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

Ethnopharmacology is a component of Encyclopedia of Biological, Physiological and Health Sciences in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. Ethnopharmacology is the scientific study correlating ethnic groups, their health, and how it relates to their physical habits and methodology in creating and using medicines. This Theme on Ethnopharmacology presents the field as an amalgam of perspectives, primarily those of pharmacology, pharmacognosy, anthropology, and botany. It highlights the uniquely biocultural perspective on ethnopharmacology offered by medical anthropology, which underscores that health and healing are culturally constructed and socially negotiated. The definition of ethnopharmacology that frames this volume is: the study of indigenous medical systems that connects the ethnography of health and healing with the physiological relevance of its medical practices. The history of botanical medicines is traced from primate self-medication to contributions to biomedicine. The methods of ethnopharmacologic inquiry are presented from pharmacologic, ecological, ethnographic, data management, and ethical perspectives. Chapters are devoted to plants used in the treatment of specific disorders: cancer, parasitic infection, AIDS, inflammation, diabetes, and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disorders. The important role that plant medicines play in the developing world is revealed in discussion of ritual and ceremony, safety issues, health care, and biodiversity. These two volumes are aimed at the following a wide spectrum of audiences from the merely curious to those seeking in-depth knowledge: University and College students Educators, Professional practitioners, Research personnel and Policy analysts, managers, and decision makers and NGOs.

In 1860, Oliver Wendell Holmes pointedly expressed himself to the Massachusetts Medical Society: “I firmly believe that if the whole Material Medica, as now used, could be sunk to the bottom of the sea, it would be all the better for mankind, and all the worst for the fishes.” Should one think the same about the current approach in drug discovery from plants? Probably yes. Despite the spending of billions of US dollars, and three decades of efforts, high-throughput screenings have only allowed the discovery of a couple of drugs. One could have reasonably expected the discovery of an arsenal of drugs from the millions of plant extracts randomly tested, but “hits” can be inactive in vitro or too toxic, some molecules need to be metabolized first to be active, and false-positive and false-negative results are common. The bitter truth is that the robotic approach in discovering drugs from plants has proven, to date, its inability to excavate the hundreds of molecules that will contribute to the health progress of Man. However, one can reasonably see that the last patches of primary rainforest on earth hold still hundreds of spectacularly active drugs that await discovery.

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).

Covers the structurally diverse secondary metabolites of medicinal plants, including their ethnopharmacological properties, biological activity, and production strategies Secondary metabolites of plants are a treasure trove of novel compounds with potential pharmaceutical applications. Consequently, the nature of these metabolites as well as strategies for the targeted expression and/or purification is of high interest. Regarding their biological and pharmacological activity and ethnopharmacological properties, this book offers a comprehensive treatment of 100 plant species, including Abutilon, Aloe, Cannabis, Capsicum, Jasminum, Malva, Phyllanthus, Stellaria, Thymus, Vitis, Zingiber, and more. It also discusses the cell culture conditions and various strategies used for enhancing the production of targeted metabolites in plant cell cultures. Secondary Metabolites of Medicinal Plants: Ethnopharmacological Properties, Biological Activity and Production Strategies is presented in four parts. Part I provides a complete introduction to the subject. Part II looks at the ethnomedicinal and pharmacological properties, chemical structures, and culture conditions of secondary metabolites. The third part examines the many strategies of secondary metabolites production, including: biotransformation; culture conditions; feeding of precursors; genetic transformation; immobilization; and oxygenation. The last section concludes with an overview of everything learned. -Provides information on cell culture conditions and targeted extraction of secondary metabolites confirmed by relevant literature -Presents the structures of secondary metabolites of 100 plant species together with their biological and pharmacological activity -Discusses plant species regarding their distribution, habitat, and ethnopharmacalogical properties -Presents strategies of secondary metabolites production, such as organ culture, pH, elicitation, hairy root cultures, light, and mutagenesis Secondary Metabolites of Medicinal Plants is an important book for students, professionals, and biotechnologists interested in the biological and pharmacological activity and ethnopharmacological properties of plants.

'Terence McKenna and Ethnopharmacology' (Great Minds Series, Vol. 8) is a study that features one of the most famous 'psychedelic' philosophers of our time. Terence McKenna (1946-2000) has been studying the ontological foundations of shamanism and the ethnopharmacology of spiritual transformation for the past quarter century. An innovative theoretician and spellbinding orator, McKenna emerged as a powerful voice for the psychedelic movement and the emergent societal tendency he calls 'The Archaic Revival, ' title of one of his most popular books. Poetically dispensing enlightened social criticism and new theories of the fractal dynamics of time, he unraveled many aspects of the visionary lexicon. As Artist Alex Grey suggests, 'In the twilight of human history, McKenna's prescription for salvation is just so crazy it might work.' In 1993, McKenna wrote in 'This World and its Double: ' It's clearly a crisis of two things: of consciousness and conditioning. These are the two things that the psychedelics attack. We have the technological power, the engineering skills to save our planet, to cure disease, to feed the hungry, to end war. But we lack the intellectual vision, the ability to change our minds. We must decondition ourselves from 10,000 years of bad behavior. And, it's not easy. The books comes with a bonus essay by Peter Fritz Walter, entitled 'The Shamanic Method.'

For hundreds of years, indigenous populations have developed drugs based on medicinal plants. Many practitioners, especially advocates of traditional medicine, continue to support the use of plants and functional foods as methods by which many ailments can be treated. With relevance around the world as a complementary and alternative medicine, advancements for the use of both ethnopharmacology and nutraceuticals in disease must continually be explored, especially as society works to combat chronic illnesses, increasingly resilient infectious diseases, and pain management controversies. The Research Anthology on Recent Advancements in Ethnopharmacology and Nutraceuticals discusses the advancements made in herbal medicines and functional foods that can be used as alternative medical treatments for a variety of illness and chronic diseases. The anthology will further explain the benefits that they provide as well as the possible harm they may do without proper research on the subject. Covering topics such as food additives, dietary supplements, and physiological benefits, this text is an important resource for dieticians, pharmacists, doctors, nurses, medical professionals, medical students, hospital administrators, researchers, and academicians.

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Wild plants signify a vital health and economic constituent of biodiversity. In recent years, research interest on wild plants has increased. This book contains valuable information on wild plants and their ethnopharmacological properties. It deliberates on traditional usage and ethnopharmacological properties of wild plants. It will be useful to policy makers, researchers working in the areas of biodiversity, ethnopharmacology, ethno-biology, conservation biology and biodiversity prospecting.