0:00:00.907,0:00:03.335
You know, it's a big privilege for me

0:00:03.335,0:00:07.227
to be working in one of the[br]biodiversity hotspots in the world:

0:00:07.227,0:00:09.928
the Mascarene Islands in the Indian Ocean.

0:00:09.928,0:00:13.673
These islands — Mauritius,[br]Rodrigues, and Réunion —

0:00:13.673,0:00:16.811
along with the island of Madagascar,

0:00:16.811,0:00:18.727
they are blessed with unique plants

0:00:18.727,0:00:21.250
found nowhere else in the world.

0:00:21.250,0:00:23.529
And today I will tell you about five of them

0:00:23.529,0:00:25.524
and their particular features

0:00:25.524,0:00:28.408
and why these plants are so unique.

0:00:28.408,0:00:29.968
Take a look at this plant.

0:00:29.968,0:00:33.372
I call it "Benjoin" in the local vernacular,

0:00:33.372,0:00:37.298
and the botanical name is terminalia bentzoe,

0:00:37.298,0:00:39.199
subspecies bentzoe.

0:00:39.199,0:00:42.507
This subspecies is endemic to Mauritius,

0:00:42.507,0:00:44.318
and its particular feature

0:00:44.318,0:00:46.792
is its heterofelicity.

0:00:46.792,0:00:48.918
What do I mean by heterofelicity?

0:00:48.918,0:00:50.561
It's that the same plant

0:00:50.561,0:00:53.564
has got leaves that are different shapes and sizes.

0:00:53.564,0:00:55.149
Now, these plants have evolved

0:00:55.149,0:00:57.503
very far away from the mainland,

0:00:57.503,0:01:00.901
and within specific ecosystems.

0:01:00.901,0:01:03.725
Often, these particular features

0:01:03.725,0:01:06.536
have evolved as a response to the threat

0:01:06.536,0:01:08.973
presented by the local fauna,

0:01:08.973,0:01:12.593
in this case, grazing tortoises.

0:01:12.593,0:01:15.749
Tortoises are known to have poor eyesight,

0:01:15.749,0:01:18.235
and as such, they tend to avoid the plants

0:01:18.235,0:01:20.294
they don't recognize.

0:01:20.294,0:01:23.668
So this evolutionary foil safeguards the plant

0:01:23.668,0:01:26.593
against these rather cute animals,

0:01:26.593,0:01:31.651
and protects it and of course ensures its survival.

0:01:31.651,0:01:34.661
Now the question you're probably asking yourself is,

0:01:34.661,0:01:37.562
why is she telling us all these stories?

0:01:37.562,0:01:41.248
The reason for that is that we tend to overlook

0:01:41.248,0:01:45.632
the diversity and the variety of the natural world.

0:01:45.632,0:01:48.525
These particular habitats are unique

0:01:48.525,0:01:52.753
and they are host to a whole [???] of plants.

0:01:52.753,0:01:54.924
We don't realize how valuable

0:01:54.924,0:01:57.534
and how precious these resources are,

0:01:57.534,0:01:59.729
and yet, through our insouciance,

0:01:59.729,0:02:01.898
we keep on destroying them.

0:02:01.898,0:02:03.630
You know, we're all familiar

0:02:03.630,0:02:06.825
with the macro impact of urbanization,

0:02:06.825,0:02:10.267
climate change, resource exploitation,

0:02:10.267,0:02:12.440
but when that one last plant,

0:02:12.440,0:02:14.649
or animal for that matter,

0:02:14.649,0:02:16.848
when that very last specimen

0:02:16.848,0:02:18.959
has disappeared from the face of this Earth,

0:02:18.959,0:02:20.355
we would have lost

0:02:20.355,0:02:24.261
an entire subset of the Earth's biology,

0:02:24.261,0:02:27.939
and with it, important plants with medicinal potential

0:02:27.939,0:02:29.874
or which could have ingredients

0:02:29.874,0:02:31.395
that would speak to the cosmetic,

0:02:31.395,0:02:33.316
nutrition, pharma,

0:02:33.316,0:02:35.735
and even the ethno-veterinary sectors,

0:02:35.735,0:02:37.478
be gone forever.

0:02:37.478,0:02:39.413
And here we have a very prime example

0:02:39.413,0:02:42.158
of the iconic dodo, which comes from Mauritius,

0:02:42.158,0:02:46.545
and which we know is now a symbol of extinction.

0:02:46.545,0:02:49.165
And we know plants have a fundamental role to play.

