This handbook comprises huge data amounts considering the areas of world-wide Ethnopharmacology, Pharmacognosy together with modern identification tools within Phytochemistry. In recent years, modern drug design has its return back to nature, rather applying guidance achieved from herb remedies valid during centuries. The handbook established on information of 100 medicinal plants from all parts of the globe, encloses now over 4700 chemical components, their structural formulas and so far, over 500 identification spectra (EI-MS 85%, NMR 15%). It facilitates the rapid survey on medicinal plants as well as search for remedies, where the possibility exists in searching at Portuguese and Russian besides English. Why have I chosen those languages? Because geographically you will be understood on almost of the entire globe! From Western Europe to Hawaii using English, from Minsk to Vladivostok at Russian and because of many Portuguese colonies throughout the world with that language. The names of 100 specimens are provided in Portuguese, English, French, German, Russian, Swedish, Finnish and Hungarian out of Latin (scientific name). Included is a chapter that deals on preparations made for household remedies as well as procedures for industrial upscale for medicine production. The main idea is to provide a structure-based knowledge of synergisms between physiological activities of plant compounds originating from 2nd metabolic pathways and their approved beneficial curing power of “common” diseases (flue, cough, nausea, insomnia) until severe complications like virus diseases, pandemics, cancer and alike.

Approx.344 pages

A compilation of articles by prominent experts in their respective fields on compensation for and collaboration with indigenous people in regard to their knowledge and provision of rare plants which are used for some of the most potent drugs in Western medicine.

Ethnopharmacology is one of the world’s fastest-growing scientific disciplines encompassing a diverse range of subjects. It links natural sciences research on medicinal, aromatic and toxic plants with socio-cultural studies and has often been associated with the development of new drugs. The Editors of Ethnopharmacology have assembled an international team of renowned contributors to provide a critical synthesis of the substantial body of new knowledge and evidence on the subject that has emerged over the past decade. Divided into three parts, the book begins with an overview of the subject including a brief history, ethnopharmacological methods, the role of intellectual property protection, key analytical approaches, the role of ethnopharmacology in primary/secondary education and links to biodiversity and ecological research. Part two looks at ethnopharmacological contributions to modern therapeutics across a range of conditions including CNS disorders, cancer, bone and joint health and parasitic diseases. The final part is devoted to regional perspectives covering all continents, providing a state-of-the –art assessment of the status of ethnopharmacological research globally. A comprehensive, critical synthesis of the latest developments in ethnopharmacology. Includes a section devoted to ethnopharmacological contributions to modern therapeutics across a range of conditions. Contributions are from leading international experts in the field. This timely book will prove invaluable for researchers and students across a range of subjects including ethnopharmacology, ethnobotany, medicinal plant research and natural products research. Ethnopharmacology- A Reader is part of the ULLA Series in Pharmaceutical Sciences www.ullapharmsci.org

This book illustrates, in a comprehensive manner, the most crucial principles involved in pharmacology and allied sciences. The title begins by discussing the historical aspects of drug discovery, with up to date knowledge on Nobel Laureates in pharmacology and their significant discoveries. It then examines the general pharmacological principles - pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, with in-depth information on drug transporters and interactions. In the remaining chapters, the book covers a definitive collection of topics containing essential information on the basic principles of pharmacology and how they are employed for the treatment of diseases. Readers will learn about special topics in pharmacology that are hard to find elsewhere, including issues related to environmental toxicology and the latest information on drug poisoning and treatment, analytical toxicology, toxicovigilance, and the use of molecular biology techniques in pharmacology. The book offers a valuable resource for researchers in the fields of pharmacology and toxicology, as well as students pursuing a degree in or with an interest in pharmacology.

Is it possible that plants have shaped the very trajectory of human cultures? Using riveting stories of fieldwork in remote villages, two of the world’s leading ethnobotanists argue that our past and our future are deeply intertwined with plants. Creating massive sea craft from plants, indigenous shipwrights spurred the navigation of the world’s oceans. Today, indigenous agricultural innovations continue to feed, clothe, and heal the world’s population. One out of four prescription drugs, for example, were discovered from plants used by traditional healers. Objects as common as baskets for winnowing or wooden boxes to store feathers were ornamented with traditional designs demonstrating the human ability to understand our environment and to perceive the cosmos. Throughout the world, the human body has been used as the ultimate canvas for plant-based adornment as well as indelible design using tattoo inks. Plants also garnered religious significance, both as offerings to the gods and as a doorway into the other world. Indigenous claims that plants themselves are sacred is leading to a startling reformulation of conservation. The authors argue that conservation goals can best be achieved by learning from, rather than opposing, indigenous peoples and their beliefs. KEY FEATURES • An engrossing narrative that invites the reader to personally engage with the relationship between plants, people, and culture • Full-color illustrations throughout—including many original photographs captured by the authors during fieldwork • New to this edition—"Plants That Harm," a chapter that examines the dangers of poisonous plants and the promise that their study holds for novel treatments for some of our most serious diseases, including Alzheimer’s and substance addiction • Additional readings at the end of each chapter to encourage further exploration • Boxed features on selected topics that offer further insight • Provocative questions to facilitate group discussion Designed for the college classroom as well as for lay readers, this update of Plants, People, and Culture entices the reader with firsthand stories of fieldwork, spectacular illustrations, and a deep respect for both indigenous peoples and the earth’s natural heritage.

