WEBVTT 00:00:00.907 --> 00:00:03.335 You know, it's a big privilege for me 00:00:03.335 --> 00:00:07.227 to be working in one of the biodiversity hotspots in the world: 00:00:07.227 --> 00:00:09.928 the Mascarene Islands in the Indian Ocean. 00:00:09.928 --> 00:00:13.673 These islands — Mauritius, Rodrigues, and Réunion — 00:00:13.673 --> 00:00:16.811 along with the island of Madagascar, 00:00:16.811 --> 00:00:18.727 they are blessed with unique plants 00:00:18.727 --> 00:00:20.840 found nowhere else in the world. 00:00:20.840 --> 00:00:23.529 And today I will tell you about five of them 00:00:23.529 --> 00:00:25.524 and their particular features 00:00:25.524 --> 00:00:28.408 and why these plants are so unique. NOTE Paragraph 00:00:28.408 --> 00:00:29.968 Take a look at this plant. 00:00:29.968 --> 00:00:33.372 I call it benjoin in the local vernacular, 00:00:33.372 --> 00:00:37.298 and the botanical name is Terminalia bentzoe, 00:00:37.298 --> 00:00:39.199 subspecies bentzoe. 00:00:39.199 --> 00:00:42.507 This subspecies is endemic to Mauritius, 00:00:42.507 --> 00:00:44.318 and its particular feature 00:00:44.318 --> 00:00:46.792 is its heterophylly. 00:00:46.792 --> 00:00:48.918 What do I mean by heterophylly? 00:00:48.918 --> 00:00:50.481 It's that the same plant 00:00:50.481 --> 00:00:53.564 has got leaves that are different shapes and sizes. 00:00:53.564 --> 00:00:55.149 Now, these plants have evolved 00:00:55.149 --> 00:00:57.503 very far away from the mainland, 00:00:57.503 --> 00:01:00.901 and within specific ecosystems. 00:01:00.901 --> 00:01:03.725 Often, these particular features 00:01:03.725 --> 00:01:06.536 have evolved as a response to the threat 00:01:06.536 --> 00:01:08.973 presented by the local fauna, 00:01:08.973 --> 00:01:12.593 in this case, grazing tortoises. 00:01:12.593 --> 00:01:15.749 Tortoises are known to have poor eyesight, 00:01:15.749 --> 00:01:18.235 and as such, they tend to avoid the plants 00:01:18.235 --> 00:01:20.294 they don't recognize. 00:01:20.294 --> 00:01:23.668 So this evolutionary foil safeguards the plant 00:01:23.668 --> 00:01:26.593 against these rather cute animals, 00:01:26.593 --> 00:01:31.651 and protects it and of course ensures its survival. NOTE Paragraph 00:01:31.651 --> 00:01:34.661 Now the question you're probably asking yourself is, 00:01:34.661 --> 00:01:37.562 why is she telling us all these stories? 00:01:37.562 --> 00:01:41.248 The reason for that is that we tend to overlook 00:01:41.248 --> 00:01:45.632 the diversity and the variety of the natural world. 00:01:45.632 --> 00:01:48.525 These particular habitats are unique 00:01:48.525 --> 00:01:52.753 and they are host to a whole lot of plants. 00:01:52.753 --> 00:01:54.924 We don't realize how valuable 00:01:54.924 --> 00:01:57.534 and how precious these resources are, 00:01:57.534 --> 00:01:59.729 and yet, through our insouciance, 00:01:59.729 --> 00:02:01.898 we keep on destroying them. 00:02:01.898 --> 00:02:03.630 We're all familiar 00:02:03.630 --> 00:02:06.825 with the macro impact of urbanization, 00:02:06.825 --> 00:02:10.267 climate change, resource exploitation, 00:02:10.267 --> 00:02:12.440 but when that one last plant — 00:02:12.440 --> 00:02:14.649 or animal for that matter — 00:02:14.649 --> 00:02:16.848 when that very last specimen 00:02:16.848 --> 00:02:18.959 has disappeared from the face of this Earth, 00:02:18.959 --> 00:02:20.355 we would have lost 00:02:20.355 --> 00:02:24.261 an entire subset of the Earth's biology, 00:02:24.261 --> 00:02:27.939 and with it, important plants with medicinal potential 00:02:27.939 --> 00:02:29.874 or which could have ingredients 00:02:29.874 --> 00:02:31.395 that would speak to the cosmetic, 00:02:31.395 --> 00:02:33.316 nutrition, pharma, 00:02:33.316 --> 00:02:35.735 and even the ethno-veterinary sectors, 00:02:35.735 --> 00:02:37.478 be gone forever. 