Diversity and conservation status of medicinal plant resources  from Northwest region of Vietnam

Hoang Dieu Linh; To Minh Tu; Tran Van Loc; Nguyen Thi Thuy; Hoang Thi Nhu Nu; Nguyen Minh Khoi; Dang Viet Cuong

doi:10.55250/Jo.vnuf.11.1.2026.082-090

Authors

Hoang Dieu Linh National Institute of Medicinal Materials
To Minh Tu National Institute of Medicinal Materials
Tran Van Loc National Institute of Medicinal Materials
Nguyen Thi Thuy National Institute of Medicinal Materials
Hoang Thi Nhu Nu National Institute of Medicinal Materials
Nguyen Minh Khoi National Institute of Medicinal Materials
Dang Viet Cuong VNU University of Medicine and Pharmacy

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55250/Jo.vnuf.11.1.2026.082-090

Keywords:

Conservation values, ethnobotany, medicinal plant diversity, Northwest Vietnam, therapeutic uses

Abstract

This study documented 2,149 medicinal plant species from the Northwest region of Vietnam, belonging to 999 genera and 221 families across six phyla of vascular plants: Psilotophyta, Lycopodiophyta, Equisetophyta, Polypodiophyta, Pinophyta, and Magnoliophyta. Among these, 188 species are of high conservation priority, being listed in the Vietnam Red Data Book (2007), the Red List of Medicinal Plants in Vietnam (2007 and 2019), and in Decree No. 84/2021/NĐ-CP. The medicinal flora was classified based on life forms of medicinal plants into five groups: herbs (850 species, 39.55%), shrubs/subshrubs (431 species, 20.06%), climbers (382 species, 17.77%), woody trees ( 470 species, 21.87%), and columnar plants (16 species, 0.74%). Analysis of plant parts used revealed that leaves, roots, stems and whole plants are the most common components in traditional remedies. Furthermore, the study identified 16 disease groups treated using the traditional knowledge of local ethnic minority communities, with the highest in gastrointestinal, dermatological, and cardiovascular/hematological disorders. These findings establish a robust foundation for the conservation and sustainable development of medicinal plant resources in the Northwest region.

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