Recent Progress in Medicinal Plants (Plant Bioactives in Traditional Medicine)

The present volume provides an overview on Human genome project, which offers gene therapy, drug therapy and prevention of genetic diseases. Since both plant and animal DNA is made of four nucleotides of adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine, it is no wonder that secondary metabolites of the former (e.g. alkaloids, isoprenoids, flavonoids, glycosides, lignans etc.) become a drug for the latter. Thus reviews on diterpenes of Euphorbiaceae family; Glycyrrhizin, a triterpenoid saponin from Glycyrrhiza; fruits of Schisandra chinensis, a lignan containing herb in Chinese traditional medicine; Artemisia annua a Chinese plant containing antimalarial drug-artemisinin, plant thionins, Cissampelos mucronata, Patchouli oil-an aromatic crop and 1,8, Cineole (Eucalyptol) are presented. Effects of factors like highly differentiated plantlet or shoot culture, high level of CO2, immobilization of cells, use of elicitors, feeding controlled release polymeric precursors, in situ product removal, molecularly imprinted polymers on yield of essential oil by plant tissue/cell culture have also been reviewed. Clinical efficacy of Anxicalm (tablet containing St John's Wort and Valerian) in general anxiety disorder, hypotensive effect of Persea americana and Hibiscus sabdariffa of Nigerian origin, antibacterial effects of plant extracts, clonal propagation of Safed moosli, a natural aphrodisiac, have been presented as original article. Pharmacognostic standardization of important Ayurvedic drugs like Calotropis procera and Desmodium gangeticum have been included. Besides, cultivation practices of Guggal, and conservation strategies of endangered plants have also been addressed. Contributors are from Asia, Africa, Europe, North and South America. Herbal drug formulators, researchers in the field of natural product, Pharmacy, Pharmacognosy, Biology and Pharmacology would find this volume useful.

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