00:02:37.478 --> 00:02:39.413 And here we have a very prime example 00:02:39.413 --> 00:02:42.158 of the iconic dodo, which comes from Mauritius, 00:02:42.158 --> 00:02:46.545 and, of course, we know is now a symbol of extinction. NOTE Paragraph 00:02:46.545 --> 00:02:49.165 We know plants have a fundamental role to play. 00:02:49.165 --> 00:02:51.000 Well, first of all, they feed us 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:53.890 and they also give us the oxygen we breathe, 00:02:53.890 --> 00:02:56.207 but plants are also the source 00:02:56.207 --> 00:02:59.762 of important, biologically active ingredients 00:02:59.762 --> 00:03:02.964 that we should be studying very carefully, 00:03:02.964 --> 00:03:07.254 because human societies over the millennia, 00:03:07.254 --> 00:03:10.302 they have developed important knowledge, 00:03:10.302 --> 00:03:12.120 cultural traditions, 00:03:12.120 --> 00:03:16.416 and important plant-based medicinal resources. 00:03:16.416 --> 00:03:18.401 Here's a data point: 00:03:18.401 --> 00:03:22.563 1.4 percent of the entire land surface 00:03:22.563 --> 00:03:26.467 is home to 40 percent of the species of higher plants, 00:03:26.467 --> 00:03:29.155 35 percent of the species of vertebrates, 00:03:29.155 --> 00:03:31.698 and this 1.4 percent 00:03:31.698 --> 00:03:36.366 represents the 25 biodiversity hotspots in the world, 00:03:36.366 --> 00:03:39.524 and this 1.4 percent of the entire land surface 00:03:39.524 --> 00:03:42.406 already provides for 35 percent 00:03:42.406 --> 00:03:44.240 of the ecosystem services 00:03:44.240 --> 00:03:46.918 that vulnerable people depend on. 00:03:46.918 --> 00:03:48.266 And as you can see, 00:03:48.266 --> 00:03:49.679 the island of Mauritius 00:03:49.679 --> 00:03:51.762 where I work and where I live, 00:03:51.762 --> 00:03:54.467 belongs to one such biodiversity hotspot, 00:03:54.467 --> 00:03:56.681 and I study the unique plants 00:03:56.681 --> 00:04:00.343 on the island for their biomedical applications. NOTE Paragraph 00:04:00.343 --> 00:04:01.680 Now, let's go back again 00:04:01.680 --> 00:04:03.520 to that first plant I showed you, 00:04:03.520 --> 00:04:06.547 the one, of course, with different-shaped leaves 00:04:06.547 --> 00:04:09.403 and different sizes, Terminalia bentzoe, 00:04:09.403 --> 00:04:11.070 subspecies bentzoe, 00:04:11.070 --> 00:04:13.665 a plant only found in Mauritius. 00:04:13.665 --> 00:04:15.110 Now, the local people, 00:04:15.110 --> 00:04:17.336 they used a decoction of the leaves 00:04:17.336 --> 00:04:19.867 against infectious diseases. 00:04:19.867 --> 00:04:22.319 Now our work, that is, 00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:25.728 the scientific validation of this traditional information, 00:04:25.728 --> 00:04:27.800 has shown that precisely 00:04:27.800 --> 00:04:32.129 that leaf extract shows activity, potent activity, 00:04:32.129 --> 00:04:34.351 against a wide range of bacteria 00:04:34.351 --> 00:04:37.427 that could be pathogenic to humans. 00:04:37.427 --> 00:04:39.868 Now, could this plant be the answer 00:04:39.868 --> 00:04:42.489 to antibiotic resistance? 00:04:42.489 --> 00:04:44.840 You know, antibiotic resistance is proving to be 00:04:44.840 --> 00:04:47.560 a big challenge globally. 