0:02:49.165,0:02:51.000
Well first of all, it feeds us,

0:02:51.000,0:02:53.890
and they also give us the oxygen we breathe,

0:02:53.890,0:02:56.207
but plants are also the source

0:02:56.207,0:02:59.762
of important, biologically active ingredients

0:02:59.762,0:03:02.964
that we should be studying very carefully,

0:03:02.964,0:03:07.254
because you know, human societies over the millenia

0:03:07.254,0:03:10.302
they have developed important knowledge,

0:03:10.302,0:03:12.120
cultural traditions,

0:03:12.120,0:03:16.646
and important plant-based medicinal resources.

0:03:16.646,0:03:18.401
Here's a data point:

0:03:18.401,0:03:22.563
1.4 percent of the entire land surface

0:03:22.563,0:03:26.467
are home to 40 percent of[br]the species of higher plants,

0:03:26.467,0:03:29.155
35 percent of the species of vertebrates,

0:03:29.155,0:03:31.698
and these 1.4 percent

0:03:31.698,0:03:36.366
represent the 25 biodiversity hotspots in the world,

0:03:36.366,0:03:39.524
and this 1.4 percent of the entire land surface

0:03:39.524,0:03:42.406
already provide for 35 percent

0:03:42.406,0:03:44.240
of the ecosystem services

0:03:44.240,0:03:46.918
that vulnerable people depend on.

0:03:46.918,0:03:48.266
And as you can see,

0:03:48.266,0:03:49.679
the island of Mauritius

0:03:49.679,0:03:51.762
where I work and where I live,

0:03:51.762,0:03:54.467
belongs to one such biodiversity hotspot,

0:03:54.467,0:03:56.681
and I study the unique plants

0:03:56.681,0:04:00.663
on the island for their biomedical applications.

0:04:00.663,0:04:01.680
Now, let's go back again

0:04:01.680,0:04:03.520
to that first plant I showed you,

0:04:03.520,0:04:06.547
the one with different-shaped leaves

0:04:06.547,0:04:09.403
and different sizes, terminalia bentzoe,

0:04:09.403,0:04:11.070
subspecies bentzoe,

0:04:11.070,0:04:13.665
a plant only found in Mauritius.

0:04:13.665,0:04:15.110
Now, the local people,

0:04:15.110,0:04:17.336
they used a decoction of the leaves

0:04:17.336,0:04:19.867
against infectious diseases.

0:04:19.867,0:04:22.319
Now, our work that is

0:04:22.319,0:04:25.728
the scientific validation of this traditional information

0:04:25.728,0:04:27.800
has shown that precisely

0:04:27.800,0:04:32.129
the leaf extract shows activity, potent activity,

0:04:32.129,0:04:34.351
against a wide range of bacteria

0:04:34.351,0:04:37.427
that could be pathogenic to humans.

0:04:37.427,0:04:39.868
Now, could this plant be the answer

0:04:39.868,0:04:42.489
to antibiotic resistance?

0:04:42.489,0:04:44.840
You know, antibiotic resistance is proving to be

0:04:44.840,0:04:47.560
a big challenge globally.

0:04:47.560,0:04:50.363
While we may not be sure, one thing is certain:

0:04:50.363,0:04:52.972
we will not want this plant to disappear.

0:04:52.972,0:04:55.616
But the harsh reality is that

0:04:55.616,0:04:58.300
this particular plant is in fact

0:04:58.300,0:04:59.650
considered to be vulnerable

0:04:59.650,0:05:01.630
in its natural habitat.

0:05:01.630,0:05:03.778
This brings me to another example.

0:05:03.778,0:05:07.568
This bush here is known as baume de l'isle plate

0:05:07.568,0:05:09.290
in the local vernacular.

0:05:09.290,0:05:11.945
The botanical name is psiadia arguta.

0:05:11.945,0:05:13.836
It's a plant which is rare,

0:05:13.836,0:05:16.548
which is endemic to Mauritius.

0:05:16.548,0:05:17.770
It used to grow on the mainland,

0:05:17.770,0:05:20.213
but through the sheer pressures of urbanization

0:05:20.213,0:05:22.492
has been pushed out of the mainland,

0:05:22.492,0:05:24.193
and we've managed to bring it back

0:05:24.193,0:05:25.669
from the brink of extinction

0:05:25.669,0:05:27.736
by developing in vitro plants

0:05:27.736,0:05:30.134
which are now growing in the wild.

0:05:30.134,0:05:31.780
Now, one thing I must point out straightaway

0:05:31.780,0:05:34.657
is that not all plants

0:05:34.657,0:05:37.573
can be developed in vitro.

