The rich biodiversity of Borneo provides many useful plants for medicinal purposes. Written by experts in the field, Medicinal Plants of Borneo provides a guide and introduction to the medicinal plants from Borneo used traditionally as well as plants whose medicinal uses have been recently discovered. These include anti-HIV plants – such as Calophyllum lanigerum (calanolide A) – and anti-cancer plants – such as Aglaia foveolata (silvestrol). The book also provides information on the relevant medicinal chemistry, such as isolated bioactive compounds and the mechanism of action, where available. FEATURES Discusses the rich experience in the use of medicinal plants and the wide diversity of Borneo’s botanical resources Presents plants with medicinal properties from a scientific perspective Provides readers with current information on the chemistry and pharmacology of natural products with pharmaceutical potential Covers a range of chemical, botanical and pharmacological diversities Forms an important part of the Natural Products Chemistry of Global Plants series due to an increasing global interest in natural products and botanical drugs Simon Gibbons is Head of the School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, UK, and a Professor of Natural Product Chemistry. He was formerly a Professor of Medicinal Phytochemistry at the School of Pharmacy, University College London (UCL). Stephen P. Teo is a forest botanist with the Forest Department, Sarawak, Malaysia.

This book continues as volume 4 of a multi-compendium on Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Plants. It covers edible fruits/seeds used fresh or processed, as vegetables, spices, stimulants, edible oils and beverages. It encompasses selected species from the following families: Fagaceae, Grossulariaceae, Hypoxidaxeae, Myrsinaceae Olacaceae, Oleaceae, Orchidaceae, Oxalidaceae, Pandanaceae, Passifloraceae, Pedaliaceae, Phyllanthaceae, Pinaceae, Piperaceae, Rosaceae and Rutaceae . This work will be of significant interest to scientists, researchers, medical practitioners, pharmacologists, ethnobotanists, horticulturists, food nutritionists, agriculturists, botanists, conservationists, lecturers, students and the general public. Topics covered include: taxonomy; common/English and vernacular names; origin and distribution; agroecology; edible plant parts and uses; botany; nutritive and pharmacological properties, medicinal uses and research findings; nonedible uses; and selected references.

This book highlights the results from over a year of ethnobotanical research in a rural and an urban community in Jamaica, where we interviewed more than 100 people who use medicinal plants for healthcare. The goal of this research was to better understand patterns of medicinal plant knowledge, and to find out which plants are used in consensus by local people for a variety of illnesses. For this book, we selected 25 popular medicinal plant species mentioned during fieldwork. Through individual interviews, we were able to rank plants according to their frequency of mention, and categorized the medicinal uses for each species as “major” (mentioned by more than 20% of people in a community) or “minor” (mentioned by more than 5%, but less than 20% of people). Botanical identification of plant specimens collected in the wild allowed for cross-linking of common and scientific plant names. To supplement field research, we undertook a comprehensive search and review of the ethnobotanical and biomedical literature. Our book summarizes all this information in detail under specific sub-headings.

This multi-compendium is a comprehensive, illustrated and scientifically up-to-date work covering more than a thousand species of edible medicinal and non-medicinal plants. This work will be of significant interest to scientists, researchers, medical practitioners, pharmacologists, ethnobotanists, horticulturists, food nutritionists, agriculturists, botanists, herbalogists, conservationists, teachers, lecturers, students and the general public. Topics covered include: taxonomy (botanical name and synonyms); common English and vernacular names; origin and distribution; agro-ecological requirements; edible plant part and uses; botany; nutritive and medicinal/pharmacological properties, medicinal uses and current research findings; non-edible uses; and selected/cited references. Each volume covers about a hundred species arranged according to families and species. Each volume has separate scientific and common names indices and separate scientific and medical glossaries.

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.

