WELCOMING ADDRESS

It is a great Honour for me to greet the participants of the 2nd Symposium on Spice and Medicinal Plants of the International Society for Horticultural Science as well as those of the 27th Scientific Meeting of the Society for Medicinal Plant Research, in the name of the Board of the Hungarian Federation of Scientific-Technical Societies, the Drug Plant Section of the Hungarian Agricultural Society and the Medicinal Plant Section of the Hungarian Pharmaceutical Society, member of the Federation of Medical Societies. I consider it a special honour to be able to greet Prof.Dr. D. Fritz, President of the International Society for Horticultural Science and Prof.Dr. O. Sticher, Chairman of the Society for Medicinal Plant Research among us now. We are sincerely glad to welcome all distinguished, well-known experts of medicinal plant research from the five continents, who have come to Hungary on this occassion. In addition to the professional exchange of ideas, the Symposium provides a meeting place for friends inseparable due to common research objectives, but also for others just wishing to join efforts. The possibility is given for further close cooperation resulting in mutual achievements.

The fact itself, that our country has been appointed by the International Society for Horticultural Science and the Society for Medicinal Plant Research to host this outstanding event, is an honour for us. We are aware of the significant role of traditional Hungarian medicinal plant culture, but also of our recent successful practical and research activities, which have led to this decision. I hope that both the lectures and study trips will adequately prove my words.

I must confess, I was surprised to learn about the great interest shown in this event, attracting 250 experts from 30 countries of the world. In our opinion, the favourable response to our 1st and 2nd Circulars has several reasons. The most important one is, perhaps, that the experts of medicinal plant research working within the frame of both the International Society for Horticultural Sciences and the Society of Medicinal Plant Research are going to have a common platform for the first time here in Budapest - for the aims are the same: to create the conditions for the application of natural products of plant origin in medicine. The means, the working methods and the objectives of partial tasks might - no doubt - be different. The research aspects of the diffusion of secondary plant products and their taxonomic presence within the flora, differ from those concerning the biological activity and chemical structure of active principles. Accordingly, also the systematic work sets other requirements, which are focused on the introduction and production of plants containing active principles, on the revelation of fundamental plant physiological - ecological knowledge and through that, on the elaboration of agrotechnical methods serving as preconditions for the production. Now, in the lecture halls of the Conference these research trends come so close to each other for some days, as it is also required by practice. This verticum can only be complete if the connection is living and continuous. I wish all concerned that the cooperation between the two Societies be fruitful in the future, as well.

Apart from the justly popular annual scientific meeting of the Society of Medicinal Plant Research, also the Weihenstephan initiative of Professor Fritz has significantly contributed to the great interest shown in this event. There, two years ago, 90 experts from 20 countries could be convinced of the power and perspectives lying in this type of cooperation. Today we hope for the possibility of cooperation in further new areas, beside receiving information about the recent results and progress in the field of research. On this occasion, more than 100 lectures and poster presentations emphasize the timeliness of natural plant products in the rapidly developing medicine, based on synthetics. The submitted papers deal with the theoretical and practical aspects of the inner biosynthesis mechanisms of active principles in medicinal plants, with the influence of external factors on production either directly, or in relation to the problems of agrotechnical and chemical processing, resp. suggesting also practical aspects. There is a growing interest in these topics all over the world, which is the result of a nostalgia towards synthetics, but due also to the recognition of the actual value and complex effect of natural products, with minimum by-effects. This recognition actuated the Hungarian Pharmaceutical Industry and our leading scientific and state organs to establish a central institute for the study of biologically active substances of plant origin, placing the basic research work to a worthy position. Not many countries can boast with a Research Institute for Medicinal Plants of their own. Moreover, in addition to this, efficient and successful work is carried out at nearly 50 other institutions, too. As an example, let me mention the research activity done in the Medicinal Plant Institute of the Semmelweis Medical University and a similar institute at the Szeged Medical University, the Botanical Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the Drug Plant Group of the Horticultural University, which naturally harmonize their tasks with those of their basis institutions. Surely, you will see traces of these efforts during your stay in Hungary.

Finally, I would like to extend to you once more the warmest welcome by the Hungarian organizers and to wish you a successful scientific program and useful study trips. We, as hosts, sincerely hope that you will often return to our country, as our distinguished friends in the years to come.


