Natural product evaluation in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

A variety of plants producing essences, spices or perfumes have been introduced into Papua New Guinea to check the possibilities of new industries. Most of the early investigations were concerned with how the plants would grow but more emphasis is now being placed on combined field and laboratory studies to aid the early evaluation of an introduction. It is easy to see whether a plant is growing well or not, but this is not the only important factor. A plant may be growing very well, but if it is not producing the right amounts of the right kind of spice or oil, it is useless. So the laboratory studies are a vital part of assessing the value of these newly-introduced crops. This article explains the chemist’s role in natural product evaluation. It outlines the types of apparatus used to study the major crops at present under consideration and gives descriptions of the use of the chemical and electronic equipment in a natural products laboratory.