Advances In Medicinal And Aromatic Plants

Author : Surya N. Acharya
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9788177362558
Total Pages : 528 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (625 download)

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Download or read book Advances In Medicinal Plant Research written by Surya N. Acharya and published by . This book was released on 2007-01-01 with total page 528 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is a shift in paradigm when it comes to human health from cure to prevention. We want to live a healthy life and try our best to prevent sickness instead of solely relying on pharmaceuticals for curing an illness after the fact. The idea for this book came from the realization that most plant-based nutraceutical products are sold without proper research based information. Many contributing authors of this book have highlighted the need for evidence-based scientific studies to support health and nutraceutical claims relating to the use of medicinal plants and their extracts. It is only through critical research efforts that we can provide strong endorsements for medicinal plant use and ensure consumer confidence in the industry. Much of the research published on the medicinal value of plants does not take into account variability generated from genetic differences among plants and their interaction with the environment. Articles in this book demonstrate the need to properly identify plants with known medicinal properties which have been grown in environments that are conducive to consistent production of the active agents attributed to the plants. Production of dependable medicinal produce can only be attained if we pay close attention to these research-based principles. This book is devoted to topics that focus on advances in research related to medicinal plants and methods available to use them and their extracts. The book is truly a collaborative effort of a number of well known researchers working in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. We believe that the content of the book will inspire readers to broaden their research interests, and encourage more widespread use of medicinal plants in our daily diets as a proactive means of maintaining healthy and productive lives. The title for the book ADVANCES IN MEDICINAL PLANT RESEARCH was a collective decision of some of the contributing authors. The readers will find a wide-range of topics including medicinal properties of many crops that are grown, such as oilseeds, forages, cereals, vegetables, ornamentals, crops grown for fiber and native plants that are yet to be grown as crops. We believe that plant researchers, clinical nutritionists, animal nutritionists, plant breeders and students in particular will find this a valuable reference. The book chapters contain reviews of research progress in medicinal and functional food aspects of cannabis, echinacea, fenugreek, rosemary, marigold, native Australian plants, Indian spices, as well as the effect of plant components on human and other animal health. There are chapters dealing with methods that can be used for genetic improvement of nutraceutical properties of the plants. The authors have incorporated salient information from the literature as well as their personal research experiences. Each chapter contains an exhaustive list of references which may be of special interest to some researchers. It was a pleasure for us to work with the authors and reviewers who exhibited enormous patience and professionalism during the preparation and review process of the book. We offer our personal appreciation to all involved for a job well done. We thank the Managing Editor, S. G. Pandalai, and General Manager, N. J. Sudarsan for bringing this book project to fruition. Lastly we are deeply indebted to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the University of Lethbridge for allowing us to use time and physical resources for completing editorial duties for the book.