Bulletin Number One 1985

Symposium on ‘The Development of New Fertility Regulating Agents from Plants' A Symposium on ‘The Development of New Fertility Regulating Agents from Plants' was held at the University on 25th January. The Symposium was co-sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Biochemistry Department of the University. It reviewed the progress, particularly in the area of chemistry, made by WHO'S seven collaborating centres on the Multi-centred Collaborative Research Programme for the isolation of fertility regulating agents from plants. The University is one of the seven collaborating centres established since 1978 by WHO under its Special Programme of Research, Development, an d Research Training in Human Reproduction. In his opening address, Dr. Ma Lin, the Vice- Chancellor, said that population explosion is a serious threat which dilutes and even impedes efforts in the improvement of agricultural production, health care, and other economic outputs. He emphasized that it is of paramount importance to attain a balance between population size and the world resources, since such a balance is not just a matter of quantity but also a matter of quality. The use of technically and culturally appropriate means of fertility regulation for family planning is a way to achieve such balance, he said. Dr. P. Corfman and Mr. P.D. Griffin, both of the WHO, recounted WHO'S research activities on family planning. They disclosed that more than 350 plants were selected through computer analysis, collected, extracted and bioassayed ， using protocols developed by the Task Force, and a number of these plants were shown to be active. Dr. N.R. Farnsworth of the University of Illinois, Chicago, reviewed the computer databank, NAPRALERT (Natural Products Alert), and the rationale and procedures in selecting the plants that were used in the Programme. Guidelines and protocols for chemical analysis and biological tests were reviewed by Dr. V. Reutrakul of Mahidol University in Bangkok and Dr. A Flint of the Institute of Animal Physiology in Cambridge. Highlights on the active components isolated from plants in Hong Kong, China, India, and Sri Lanka, were reported in the afternoon sessions by Dr. Y.C. Kong of this University, Professor J.X. Xie of the Institute of Materia Medica in Beijing, Dr. S. Kapil of the Central Drug Research Institute in Lucknow, and Dr. M. Bandara of the University of Peradeniya in Peradeniya respectively. A novel compound, yuehchukene, was isolated from Murray paniculata and subsequently synthesized by Dr. Kong and his collaborators. This compound is at present the most notable result developed from the WHO Programme. Professor Xie revealed the presence and chemistry of fertility regulating agents from Aristolochia mollissima, Iris pallusii, Sophora japonica, Pseudolarix kaempferi, and Trichosanthes k i r i l ow i i as well as gossypol from cottonseed oil. Dr. Kapil and Dr. Bandara also discussed the active compounds isolated from plants in India and Sri Lanka. Strategies to use plant tissue culture as an additional source for the production of fertility regulating agents were discussed by Professor J.P. Kutney of the University of British Columbia. Professor G.A. Cordell of the University of Illinois in Chicago also spoke on ‘The Past, Present, and Future of Plant Fertility Regulating Agents'. Dr. E. Diczfalusy of the Swedish Council of Research made the concluding remarks. 6 NEWS