00:04:47.560 --> 00:04:50.363 While we may not be sure, one thing is certain: 00:04:50.363 --> 00:04:52.972 we will not want this plant to disappear. 00:04:52.972 --> 00:04:55.616 But the harsh reality is that 00:04:55.616 --> 00:04:57.600 this particular plant is in fact 00:04:57.600 --> 00:04:59.470 considered to be vulnerable 00:04:59.470 --> 00:05:01.630 in its natural habitat. NOTE Paragraph 00:05:01.630 --> 00:05:03.778 This brings me to another example. 00:05:03.778 --> 00:05:07.568 This bush here is known as baume de l'ile plate 00:05:07.568 --> 00:05:09.290 in the local vernacular. 00:05:09.290 --> 00:05:11.945 The botanical name is Psiadia arguta. 00:05:11.945 --> 00:05:13.836 It's a plant which is rare, 00:05:13.836 --> 00:05:16.548 which is endemic to Mauritius. 00:05:16.548 --> 00:05:17.770 It used to grow on the mainland, 00:05:17.770 --> 00:05:20.213 but through the sheer pressures of urbanization 00:05:20.213 --> 00:05:22.492 has been pushed out of the mainland, 00:05:22.492 --> 00:05:24.193 and we've managed to bring it back 00:05:24.193 --> 00:05:25.669 from the brink of extinction 00:05:25.669 --> 00:05:27.736 by developing in vitro plants 00:05:27.736 --> 00:05:29.584 which are now growing in the wild. 00:05:29.584 --> 00:05:31.780 Now, one thing I must point out straightaway 00:05:31.780 --> 00:05:34.657 is that not all plants 00:05:34.657 --> 00:05:37.573 can be developed in vitro. 00:05:37.573 --> 00:05:41.396 While we humans, we are happy in our comfort zone, 00:05:41.396 --> 00:05:43.632 these plants also need 00:05:43.632 --> 00:05:46.366 their ecosystem to be preserved, 00:05:46.366 --> 00:05:48.199 and they don't react — endemic plants 00:05:48.199 --> 00:05:51.518 don't react to very harsh changes in their ecosystem, 00:05:51.518 --> 00:05:53.779 and yet we know what are the challenges 00:05:53.779 --> 00:05:54.867 that climate change, for example, 00:05:54.867 --> 00:05:56.910 is posing to these plants. 00:05:56.910 --> 00:05:59.438 Now, the local people again use the leaves 00:05:59.438 --> 00:06:01.192 in traditional medicine 00:06:01.192 --> 00:06:03.872 against respiratory problems. 00:06:03.872 --> 00:06:05.961 Now, our preliminary labwork 00:06:05.961 --> 00:06:07.693 on the leaf extract has shown 00:06:07.693 --> 00:06:11.822 that precisely these leaves contain ingredients 00:06:11.822 --> 00:06:14.917 that are very close, in terms of structures, 00:06:14.917 --> 00:06:17.283 chemical structures, to those medicines 00:06:17.283 --> 00:06:18.802 which are sold in the chemist's shop 00:06:18.802 --> 00:06:20.777 against asthma. 00:06:20.777 --> 00:06:22.687 So who knows 00:06:22.687 --> 00:06:24.773 what humanity will benefit from 00:06:24.773 --> 00:06:30.191 should this plant decide to reveal all its secrets. NOTE Paragraph 00:06:30.191 --> 00:06:32.682 Now, I come from the developing world 00:06:32.682 --> 00:06:35.485 where we are forever being challenged with this issue 00:06:35.485 --> 00:06:37.879 of population explosion. 00:06:37.879 --> 00:06:40.693 Africa is the continent which is getting younger, 00:06:40.693 --> 00:06:44.396 and whenever one talks about population explosion, 00:06:44.396 --> 00:06:46.901 one talks about the issue of food security 00:06:46.901 --> 00:06:49.581 as being the other side of the same coin. 00:06:49.581 --> 00:06:51.899 Now this plant here, the baobab, 00:06:51.899 --> 00:06:53.421 could be part of the answer. 00:06:53.421 --> 00:06:56.566 It's an underutilized, neglected food plant. 