Conservation of medicinal plants is a vital subject for B.Pharm students, linking pharmacology, biodiversity and sustainable healthcare. This topic covers in-situ and ex-situ conservation, sustainable harvesting, cultivation practices, seed banks, tissue culture, cryopreservation, and genetic resource management. Understanding ethnobotany, phytochemical variation, germplasm conservation, and legal frameworks such as CITES and the Nagoya Protocol helps pharmacists ensure quality, traceability and ethical sourcing of herbal materials. Practical skills in propagation, micropropagation, seed storage protocols and documentation support conservation-driven drug development and community-based management. These MCQs reinforce concepts in conservation biology, biotechnology, policy and pharmacy practice, preparing students to contribute to research and responsible sourcing. ‘Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.’
Q1. What is the primary difference between in-situ and ex-situ conservation of medicinal plants?
- In-situ conserves species within their natural habitat, ex-situ conserves them outside natural habitat
- In-situ uses seed banks only, ex-situ uses botanical gardens only
- In-situ refers to cultivation, ex-situ refers to wild harvesting
- There is no difference; both terms are interchangeable
Correct Answer: In-situ conserves species within their natural habitat, ex-situ conserves them outside natural habitat
Q2. Which ex-situ method is best suited for long-term preservation of orthodox seeds of medicinal plants?
- Field gene banks
- Seed banks with low temperature and low moisture storage
- Botanical gardens with potted collections
- In-vitro shoot cultures at ambient conditions
Correct Answer: Seed banks with low temperature and low moisture storage
Q3. Which biotechnological technique is commonly used to rapidly multiply elite medicinal plant clones while maintaining genetic fidelity?
- Semi-natural selection
- Micropropagation (tissue culture)
- Random mutagenesis
- Traditional seed sowing
Correct Answer: Micropropagation (tissue culture)
Q4. Cryopreservation is most useful for conserving which type of plant germplasm?
- Only mature field-grown plants
- Recalcitrant seeds and in-vitro germplasm at ultra-low temperatures
- Fresh herbal powders for immediate use
- Large tree stands in natural forests
Correct Answer: Recalcitrant seeds and in-vitro germplasm at ultra-low temperatures
Q5. Which international agreement addresses access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing relevant to medicinal plants?
- Vienna Convention
- Kyoto Protocol
- Nagoya Protocol
- Montreal Protocol
Correct Answer: Nagoya Protocol
Q6. What is the role of DNA barcoding in conservation of medicinal plants?
- It increases seed germination rates
- It identifies species and detects adulteration in herbal materials
- It replaces the need for herbarium specimens
- It sterilizes plant tissue before culture
Correct Answer: It identifies species and detects adulteration in herbal materials
Q7. Which factor is the greatest immediate threat to wild medicinal plant populations globally?
- Excessive seed banking
- Overharvesting and habitat loss
- Micropropagation
- Legal protection under CITES
Correct Answer: Overharvesting and habitat loss
Q8. What is the purpose of a field gene bank for medicinal plants?
- To store dehydrated seed samples at ultralow temperatures
- To conserve living plants with vegetative propagation and perennial collections
- To distribute commercial herbal products
- To perform clinical trials of herbal drugs
Correct Answer: To conserve living plants with vegetative propagation and perennial collections
Q9. Which conservation strategy helps maintain genetic diversity within a medicinal plant species?
- Propagating a single elite clone for all plantations
- Establishing multiple populations across the species’ range and promoting gene flow
- Only using in-vitro cryopreserved material
- Replacing wild populations with a single cultivated variety
Correct Answer: Establishing multiple populations across the species’ range and promoting gene flow
Q10. What is “recalcitrant seed” and why is it important in medicinal plant conservation?
- A seed that tolerates drying and freezing, useful for seed banks
- A seed that cannot tolerate drying or freezing and requires alternative ex-situ methods
- A seed that has been genetically modified
- A term for seeds stored in herbarium sheets
Correct Answer: A seed that cannot tolerate drying or freezing and requires alternative ex-situ methods
Q11. Which documentation technique is essential for authenticating medicinal plant specimens in conservation programs?
- Random sampling without records
- Maintaining voucher specimens in a herbarium with collection metadata
- Only photographic records without GPS data
- Discarding collection data to protect communities
Correct Answer: Maintaining voucher specimens in a herbarium with collection metadata
Q12. Sustainable harvesting guidelines for medicinal plants typically recommend which practice?
- Harvesting entire root systems every season
- Rotational harvesting, harvest quotas and leaving reproductive individuals
- Collecting only the rarest individuals
- Harvesting all available biomass for maximal yield
Correct Answer: Rotational harvesting, harvest quotas and leaving reproductive individuals
Q13. Which regulatory list helps control international trade of threatened medicinal plant species?
- WHO Essential Medicines List
- CITES Appendices
- FAO Code of Conduct
- Pharmacopoeial Monographs
Correct Answer: CITES Appendices
Q14. Why is ethnobotanical knowledge important in medicinal plant conservation?
- Only modern techniques matter; traditional knowledge is irrelevant
- It guides priority species selection, sustainable use practices and community-based conservation
- It prevents scientific validation of plant compounds
- It is only useful for ornamental horticulture
Correct Answer: It guides priority species selection, sustainable use practices and community-based conservation
Q15. Which population genetics concept describes the loss of genetic variation due to small population sizes?