0:05:37.573,0:05:41.396
While we humans, we are happy in our comfort zone,

0:05:41.396,0:05:43.632
these plants also need

0:05:43.632,0:05:46.366
their ecosystem to be preserved,

0:05:46.366,0:05:48.199
and they don't react, endemic plants

0:05:48.199,0:05:51.518
don't react to very harsh changes in their ecosystem,

0:05:51.518,0:05:53.779
and yet we know, what are the challenges

0:05:53.779,0:05:54.867
that climate change, for example,

0:05:54.867,0:05:56.910
is posing to these plants.

0:05:56.910,0:05:59.438
Now, the local people again use the leaves

0:05:59.438,0:06:01.192
in traditional medicine

0:06:01.192,0:06:03.872
against respiratory problems.

0:06:03.872,0:06:05.961
Now, our preliminary labwork

0:06:05.961,0:06:07.693
on the leaf extract have shown

0:06:07.693,0:06:11.822
that precisely these leaves contain ingredients

0:06:11.822,0:06:14.917
that are very closely, in terms of structures,

0:06:14.917,0:06:17.283
chemical structures, to those medicines

0:06:17.283,0:06:18.802
which are sold in the chemist's shop

0:06:18.802,0:06:20.777
against asthma.

0:06:20.777,0:06:22.687
So who knows

0:06:22.687,0:06:24.773
what humanity will benefit from

0:06:24.773,0:06:30.191
should this plant decide to reveal all its secrets.

0:06:30.191,0:06:32.682
Now, I come from the developing world

0:06:32.682,0:06:35.275
where we are forever being challenged with this issue

0:06:35.275,0:06:37.879
of population explosion.

0:06:37.879,0:06:40.693
Africa is the continent which is getting younger,

0:06:40.693,0:06:44.396
and whenever one talks about population explosion,

0:06:44.396,0:06:46.901
one talks about the issue of food security

0:06:46.901,0:06:49.581
as being the other side of the same coin.

0:06:49.581,0:06:51.899
Now this plant here, the baobab,

0:06:51.899,0:06:53.421
could be part of the answer.

0:06:53.421,0:06:56.566
It's an underutilized, neglected food plant.

0:06:56.566,0:06:59.059
It defines the landscape of West Africa,

0:06:59.059,0:07:01.605
where it is known as the tree of life,

0:07:01.605,0:07:04.103
and later on I will tell you why

0:07:04.103,0:07:07.214
the Africans consider it to be the tree of life.

0:07:07.214,0:07:09.132
Now interestingly, there are many legends

0:07:09.132,0:07:11.240
which are associated with this plant.

0:07:11.240,0:07:13.012
Because of its sheer size,

0:07:13.012,0:07:15.914
it was meant to be lording over lesser plants,

0:07:15.914,0:07:17.872
so God didn't like this arrogance,

0:07:17.872,0:07:20.660
uprooted it, and planted it upside down,

0:07:20.660,0:07:23.182
hence its particular shape.

0:07:23.182,0:07:25.690
And if you look at this tree again

0:07:25.690,0:07:27.852
within the African context,

0:07:27.852,0:07:31.517
in West Africa, it's known as the palaver tree,

0:07:31.517,0:07:34.587
because it performs great social functions.

0:07:34.587,0:07:36.806
Now if you have a problem in the community,

0:07:36.806,0:07:38.544
meeting under the palaver tree

0:07:38.544,0:07:40.523
with the chiefs or the tribesmen

0:07:40.523,0:07:42.685
would be synonymous to trying to find a solution

0:07:42.685,0:07:44.130
to that particular problem,

0:07:44.130,0:07:47.250
and also to reinforce trust and respect

0:07:47.250,0:07:49.591
among members of the community.

0:07:49.591,0:07:51.987
From the scientific point of view,

0:07:51.987,0:07:54.682
there are eight species of baobab in the world.

0:07:54.682,0:07:56.664
There's one from Africa,

0:07:56.664,0:07:58.333
one from Australia,

0:07:58.333,0:08:01.080
and six are endemic

0:08:01.080,0:08:02.727
to the island of Madagascar.

0:08:02.727,0:08:04.359
The one I have showed you

0:08:04.359,0:08:05.949
is the one from Africa,

0:08:05.949,0:08:08.210
adansonia digitata.

0:08:08.210,0:08:10.190
Now, the flower, this beautiful white flower,

0:08:10.190,0:08:12.314
it opens at night, is pollinated by bats,

0:08:12.314,0:08:14.913
and it gives rise to the fruit

0:08:14.913,0:08:16.465
which is curiously known

0:08:16.465,0:08:18.200
as the monkey apple.