In discussion with Ramsar’s Max Finlayson and Nick Davidson, and several members of the Society of Wetland Scientists, Springer is proposing the development of a new Encyclopedia of Wetlands, a comprehensive resource aimed at supporting the trans- and multidisciplinary research and practice which is inherent to this field. Aware both that wetlands research is on the rise and that researchers and students are often working or learning across several disciplines, we are proposing a readily accessible online and print reference which will be the first port of call on key concepts in wetlands science and management. This easy-to-follow reference will allow multidisciplinary teams and transdisciplinary individuals to look up terms, access further details, read overviews on key issues and navigate to key articles selected by experts.

Records cataloging the healing powers of natural substances - plants, minerals, and animal byproducts - date back more than 4,000 years. There is no denying the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine, yet - until recently - the roots of this knowledge were largely lost in superstition and folklore. However, the use of herbs as an alternative medical treatment for many illnesses has increased steadily over the last decade, particularly since such herbs are categorized as "Natural Food Products" and are not yet subject to strict control by the FDA. Reports published in 1996 indicate that more than 10% of the US population has used herbal remedies. This book does not debate the value of Eastern or Western medicine but brings together Chinese herbal lore and Western scientific methods in a current, comprehensive treatise on the pharmacology of Chinese herbs. This second edition of The Pharmacology of Chinese Herbs presents the chemical composition, pharmacological action, toxicity, and therapeutic value of 473 herbs. The book: Classifies herbs according to their therapeutic value Informs how active ingredients in herbs may adversely interact with other herbs or drugs Evaluates which herbs have the potential for more investigation and possible use as drugs Describes the pharmacological action of each herb based on recent scientific study and describes each herb according to Chinese pharmacopoeia and folk medicine Provides a review of Chinese medical history Presents information on how to use modern chemical techniques for enhancing or modifying herbal ingredients into better agents with more strength and activity What's New in the Second Edition Discussions on: Herbs and their specific effects on the immune system Herbs and fertility/infertility Anti-cancer herbs Anti-HIV herbs Anti-malarial herbs Ginseng and ginsenosides Anti-Alzheimer herbs Herbs affecting the nervous system

Traditional medicine, including the knowledge, skills and practices of holistic health care, exists in all cultures. It is based on indigenous theories, beliefs and experiences, and is widely accepted for its role in health maintenance and the treatment of disease. Medicinal plants are the main ingredients of local medicines, but rapid urbanization is leading to the loss of many important plants and knowledge of their use. To help preserve this knowledge and recognize the importance of medicinal plants to health care systems, the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific has published a series of books on medicinal plants in China, the Republic of Korea, Viet Nam and the South Pacific. Medicinal Plants in Papua New Guineais the fifth in this series. This book covers only a small proportion of the immense knowledge on traditional medicine, the plant species from which they are derived, the diseases they can treat and the parts of the plants to be used. The diverse cultures, languages and traditional practices of Papua New Guinea made this a particularly challenging project. But we believe the information and accompanying references can provide useful information for scientists, doctors and other users.

This book continues as volume 2 of a multi-compendium on Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Plants. It covers edible fruits/seeds used fresh or processed, as vegetables, spices, stimulants, pulses, edible oils and beverages. It encompasses species from the following families: Clusiaceae, Combretaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Dilleniaceae, Ebenaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Ericaceae and Fabaceae. This work will be of significant interest to scientists, researchers, medical practitioners, pharmacologists, ethnobotanists, horticulturists, food nutritionists, agriculturists, botanists, herbalogists, conservationists, teachers, lecturers, students and the general public. Topics covered include: taxonomy (botanical name and synonyms); common English and vernacular names; origin and distribution; agro-ecological requirements; edible plant part and uses; botany; nutritive and medicinal/pharmacological properties, medicinal uses and current research findings; non-edible uses; and selected/cited references.

Drawing on the author's extensive personal experience, Medicinal Plants of Asia and the Pacific provides comprehensive coverage of the medicinal plants of the region. Describing more than 300 compounds, the book discusses every important class of natural products while highlighting cutting-edge research and recent developments. With its broa