- Gene flow
- Genetic drift
- Natural selection increasing variation
- Hybrid vigor
Correct Answer: Genetic drift
Q16. Which conservation action helps preserve phytochemical diversity important for drug discovery?
- Cultivating a single high-yield chemotype only
- Conserving multiple populations and chemotypes across habitats
- Discarding traditional chemotype records
- Standardizing to one extract profile universally
Correct Answer: Conserving multiple populations and chemotypes across habitats
Q17. What is the main advantage of establishing community-based conservation programs for medicinal plants?
- Communities always oppose conservation
- They integrate local knowledge, provide livelihoods and promote sustainable use
- They eliminate the need for scientific monitoring
- They encourage unrestricted commercial exploitation
Correct Answer: They integrate local knowledge, provide livelihoods and promote sustainable use
Q18. Which storage condition is generally recommended for orthodox seeds to maximize longevity in seed banks?
- High temperature, high humidity
- Low temperature, low moisture content
- Ambient temperature with no drying
- Periodic freezing and thawing cycles
Correct Answer: Low temperature, low moisture content
Q19. How can pharmacists contribute to conservation of medicinal plants?
- By encouraging indiscriminate wild collection for commercial gain
- By promoting quality control, ethical sourcing, cultivation alternatives and public awareness
- By refusing to engage with traditional medicine practitioners
- By replacing all herbal drugs with synthetic alternatives uncritically
Correct Answer: By promoting quality control, ethical sourcing, cultivation alternatives and public awareness
Q20. What is the role of botanical gardens in medicinal plant conservation?
- Only for aesthetic display and recreational use
- Ex-situ conservation, education, research and living collections for restoration
- They are obsolete due to seed banks
- Replacing wild populations entirely
Correct Answer: Ex-situ conservation, education, research and living collections for restoration
Q21. Somatic embryogenesis in tissue culture is useful because it:
- Produces genetically identical plants only through seeds
- Enables mass clonal propagation and potential synthetic seed production
- Is always slower than conventional propagation
- Cannot be used for medicinal species
Correct Answer: Enables mass clonal propagation and potential synthetic seed production
Q22. Which monitoring tool helps assess population trends of a medicinal plant species in the wild?
- Random anecdotal reports only
- Systematic population surveys with demographic and phenological data
- Relying on market supply data only
- Photographic images with no metadata
Correct Answer: Systematic population surveys with demographic and phenological data
Q23. Which of the following is a challenge when using in-vitro preserved medicinal plant materials for restoration?
- Guaranteed field performance without testing
- Acclimatization, genetic integrity and adaptation to field conditions
- In-vitro plants are always disease-free and need no testing
- In-vitro materials do not require any permits for release
Correct Answer: Acclimatization, genetic integrity and adaptation to field conditions
Q24. What does germplasm conservation specifically aim to preserve?
- Only finished herbal formulations
- Genetic resources (seeds, tissue, clones) of plant species for future use
- Only traditional knowledge without plant material
- Market prices of herbal products
Correct Answer: Genetic resources (seeds, tissue, clones) of plant species for future use
Q25. Which term describes conservation that combines sustainable use with local livelihoods and biodiversity protection?
- Exploitation conservation
- Sustainable utilization or community-conserved areas
- Commercial monoculture replacement
- Unchecked wild harvesting
Correct Answer: Sustainable utilization or community-conserved areas
Q26. Why is chemotype identification important in cultivation of medicinal plants?
- Cultivation ignores chemical composition
- Cultivating appropriate chemotypes ensures consistent therapeutic compound levels and quality
- Chemotypes only matter for ornamental traits
- All chemotypes are chemically identical
Correct Answer: Cultivating appropriate chemotypes ensures consistent therapeutic compound levels and quality
Q27. What is the significance of establishing a national medicinal plant conservation policy?
- It restricts scientific research entirely
- It provides legal frameworks, funding priorities and coordinated conservation actions
- It guarantees unlimited commercial collection
- It eliminates community involvement
Correct Answer: It provides legal frameworks, funding priorities and coordinated conservation actions
Q28. Which laboratory method helps break seed dormancy to improve germination for propagation?
- Ignoring dormancy and direct sowing in winter
- Stratification, scarification or hormone treatments like gibberellic acid
- Keeping seeds in sunlight for months without moisture
- Incineration of seeds before sowing
Correct Answer: Stratification, scarification or hormone treatments like gibberellic acid
Q29. How does habitat restoration assist medicinal plant conservation?
- By converting wild habitats to urban areas
- By rehabilitating degraded sites to re-establish native medicinal plant populations
- By promoting only ex-situ collections and ignoring landscapes
- By introducing invasive species to increase diversity
Correct Answer: By rehabilitating degraded sites to re-establish native medicinal plant populations
Q30. Which practice helps ensure quality control of herbal raw materials and supports conservation?
- Accepting all raw material irrespective of species identity
- Species authentication, standardization of active constituents and traceable sourcing
- Mixing unknown plant materials to reduce cost
- Discarding phytochemical testing as unnecessary
Correct Answer: Species authentication, standardization of active constituents and traceable sourcing
I am a Registered Pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and the founder of PharmacyFreak.com. I hold a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Rungta College of Pharmaceutical Science and Research. With a strong academic foundation and practical knowledge, I am committed to providing accurate, easy-to-understand content to support pharmacy students and professionals. My aim is to make complex pharmaceutical concepts accessible and useful for real-world application.
Mail- Sachin@pharmacyfreak.com