Nursery of medicinal plants of the Saint-Petersburg State Chemical and Pharmaceutical University (review)

Introduction. The nursery of medicinal plants of the St. Petersburg State Chemical and Pharmaceutical University is a unique collection of medicinal plants for North-West Russia. More than 200 species of plants used in medicine are cultivated on an area of about 40 hectares. The nursery serves as a basis for scientific practices of students in botany and pharmacognosy, as well as for scientific studies in pharmacognosy and phytochemistry, agrotechnological experiments and obtaining biomaterials for in vitro cultivation.

Text. The nursery was founded in 1952 for education and scientific research of the Chemical-Pharmaceutical Institute in Karelia, on the shore of Lake Silande. On a small area, it was possible for students to study almost all phytocenoses typical of the Karelian Isthmus. In addition, the favorable location of the nursery allows cultivating plants of more southern regions with plants of a temperate climate. The collection area of approximately 1.5 hectares contains official species as well as species that are promising from the point of view of introduction into scientific medicine; woody and ornamental plants are collected in separate areas. The collection contains more than 200 species of living plants and is constantly expanding. On the basis of the nursery, summer educational practice in botany and pharmacognosy is carried out with students of the SPCPU, of the Perm State Pharmaceutical Academy, Pyatigorsk Medical and Pharmaceutical Institute, Lugansk State Medical University, the Medical Faculty of St. Petersburg State University, the Vitebsk Medical Faculty of the University and the Belarusian Medical University (Minsk), South Kazakhstan Medical Academy, Tashkent Pharmaceutical Institute; excursions and scientific and practical seminars on medicinal plant growing are held. Objects for phytochemical, pharmacognostic, biotechnological research, as well as for scientific purposes are grown and harvested in the nursery.

Conclusion. For further development of the nursery, a concept was developed for the creation of the Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants of SPCPU on its basis, the tasks of which will be the cultivation, study of medicinal plants and popularization of knowledge about them. It is planned to develop the infrastructure of the nursery, create new exhibition and resource areas, and develop routes for organizing environmental processes for various phytocenoses. Thus, the SPHFU nursery is a valuable resource for both educational activities and scientific research, contributing to the development of science and practice in the context of conservation and moderate use of resources.

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