Early anthropological evidence for plant use as medicine is 60,000 years old as reported from the Neanderthal grave in Iraq. The importance of plants as medicine is further supported by archeological evidence from Asia and the Middle East. Today, around 1.4 billion people in South Asia alone have no access to modern health care, and rely instead on traditional medicine to alleviate various symptoms. On a global basis, approximately 50 to 80 thousand plant species are used either natively or as pharmaceutical derivatives for life-threatening conditions that include diabetes, hypertension and cancers. As the demand for plant-based medicine rises, there is an unmet need to investigate the quality, safety and efficacy of these herbals by the “scientific methods”. Current research on drug discovery from medicinal plants involves a multifaceted approach combining botanical, phytochemical, analytical, and molecular techniques. For instance, high throughput robotic screens have been developed by industry; it is now possible to carry out 50,000 tests per day in the search for compounds, which act on a key enzyme or a subset of receptors. This and other bioassays thus offer hope that one may eventually identify compounds for treating a variety of diseases or conditions. However, drug development from natural products is not without its problems. Frequent challenges encountered include the procurement of raw materials, the selection and implementation of appropriate high-throughput bioassays, and the scaling-up of preparative procedures. Research scientists should therefore arm themselves with the right tools and knowledge in order to harness the vast potentials of plant-based therapeutics. The main objective of Plant and Human Health is to serve as a comprehensive guide for this endeavor. Volume 1 highlights how humans from specific areas or cultures use indigenous plants. Despite technological developments, herbal drugs still occupy a preferential place in a majority of the population in the third world and have slowly taken roots as alternative medicine in the West. The integration of modern science with traditional uses of herbal drugs is important for our understanding of this ethnobotanical relationship. Volume 2 deals with the phytochemical and molecular characterization of herbal medicine. Specifically, it focuess on the secondary metabolic compounds, which afford protection against diseases. Lastly, Volume 3 discusses the physiological mechanisms by which the active ingredients of medicinal plants serve to improve human health. Together this three-volume collection intends to bridge the gap for herbalists, traditional and modern medical practitioners, and students and researchers in botany and horticulture.

Ethnopharmacology and Biodiversity of Medicinal Plants provides a multitude of contemporary views on the diversity of medicinal plants, discussing both their traditional uses and therapeutic claims. This book emphasizes the importance of cataloging ethnomedical information as well as examining and preserving the diversity of traditional medicines. It also discusses the challenges present with limited access to modern medicine and the ways in which research can be conducted to enhance these modern practices. The book also explores the conservation procedures for endangered plant species and discusses their relevance to ethnopharmacology. Each chapter of this book relays the research of experts in the field who conducted research in diverse landscapes of India, providing a detailed account of the basic and applied approaches of ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology. The book reviews multiple processes pertaining to medicinal plants, such as collecting the traditional therapeutic values and validation methods. It also explores developments in the field such as the diversity and medicinal potential of unexplored plant species and applications in drug formulation to fight against anti-microbial resistance (AMR).

Originally published in 1999 The Commercial Use of Biodiversity examines how biodiversity and the genetic material it contains are now as valuable resources. Access to genetic resources and their commercial development involve a wide range of parties such as conservation and research institutes, local communities, government agencies and companies. Equitable partnerships are not only crucial to conservation and economic development but are also in the interests of business and often required by law. In this authoritative and comprehensive volume, the authors explain the provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity on access and benefit-sharing, the effect of national laws to implement these, and aspects of typical contracts for the transfer of materials. They provide a unique sector-by-sector analysis of how genetic resources are used, the scientific, technological and regulatory trends and the different markets in Pharmaceuticals, Botanical Medicines, Crop Development, Horticulture, Crop Protection, Biotechnology (in fields other than healthcare and agriculture) and Personal Care and Cosmetics Products. This will be an essential sourcebook for all those in the commercial chain, from raw material collection to product discovery, development and marketing, for governments and policy-makers drafting laws on access and for all the institutions, communities and individuals involved in the conservation, use, study and commercialisation of genetic resources.