ADDRESS PRESENTED BY PROF.DR. D. FRITZ
PRESIDENT OF THE ISHS

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The International Society for Horticultural Science is delighted at the fact that the Section for Vegetables has included the so important field of the production of spices and medicinal plants into its activities. It was high demand for exchange of scientific experience which made the working group "Production of Spices and Medicinal Plants", that had been initiated be Prof. Hårdh/Helsinki in 1974, hold already its second international symposium today. Other than the first one, which had taken place at Weihenstephan, Federal Republic of Germany in 1977, this second symposium is a joint one of the ISHS and the Society for Medicinal Plant Research. I am highly pleased about the opportunity provided to give our Society's kindest regards and wishes to all participants, among them members of the ISHS, as well as member of the Society for Medicinal Plant Research, and many others. We will endeavour at close mutual scientific co-operation in future, too. We thank the Society for Medicinal Plant Research with its former president Prof.Dr. Reinhard/Tübingen, and the present president Prof.Dr. Sticher/Zürich not only for understanding collaboration but also for helping to make this joint symposium possible.

On behalf of the ISHS I should like to congratulate the organizers for the most interesting and actual subjects dealt with here. I have to give kind regards of the secretary general of the ISHS Dr. de Bakker, and of the chairman of .the Section for Vegetables Dr. van Kampen/Alkmaar, whom I should like to introduce to you.

Our special thanks goes to the organizations and authorities involved in preparing and organizing this symposium. First of all I mention the Hungarian Society for Agricultural Sciences, the Federation of Technical and Scientific Societies and, particularly, the chairman of the working group "Production of Spices and Medicinal Plants" of the ISHS Prof.Dr. Péter Tétényi, the members of the organizing committee, the secretary of the working group Dr. Akos Máthé, and many others. Hearty thanks to all of our hosts.

It is quite useful that, owing initiative taken by Prof. Tétényi, this second symposium is taking place already this year in connexion with the congress of the most important Society for Medicinal Plant Research. A great many of significant scientific results have been produced in the fields of pharmaceutical biology and phytochemistry. It is our wish that also research into plant production and breeding be more intensified by the activities of the working group "Production of Spices and Medicinal Plants" to develop an economic production of such crops. We are convinced that, lastingly, a high quality raw product can only be obtained by systematic plant breeding and plant production under controlled conditions. This goal may be reached more quickly by confident collaboration between scientists from the Society for Medicinal Plant Research and plant specialists from the ISHS.

It has become a tradition at ISHS symposia that an official representative of the ISHS informs the participants about his Society:

The Council of the ISHS is at present composed of the official representatives of 46 country members. More than 220 organizations, e.g. libraries and institutes are affiliated, and 1800 individual persons from 73 countries are members of this Society. Members are kept informed of activities by three issues a year of Chronica Horticulturae. Papers delivered at symposia are published in special issues of Acta Horticulturae. Members are also informed about addresses of specialists and institutes from all over the world by the list of members of the ISHS and by a directory "Horticultural Research International".

The scientific and technical work on specific fields of horticultural sciences is carried out by sections for fruit, vegetables, and ornamentals, and by commissions involved with overlapping fields of work, e.g. engineering, or economics, etc. This grouping has proved very useful. The Executive Committee consists of the 13 chairmen of the sections and commissions together with the Secretary General and the President. The place of business of the Secretariat General is Den Haag.

Every year, 15 to 20 symposia take place in different countries. Every four years, international horticultural congresses are organised by the ISHS, the next one in 1982. Ladies and gentlemen, I should like to invite you to participate in this 21st International Horticultural Congress in the Federal Republic of Germany. It will take place in Hamburg from 29th August to 4th September 1982. The Congress will focus on "Horticulture in the Industrial Society". This means that a great variety of aspects of horticulture and horticultural sciences will be dealt with. We should highly appreciate it if the Society for Medicinal Plant Research held its annual meeting 1982 at the Hamburg University parallelly with the Congress of the ISHS. Our program committee will take care for reserving time for sessions /papers/ dealing with the production of medicinal and spice plants, as it was the case at earlier congresses, too.

Several pre- and post-congress tours of 4 to 5 days' duration to different places of northern Europe will be arranged. Brief local excursions in and around Hamburg will be offered during the Congress. We will try to organize a Congress of high scientific standard, as well as to chose subjects of worldwide interest. I am inviting all of you to participate in the 21th International Horticultural Congress in Hamburg 1982.

