EXOTIC PLANTS: THE SLEEPING GIANT OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

Prof. Yosef Mizrahi Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

The idea

There are thousands of wild and rare plant species with immense potential as a source of profits growing in different parts of the globe. The scientific community simply ignores them. There are two main reasons for this neglect: " Most of the money for plant research comes from growers of well-established crops and is doled out in proportion to sales: the greater the volume of production, the more money is available for further research. Hence "doing more of the same" is the name of the plant research game, with marginal improvements resulting. " A high percentage of the scientific work of plant research is carried out on model plants that are easy to work with. Arabidopsis thaliana, for instance, can run to 12 generations per year and can be grown in a small box in the corner of any lab. Today it is the most researched plant in the world. We are convinced that these new exotic crops could generate much higher profits than the common crops, which today are perched on the edge of profitability. This is so in spite of the complications attending the introduction of a new product into the market.

Eighteen years ago Dr. Nerd and myself initiated a project the aim of which was to explore the potential of wild and rare exotic fruit trees, many of them used by indigenous people for thousands of years. We propose several ways of utilizing the know-how that we have accumulated in all these R&D years:

1. Fresh fruits We have explored the potential for growing new exotics for the fresh fruits they produce, to revive the agricultural export industry (see review paper posted in my homepage at the URL given in my e-mail "signature" or at the top of this page). Four of these new species are already being sold in Israel and Europe as new fresh fruits. Eight more species have the same or greater potential and are just waiting for commercial firms to utilize them.
2. New food products Exotic new food products can be manufactured from these new fruits. The "Desert Exotic" company, which is based in Moshav Ein-Habesor (in the western Negev Desert), already produces liqueurs made from some of the exotic fruits. Fifteen other products could also be produced, and the only impediment is the state of the company's cash flow.
3. Bioactive compounds Bioactive compounds can be identified and extracted from the new exotic species, then utilized with or without purification to varying degrees. The idea for one such project originated in a visit of Dr. Nerd to Sicily, where he learned that the elderly use dried cactus flowers to combat benign prostate swelling. This is a problem that will affect most males provided they live long enough. Today there are three companies in Israel marketing dried Opuntia ficus-indica flowers in capsule form against benign prostate. The mode of action of these flowers was investigated and the results published in 1998, [Jonas, A., Rosenblat, G., Krapf, D., Bitterman, W., Neeman, I. Cactus flower extracts may prove beneficial in benign prostatic hyperplasia due to inhibition of 5-alpha-reductase activity, aromatase activity and lipid peroxidation, Urol. Res. 26: 265-270]. The next step should be to test native claims regarding the therapeutic action of dried flowers of other cacti species. These species produce larger flowers than O. ficus-indica which are much cheaper to produce. Once scientific proof of their activity is available, we will be in a position to launch an R&D program to explore commercial applications.

We have at hand several other fruit-trees products which indigenous users assert have medicinal properties. The beneficial effects claimed include:

1. Reducing high blood pressure
2. Reducing the heart rate
3. Reduce blood fatty acid and cholesterol concentrations
4. Anti diabetes activity (demonstrated by us in rats for diabetes type 2, non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus)
5. Anti-viral activities (here too we have partial proof, in the form of a drastic reduction of virus titer in tissue-culture of green-monkey's kidneys).

These activities open up good prospects for profit, for the following reasons: " The health problems addressed are very widespread in Western societies " The raw and active materials are cheap to produce compared with classic biotechnological production systems " We possess the basic know-how needed to grow these plants, and in some cases we also have selected clones " All these products come from food plants that people have been eating for thousands of years and which are therefore safe to use without special FDA authorization

4. Tourist attractions Last but not the least, tourist attractions could be established based on the exotic plants. Visitors could enjoy an audio-visual presentation highlighting the origin of the plants, their uses as fresh fruits and other products, and medicinal and other applications. They would then tour the orchard where the plants are grown, ending their visit by passing through gift shops and a restaurant, where they will able to buy the fruits and the food, medicinal or other products. The attraction could be envisioned as an integral part of the advertising campaign introducing the new products into the market.

What can we offer?

We can offer very extensive experience in applied research. Our group includes 3 tenure- track scientists (Dr. A. Nerd, Dr. Y. Sitrit and myself), 2 well-qualified and trained research technicians with university degrees, and many graduate students at all levels, all of them ready to research such projects. We have gene banks of all related species, we have both wild-type plants and (in many cases) selected clones, we have a Volkswagen van to take us to the various locations where the plants are grown, and we have well-equipped laboratories to carry out the required R&D activity. We have established collaboration with pharmacologists located on our campus, and if needed we can call upon appropriate specialists either at BGU or elsewhere for assistance.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for a commercial firm interested in exploring the potential outlined above. We expect this firm to invest in appropriate projects and nurse them to commercial success, preferably based on enterprises to be located in the Israeli Negev Desert.