00:06:56.566 --> 00:06:59.059 It defines the landscape of West Africa, 00:06:59.059 --> 00:07:01.605 where it is known as the tree of life, 00:07:01.605 --> 00:07:04.103 and later on I will tell you why 00:07:04.103 --> 00:07:07.214 the Africans consider it to be the tree of life. 00:07:07.214 --> 00:07:09.132 Now interestingly, there are many legends 00:07:09.132 --> 00:07:11.240 which are associated with this plant. 00:07:11.240 --> 00:07:13.012 Because of its sheer size, 00:07:13.012 --> 00:07:15.914 it was meant to be lording over lesser plants, 00:07:15.914 --> 00:07:17.872 so God didn't like this arrogance, 00:07:17.872 --> 00:07:20.660 uprooted it, and planted it upside down, 00:07:20.660 --> 00:07:23.182 hence its particular shape. 00:07:23.182 --> 00:07:25.690 And if you look at this tree again 00:07:25.690 --> 00:07:27.852 within the African context, 00:07:27.852 --> 00:07:31.517 in West Africa, it's known as the palaver tree, 00:07:31.517 --> 00:07:34.587 because it performs great social functions. 00:07:34.587 --> 00:07:36.806 Now if you have a problem in the community, 00:07:36.806 --> 00:07:38.544 meeting under the palaver tree 00:07:38.544 --> 00:07:40.523 with the chiefs or the tribesmen 00:07:40.523 --> 00:07:42.685 would be synonymous to trying to find a solution 00:07:42.685 --> 00:07:44.130 to that particular problem, 00:07:44.130 --> 00:07:47.070 and also to reinforce trust and respect 00:07:47.070 --> 00:07:49.591 among members of the community. 00:07:49.591 --> 00:07:51.987 From the scientific point of view, 00:07:51.987 --> 00:07:54.682 there are eight species of baobab in the world. 00:07:54.682 --> 00:07:56.664 There's one from Africa, 00:07:56.664 --> 00:07:58.333 one from Australia, 00:07:58.333 --> 00:08:01.080 and six are endemic 00:08:01.080 --> 00:08:02.727 to the island of Madagascar. 00:08:02.727 --> 00:08:04.359 The one I have showed you 00:08:04.359 --> 00:08:05.949 is the one from Africa, 00:08:05.949 --> 00:08:07.870 Adansonia digitata. 00:08:07.870 --> 00:08:10.190 Now, the flower, this beautiful white flower, 00:08:10.190 --> 00:08:12.314 it opens at night, is pollinated by bats, 00:08:12.314 --> 00:08:14.913 and it gives rise to the fruit 00:08:14.913 --> 00:08:16.465 which is curiously known 00:08:16.465 --> 00:08:18.200 as the monkey apple. 00:08:18.200 --> 00:08:19.693 The monkeys are not stupid animals. 00:08:19.693 --> 00:08:21.426 They know what's good for them. 00:08:21.426 --> 00:08:24.227 Now, if you open the fruit of the baobab, 00:08:24.227 --> 00:08:26.820 you'll see a white, floury pulp, 00:08:26.820 --> 00:08:28.917 which is very rich in nutrients 00:08:28.917 --> 00:08:31.291 and has got protein, 00:08:31.291 --> 00:08:35.409 more protein than in human milk. 00:08:35.409 --> 00:08:37.197 Yes, you heard right: 00:08:37.197 --> 00:08:40.605 more protein than in human milk. 00:08:40.605 --> 00:08:42.495 And this is one of the reasons why 00:08:42.495 --> 00:08:44.317 the nutrition companies of this world, 00:08:44.317 --> 00:08:46.702 they are looking for this fruit to provide 00:08:46.702 --> 00:08:49.289 what we know as reinforced food. 00:08:49.289 --> 00:08:53.170 The seeds give an oil, a very stable oil 00:08:53.170 --> 00:08:56.240 which is sought after by the cosmetic industry 00:08:56.240 --> 00:08:59.502 to give to produce body lotions, for example. 00:08:59.502 --> 00:09:01.131 And if you look at the trunk, 00:09:01.131 --> 00:09:04.734 the trunk, of course, safeguards water, 00:09:04.734 --> 00:09:07.535 which is often harvested by a thirsty traveler, 00:09:07.535 --> 00:09:09.213 and the leaves are used in traditional medicine 00:09:09.213 --> 00:09:11.168 against infectious disease. 