Introduction

The National Institute of Medicinal Materials (NIMM) being set up in 1961, is the national leading institute for the comprehensive research on natural medicinal materials, natural drugs and the modernization of traditional medicines.

At the stage of 1961 - 1986, with advantage of rich natural resources, NIMM carried out the research followed two directions: 1) Chemical semi-synthesis and extraction of active principles from natural medicinal materials. Many products have been extracted and produced in industrial scale such as: glutamic acid, camphosulfonate, D-strophantine extracted from Strophanthus divaricatus, embeline from Embelia ribes, phytin from Albizia lebbekoides, viblastine from Catharanthus roseus, rutine from Sophora japonica flower buds, palmatine from Fibraurea tinctoria, nunaxin from Oroxylum indicum, rotundine from Stephania rotunda, diosgenine, solasodine, essential oils extracted from Cymbopogon citratus, Mentha arvensis, Illicium verum, Cinnamomum camphora…, 2) survey of natural medicinal resources and cultivation of medicinal plants.

Some research products were transferred to several pharmaceutical companies such as: phytin, plamatine, Rutine, santonine, abilin, iodotamin, D-strophantine, Thang Long balm.

NIMM made great contribution to the introduction of the strains and the acclimatization of medicinal plants into Viet Nam and to the production of large amount of herbs used in traditional medicine which annually had been imported from China .

Since 1981, the government promulgated the Decree 263/CP of planning every scientific & technological activities in the five- year plans. At this period, NIMM was given to hold the first state-level scientific research program on the creation of raw medicinal material resources for drug production code 62-01, and was invested a Pilot Plant for drug extraction and formulation. This is a large turning point which affects the scientific research of NIMM. At the stage of 1987 - 2000, NIMM attached special importance to the production of raw material to serve pharmaceutical industry and traditional medicine, the development of several medicinal plant species such as species of Dioscorea, Artemisia annua, Angelica sinensis, Ruta graveolens, Ligusticum wallichii, Alisma plantago, Rauvolfia verticillata, aromatic plants…; simultaneously, NIMM also concentrated on the study of anti- malarial drug from Artemisia annua, antidiabetic drug Morantin, antihypertensive drug Raucaxin, anticholesteremic drug Bidentin.

NIMM's comprehensive research on Artemisia annua L. led to the production of 1500 kg of pure Artemisinin and 3 millions of Artemisinin tablets costing over 8 billions VND to supply the National program for malaria control. Annually, NIMM provided 100 - 150 kg selected seeds of Artemisia annua L. for the cultivation about 200 - 300 ha of Artemisia annua in various localities to supply the raw material for Artemisinin extraction. This scientific work was awarded the Ho Chi Minh Prize in 2000.

At the stage of 1996 - 2000, NIMM has carried out the state- level project, code KHCN 11 - 05 "Study the strategical measures for the effective development and exploitation of domestic natural medicinal material resources, measures for the establishment of the background of medicinal plant industry and the improvement of the quality of the galenical industry "Study the model of in- place production and supply the herbal drugs to serve the rural and mountainous communities". As the results, NIMM has transferred many items to pharmaceutical companies: Haina and Phylantin- drugs for hepatitis treatment, Angelin-drug for increasing blood circulation.