XVI International Botanical Congess

56 genera including 450 species of the Gesneriaceae are found in China (worldwide 145:2500). Among them 20 genera and ca. 100 species have been used as traditional medicines in China to cure bronchitis and hepatitis, stopping cough and bleeding, and treat the traumatic injury. To investigate the effective components, a number of active compounds were isolated from the plants of this family recently. Pharmaceutic studies showed that a compound, nervadensin, isolated from Lysionotus pauciflorus, has remark her investigations are needed to screen all active components and to explore the medicinal usage of such important medicinal plants in the family.