0:08:18.200,0:08:19.693
You know, the monkey are not stupid animals.

0:08:19.693,0:08:21.426
They know what's good for them.

0:08:21.426,0:08:24.227
Now, if you open the fruit of the baobab,

0:08:24.227,0:08:26.820
you'll see a white, floury pulp

0:08:26.820,0:08:28.917
which is very rich in nutrients

0:08:28.917,0:08:31.291
and has got proteins,

0:08:31.291,0:08:35.409
more proteins than that in human milk.

0:08:35.409,0:08:37.197
Yes, you heard right:

0:08:37.197,0:08:40.605
more protein than in human milk.

0:08:40.605,0:08:42.495
And this is one of the reasons why

0:08:42.495,0:08:44.317
the nutrition companies of this world,

0:08:44.317,0:08:46.702
they are looking for this fruit to provide

0:08:46.702,0:08:49.289
what we know as reinforce food.

0:08:49.289,0:08:53.170
The seeds give an oil, a very stable oil

0:08:53.170,0:08:56.240
which is sought after by the cosmetic industry

0:08:56.240,0:08:59.502
to give to produce body lotions for example,

0:08:59.502,0:09:01.131
and if you look at the trunk,

0:09:01.131,0:09:04.734
the trunk of course safeguards water,

0:09:04.734,0:09:07.535
which is often harvested by a thirsty traveler,

0:09:07.535,0:09:09.213
and the leaves are used in traditional medicine

0:09:09.213,0:09:11.168
against infectious disease.

0:09:11.168,0:09:13.744
Now, you can see now why the Africans consider it

0:09:13.744,0:09:15.544
to be the tree of life.

0:09:15.544,0:09:17.209
It's a complete plant,

0:09:17.209,0:09:19.751
and in fact, the sheer size of these trees,

0:09:19.751,0:09:21.854
in fact, are hiding a massive potential,

0:09:21.854,0:09:25.296
not only for the pharma, nutrition,[br]and the cosmetic industry.

0:09:25.296,0:09:27.302
What I have showed you here

0:09:27.302,0:09:29.532
is only the species from Africa,

0:09:29.532,0:09:31.416
adansonia digitata.

0:09:31.416,0:09:34.080
We have six species yet in Madagascar,

0:09:34.080,0:09:37.564
and we don't know what is the potential of this plant,

0:09:37.564,0:09:40.030
but one thing we know is that the flora

0:09:40.030,0:09:42.592
is considered to be threatened with extinction.

0:09:42.592,0:09:45.796
Let me again take you to Africa again,

0:09:45.796,0:09:48.300
and introduce you to one of my very favorite,

0:09:48.300,0:09:50.410
the resurrection plant.

0:09:50.410,0:09:51.477
Now here you'll find

0:09:51.477,0:09:53.395
that even Jesus has competition.

0:09:53.395,0:09:54.998
(Laughter)

0:09:54.998,0:09:57.991
Now, this plant here has developed

0:09:57.991,0:10:00.970
remarkable tolerance to drought,

0:10:00.970,0:10:03.068
which enables it to withstand

0:10:03.068,0:10:07.313
up to 98 percent dehydration over the period of a year

0:10:07.313,0:10:09.417
without damage,

0:10:09.417,0:10:13.567
and yet it can regenerate itself almost completely

0:10:13.567,0:10:17.647
overnight, over 24 hours, and flower.

0:10:17.647,0:10:19.880
Now, us human beings, you know,

0:10:19.880,0:10:23.106
we're always on the lookout for the elixir of youth.

0:10:23.106,0:10:24.940
We don't want to get old, and rightly so.

0:10:24.940,0:10:28.179
Why should we, especially if you can afford it?

0:10:28.179,0:10:30.362
And this gives you an indication

0:10:30.362,0:10:33.714
of what the plant looks like before.

0:10:33.714,0:10:36.560
Now, if you are an unexperienced gardener,

0:10:36.560,0:10:38.052
the first thing you'll do when you visit the garden

0:10:38.052,0:10:40.776
is to uproot this plant, because, I mean, it's dead,

0:10:40.776,0:10:45.578
but if you water it, this is what you get.

0:10:45.578,0:10:47.754
Absolutely amazing.

