Scientists have warned that we may lose out on future treatments for diseases as a result of plants becoming extinct.
According to the Botanic Gardens Conservation International, many plants and trees are at risk from deforestation and over-collection, the BBC reports.
The threat is all the more concerning considering that more than 50 per cent of our existing treatments come from chemicals identified in plants.
For example, extracts from the Hoodia plant are thought to help suppress appetite and aid weight loss, while magnolia has been used for thousands of years by the Chinese because of its purported ability to fight cancer, heart disease and dementia.
"Nature has provided us with many of our medicines," Richard Ley, a spokesman for the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, told the BBC.
"Scientists are always interested in what they can provide and so it is a worry that such plants may be at risk."
Scientists have warned that we may lose out on future treatments for diseases as a result of plants becoming extinct.