00:09:11.168 --> 00:09:13.744 Now, you can see now why the Africans consider it 00:09:13.744 --> 00:09:15.544 to be the tree of life. 00:09:15.544 --> 00:09:17.209 It's a complete plant, 00:09:17.209 --> 00:09:19.751 and in fact, the sheer size of these trees 00:09:19.751 --> 00:09:21.854 is hiding a massive potential, 00:09:21.854 --> 00:09:25.296 not only for the pharma, nutrition, and the cosmetic industry. 00:09:25.296 --> 00:09:27.302 What I have showed you here 00:09:27.302 --> 00:09:29.532 is only the species from Africa, 00:09:29.532 --> 00:09:31.416 Adansonia digitata. 00:09:31.416 --> 00:09:34.080 We have six species yet in Madagascar, 00:09:34.080 --> 00:09:37.564 and we don't know what is the potential of this plant, 00:09:37.564 --> 00:09:40.030 but one thing we know is that the flora 00:09:40.030 --> 00:09:42.592 is considered to be threatened with extinction. NOTE Paragraph 00:09:42.592 --> 00:09:45.796 Let me take you to Africa again, 00:09:45.796 --> 00:09:48.300 and introduce you to one of my very favorite, 00:09:48.300 --> 00:09:50.130 the resurrection plant. 00:09:50.130 --> 00:09:51.477 Now here you'll find 00:09:51.477 --> 00:09:53.395 that even Jesus has competition. 00:09:53.395 --> 00:09:54.998 (Laughter) 00:09:54.998 --> 00:09:57.991 Now, this plant here has developed 00:09:57.991 --> 00:10:00.970 remarkable tolerance to drought, 00:10:00.970 --> 00:10:03.068 which enables it to withstand 00:10:03.068 --> 00:10:07.313 up to 98 percent dehydration over the period of a year 00:10:07.313 --> 00:10:09.417 without damage, 00:10:09.417 --> 00:10:13.567 and yet it can regenerate itself almost completely 00:10:13.567 --> 00:10:17.647 overnight, over 24 hours, and flower. 00:10:17.647 --> 00:10:19.880 Now, us human beings, 00:10:19.880 --> 00:10:23.106 we're always on the lookout for the elixir of youth. 00:10:23.106 --> 00:10:24.940 We don't want to get old, and rightly so. 00:10:24.940 --> 00:10:28.179 Why should we, especially if you can afford it? 00:10:28.179 --> 00:10:30.362 And this gives you an indication 00:10:30.362 --> 00:10:33.164 of what the plant looks like before. 00:10:33.164 --> 00:10:36.020 Now, if you are an inexperienced gardener, 00:10:36.020 --> 00:10:38.052 the first thing you'll do when you visit the garden 00:10:38.052 --> 00:10:40.776 is to uproot this plant because it's dead. 00:10:40.776 --> 00:10:45.578 But if you water it, this is what you get. 00:10:45.578 --> 00:10:47.754 Absolutely amazing. 00:10:47.754 --> 00:10:50.250 Now, if you look at our aging process, 00:10:50.250 --> 00:10:52.700 the aging process is in fact the loss of water 00:10:52.700 --> 00:10:55.874 from the upper epidermis, resulting in wrinkling 00:10:55.874 --> 00:10:57.441 as we know it, especially women, 00:10:57.441 --> 00:10:59.282 we are so conscious of this. 00:10:59.282 --> 00:11:03.963 And this plant, in fact, is giving the cosmetic chemists 00:11:03.963 --> 00:11:05.953 very important ingredients 00:11:05.953 --> 00:11:08.720 that are actually finding ways 00:11:08.720 --> 00:11:11.110 to slow down the aging process 00:11:11.110 --> 00:11:13.490 and at the same time reinforce the cells 00:11:13.490 --> 00:11:17.777 against the onslaught of environmental toxins. NOTE Paragraph 00:11:17.777 --> 00:11:20.414 Now, these four examples 00:11:20.414 --> 00:11:23.321 I have just given you 00:11:23.321 --> 00:11:26.755 are just a very tiny reminder 00:11:26.755 --> 00:11:30.492 as to how our health 00:11:30.492 --> 00:11:33.996 and our survival are closely linked 00:11:33.996 --> 00:11:36.808 to the health and the resilience 00:11:36.808 --> 00:11:38.653 of our ecosystem, 00:11:38.653 --> 00:11:40.587 and why we should be very careful 00:11:40.587 --> 00:11:43.288 about preserving biodiversity. 