Hoodia - who owns the patent for a plant?

The hoodia cactus is sought by drug companies because of its appetite-suppressing qualities.

The rare plant has been used for thousands of years by southern Africa's San Bushmen to dampen their appetites during long treks through the harsh Kalahari desert, and holds the key to potentially lucrative anti-obesity drugs.

South Africa's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research has patented the chemical entity extracted from hoodia and licensed British drugs-from-plants firm Phytopharm PLC to develop the plant's commercial potential.

Phytopharm said it welcomed moves to protect hoodia from illegal cultivation.