But today we are still in Hungary, in a country that provides a very important and traditional research into the production of medicinal and spice plants. 6 years ago, on the occasion of an excursion of specialists concerned in medicinal plant production, we were afforded the good chance of visiting to the old Institute of Medicinal Plant Production in the Daniel-ut. Thereafter, we became acquainted with the large-scale equipment of the new Institute in Budakalász, with the medicinal and spice plant production of this area, and with processing utilities. We were so deeply impressed with the extent and the importance of these research and production utilities that we very much appreciate being here for this joint meeting today. Over several days we will be given the opportunity of discussing scientific problems and of establishing personal contacts. May this symposium help to deepen mutual collaboration. Hearty thanks again to the organizers for providing the prior-conditions that this meeting become a success.


ADDRESS PRESENTED BY PROF.DR.O. STICHER
CHAIRMAN OF SOCIETY FOR MEDICINAL PLANT
RESEARCH

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As president of the Society for Medicinal Plant Research it is a great pleasure for me to welcome all participants and guests of our International Meeting on Medicinal Plant Research, here in Budapest. My special greeting goes to the president of the Organizing Committee, Dr. Cs. Csáky and to deputy secretary-general of the MTESZ, Dr. L. Prockl.

Further I should like to welcome the members of the working group "Spice and Medicinal Plant Production" of the International Society for Horticultural Science /ISHS/. We do celebrate today a joint meeting, which is our 27th annual meeting and their 2nd symposium "Spices and Medicinal Plants".

Personally I know the study group "Spice and Medicinal Plant Production" with its former name "Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Arzneipflanzenbau". Years ago I had the pleasure to participate at its meetings and excursions, e.g. in Munich 1973, in Izmir 1974 and in Graz 1976.

As a scientist I do remember these meetings very well. They have been of great value for me although I am not directly involved with the production of medicinal plants.

As a result of our joint interests the scientific programme of this meeting here, in the lovely Budapest, deals mainly with problems of cultivation and growing of medicinal plants.

Especially I would like to welcome the members of the Hungarian Society of Agricultural Sciences. This society was especially engaged with the organization of this congress. Further I welcome the members of the Section for Medicinal Plants of the Hungarian Pharmaceutical Society.

At the end of my short thoughts I should like to display that this is our firs meeting in a country of Eastern Europe. I do hope therefore that the scientific contacts between the members of our societies will be more intensive.

Last but not least I would like in the name of the Society for Medicinal Plant Research to express my thanks to the scientific organizers of this meeting, Prof. Tétényi and Prof. Verzár-Petri and their coworkers.

I am very sure that we will have a successful international congress and all participants will enjoy the time here in Budapest and have a great benefit of the hospitality of our Hungarian colleagues.


WELCOMING ADDRESS

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The joint scientific meeting of the ISHS Working Group "Spice crops and medicinal plant production" and Gesellschaft für Arzneipflanzenforschung that has opened this morning means -as already mentioned in the opening addresses- the joint demonstration of both agricultural and phytochemical-pharmacological domains of medicinal plant research.

The lectures of the two oral sections have been grouped with full respect to the general directions of the two scientific societies.

The poster, as a form of scientific interpretation, gives a good opportunity for the lectures lying at the boarderland of the two societies /sections/ to be presented in front of the entire plenum of symposium participants.

Poster is a new presentation form, in its own kind, in which a direct contact can be established between the researcher and persons interested. The exchange of ideas can be more complete in experiences and details than occassionally lectures are. This can be owed to the fact that the contact between exhibitor and spectator /inquirer/ can reach the stage of a confidential discussion, which owing to the lack of time of programmed lectures is, generally, not possible at all. Another advantage of the poster presentation is that by exhibiting various matters simultaneously, they can represent a good cross-section of the tematics of the conference.

On this occassion, at the conference, several new results worthy of attention will be presented in the poster section. These comprise the ontogenetical development, genetical, cytological study of plants, their phytochemical screening, as well as structural analysis, further, the experimental regulation of active substances /irradiation/, tolerance against plant protection chemicals, the study of plant tissue structures, the stability of active substances and also plant nutrition.

I wish all participants both effective discussion and new results, so that the case of medicinal plant research and medicinal plant utilization could reach new perspectives.

With these thoughts in mind, I declare the Poster Session opened.