00:11:43.288 --> 00:11:46.490 Every time a forest is cut down, 00:11:46.490 --> 00:11:50.110 every time a marsh is filled in, 00:11:50.110 --> 00:11:53.860 it is a potential lab that goes with it, 00:11:53.860 --> 00:11:56.168 and which we will never, ever recover. 00:11:56.168 --> 00:11:57.735 And I know what I'm talking about, 00:11:57.735 --> 00:12:01.067 coming from Mauritius and missing the dodo. NOTE Paragraph 00:12:01.067 --> 00:12:05.425 Let me finish with just one last example. 00:12:05.425 --> 00:12:09.240 Conservation issues are normally guided 00:12:09.240 --> 00:12:12.208 towards rare, endemic plants, 00:12:12.208 --> 00:12:14.750 but what we call exotic plants, 00:12:14.750 --> 00:12:18.227 that is, the ones which grow in many different habitats across the world, 00:12:18.227 --> 00:12:20.633 they also need to be considered. 00:12:20.633 --> 00:12:23.772 You know why? Because the environment plays 00:12:23.772 --> 00:12:25.527 a very important role 00:12:25.527 --> 00:12:28.186 in modifying the composition of that plant. NOTE Paragraph 00:12:28.186 --> 00:12:30.817 So let's take a look at this plant here, 00:12:30.817 --> 00:12:33.300 Centella asiatica. It's a weed. 00:12:33.300 --> 00:12:35.448 We call it a weed. 00:12:35.448 --> 00:12:38.324 Now, Centella asiatica grows across the world 00:12:38.324 --> 00:12:41.106 in many different habitats — in Africa, in Asia — 00:12:41.106 --> 00:12:43.125 and this plant has been instrumental 00:12:43.125 --> 00:12:45.892 in providing a solution to that dreadful disease 00:12:45.892 --> 00:12:50.338 called leprosy in Madagascar in the 1940s. 00:12:50.338 --> 00:12:53.868 Now, while Centella grows across the world — 00:12:53.868 --> 00:12:57.159 in Africa, in Asia — the best quality Centella 00:12:57.159 --> 00:12:59.503 comes from Madagascar, 00:12:59.503 --> 00:13:03.688 because that Centella contains the three vital ingredients 00:13:03.688 --> 00:13:05.914 which are sought after by the pharma 00:13:05.914 --> 00:13:08.548 and the cosmetic companies. 00:13:08.548 --> 00:13:10.797 And the cosmetic companies are already using it 00:13:10.797 --> 00:13:13.879 to make regenerating cream. NOTE Paragraph 00:13:13.879 --> 00:13:16.668 Now, there is an ancient saying 00:13:16.668 --> 00:13:20.212 that for every disease known to mankind, 00:13:20.212 --> 00:13:22.394 there is a plant to cure it. 00:13:22.394 --> 00:13:24.622 Now, you may not believe in ancient sayings. 00:13:24.622 --> 00:13:26.185 You may think they're obsolete 00:13:26.185 --> 00:13:29.133 now that our science and technology are so powerful. 00:13:29.133 --> 00:13:31.169 So you may look on Centella as being 00:13:31.169 --> 00:13:34.374 an insignificant, humble weed, 00:13:34.374 --> 00:13:37.700 which, if destroyed, won't be missed. 00:13:37.700 --> 00:13:40.135 But you know, there is no such thing as a weed. 00:13:40.135 --> 00:13:41.889 It's a plant. 00:13:41.889 --> 00:13:44.768 It's a living biological lab 00:13:44.768 --> 00:13:46.669 that may well have answers 00:13:46.669 --> 00:13:48.627 to the question that we may have, 00:13:48.627 --> 00:13:50.517 but we have to ensure 00:13:50.517 --> 00:13:53.250 that it has the right to live. NOTE Paragraph 00:13:53.250 --> 00:13:55.128 Thank you. NOTE Paragraph 00:13:55.128 --> 00:13:59.128 (Applause)