0:10:47.754,0:10:50.250
Now, if you look at our aging process,

0:10:50.250,0:10:52.700
the aging process is in fact the loss of water

0:10:52.700,0:10:55.874
from the upper epidermis, resulting in wrinkling

0:10:55.874,0:10:57.441
as we know it, especially women,

0:10:57.441,0:10:59.282
we are so conscious of this,

0:10:59.282,0:11:03.963
and this plant, in fact, is giving the cosmetic chemists

0:11:03.963,0:11:05.953
very important ingredients

0:11:05.953,0:11:08.720
that are actually finding ways

0:11:08.720,0:11:11.300
to slowing down the aging process

0:11:11.300,0:11:13.490
and at the same time reinforce the cells

0:11:13.490,0:11:17.777
against the onslaught of environmental toxins.

0:11:17.777,0:11:20.414
Now, these four examples

0:11:20.414,0:11:23.321
I have just given you

0:11:23.321,0:11:26.755
are just a very tiny reminder

0:11:26.755,0:11:30.492
as to how our health

0:11:30.492,0:11:33.996
and our survival are closely linked

0:11:33.996,0:11:36.808
to the health and the resilience

0:11:36.808,0:11:38.653
of our ecosystem,

0:11:38.653,0:11:40.587
and why we should be very careful

0:11:40.587,0:11:43.288
about preserving biodiversity.

0:11:43.288,0:11:46.490
Every time a forest is cut down,

0:11:46.490,0:11:50.110
every time a marsh is filled in,

0:11:50.110,0:11:53.860
it is a potential lab that goes with it,

0:11:53.860,0:11:56.168
and which we will never, ever recover.

0:11:56.168,0:11:57.325
And I know what I'm talking about

0:11:57.325,0:12:01.387
coming from Mauritius and missing the dodo.

0:12:01.387,0:12:05.425
Let me finish with just one last example.

0:12:05.425,0:12:09.240
You know conservation issues are normally guided

0:12:09.240,0:12:12.208
towards rare, endemic plants,

0:12:12.208,0:12:14.750
but what we call exotic plants,

0:12:14.750,0:12:18.227
that is the ones which grow in many[br]different habitats across the world,

0:12:18.227,0:12:20.633
they also need to be considered.

0:12:20.633,0:12:23.772
You know why? Because the environment plays

0:12:23.772,0:12:25.527
a very important role

0:12:25.527,0:12:28.186
on modifying the composition of that plant.

0:12:28.186,0:12:30.817
So let's take a look at this plant here,

0:12:30.817,0:12:33.300
centella asiatica. It's a weed.

0:12:33.300,0:12:35.448
We call it a weed.

0:12:35.448,0:12:38.324
Now, centella asiatica grows across the world

0:12:38.324,0:12:41.106
in many different habitats, in Africa, in Asia,

0:12:41.106,0:12:43.125
and this plant has been instrumental

0:12:43.125,0:12:45.892
in providing a solution to that dreadful disease

0:12:45.892,0:12:50.338
called leprosy in Madagascar in the 1940s.

0:12:50.338,0:12:53.868
Now, while centella grows across the world,

0:12:53.868,0:12:57.159
in Africa, in Asia, the best quality centella

0:12:57.159,0:12:59.503
comes from Madagascar,

0:12:59.503,0:13:03.688
because that centella contains[br]the three vital ingredients

0:13:03.688,0:13:05.914
which are sought after by the pharma

0:13:05.914,0:13:08.548
and the cosmetic companies.

0:13:08.548,0:13:10.797
And the cosmetic companies is already using it

0:13:10.797,0:13:13.879
to make regenerating cream.

0:13:13.879,0:13:16.668
Now, there is an ancient saying

0:13:16.668,0:13:20.212
that for every disease known to mankind,

0:13:20.212,0:13:22.394
there is a plant to cure it.

0:13:22.394,0:13:24.622
Now, you may not believe in ancient sayings.

0:13:24.622,0:13:26.185
You may think they're obsolete

0:13:26.185,0:13:29.133
now that our science and technology are so powerful.

0:13:29.133,0:13:31.169
So, I mean, you may look on centella as being

0:13:31.169,0:13:34.374
an insignificant, humble weed,

0:13:34.374,0:13:37.700
which if destroyed won't be missed.

0:13:37.700,0:13:40.135
But you know, there is no such thing as a weed.

0:13:40.135,0:13:41.889
It's a plant.

0:13:41.889,0:13:44.768
It's a living biological lab

0:13:44.768,0:13:46.669
that may well have answers

0:13:46.669,0:13:48.627
to the question that we may have

0:13:48.627,0:13:50.517
but we have to ensure

0:13:50.517,0:13:53.250
that it has the right to live.

0:13:53.250,0:13:55.128
Thank you.

0:13:55.128,0:13:59.128
(Applause)