conceived a series of appreciations, observations and suggestions to some of the papers presented in plenary session or as posters, insisted on quality improvement for some papers, being more exclusive with the papers accepted in the near future at this scientific manifestation, finding new colaboration ways between experts in varied fields in order to know, protect and value aromatic and medicinal herbs in a superior rational way.

During this edition of the Piatra Neamţ symposium, Mr. Mihailo Ristic (Serbian Republic and Muntenegro), president of the South-Eastern medicinal and aromatic plants association, informed the audience on this group’s.comanisation stage, its status, its latest preoccupations, the problems it confronts and invited those interested to join the third AMAPSEEC Conference that will take place in September 2004 at Nitra (Slovakia).

To download the Book of Proceedings from the 8th Symposium “Medicinal Plants – Present and Perspectives” click here (self-extracting file).