Nutraceuticals and lead medicinal compounds from Sri Lankan endemic bioresources: A science for policy perspective

Sri Lanka is a biodiversity hotspot with a rich history of embodying traditional medical practices in its cultural values. Despite this, the nation still stands behind in the global nutraceutical industry due to inadequate research-based evidence for the safety and efficacy of these compounds. This paper discusses the importance of supporting industry advancement while acknowledging existing barriers, promoting basic research needs, developing new research strategies, and fostering regional cooperation in science in light of the Sri Lankan BICOST IX technical report and an overview of the literature. Phytochemically monitored plant cultivation systems, postharvest technologies, globally accepted research practices to ensure safety and efficacy, human resource capacity development, and modernising laboratories with cutting-edge technologies are strongly recommended for policy-level recognition. In general, formal science brokering can effectively communicate these recommendations at the decision-making level, which is currently lacking in the system.

斯里兰卡是一个生物多样性热点，其文化价值观中蕴含着丰富的传统医药实践。尽管如此，由于缺乏基于研究的安全性和有效性证据，该国在全球营养保健品行业中仍处于落后地位。本文探讨了在承认现有障碍的同时，支持行业发展的重要性，以及在斯里兰卡BICOST IX技术报告和文献综述的基础上，推动基础研究需求、开发新的研究策略和促进区域科学合作。推荐对植物栽培系统进行植物化学监测、产后技术、全球认可的研究实践以确保安全性和有效性、人力资源能力发展以及利用尖端技术现代化实验室等政策层面的认可。总体而言，正式的科学中介可以有效地在决策层面传达这些建议，而目前系统中尚显不足。