Piper is the representative genus of family Piperaceae. Piper species are pan-tropical in distribution and found in both the hemispheres. As the king of all spices, black pepper, Piper nigrum, led to the global expeditions culminating in the discovery of India and the new world. Piper species have been reported to possess various pharmacological activities such as insecticidal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet, anti-hypertensive, antithyroid, antitumor activities and hepatoprotective properties. Botanical authentication of the plants of Piper species is difficult because of the morphological similarity among the species. This book describes ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole electrospray tandem mass spectrometry in multiple reactions monitoring (MRM) mode to study the quantitative variation of thirteen bioactive markers in different plant parts of ten Piper species. Features: Collection of Ayurvedic features and scientific evidence of the most important medicinal plants of Piper species. Describes chemical signatures for identification of Piper species. Provides easy-to-use analytical procedure for quality control of Piper species and its products.

Ocimum species has been used as a traditional remedy for various ailments such as arthritis, bronchitis, cold, conjunctivitis, diarrhea, dysentery, and flatulence, as well as for healing wounds and lowering blood glucose level. These are characterized by variations in their morphology such as the shape, size and pigmentation of leaves, which cause differences in chemical composition and affect the commercial value of this genus. This book describes phytochemical investigations of Ocimum species using LC-MS/MS instruments to study qualitative and quantitative variations of phytochemicals in different Ocimum species. Features: Collection of Ayurvedic features and scientific analytical and pharmacological evidence of most important medicinal plants of genus Ocimum. Chemical signatures for the identification of Ocimum species. Easy-to-use analytical procedure for quality control of plants of Ocimum species and its herbal products.

Covering all the research areas regarding Ocimum such as botany, chemistry and pharmacology, this book will be of interest to everybody involved in medicinal and aromatic plant research or related fields.

Rauvolfia species, commonly known as Sarpagandha, has been traditionally used in Ayurveda for curing high blood pressure, hypertension, snake bites, fever, and mental illnesses. Due to its wide variety and differences in chemical composition, it is necessary to develop an efficient and reliable method for rapid screening and determination of phytochemicals in the extracts of the Rauvolfia species. This book will provide qualitative and quantitative comparative phytochemical investigations of selected medicinal plants from the Rauvolfia genus using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) techniques. The results will help in assuring the efficacy and safety of Rauvolfia herbal products. Features: Collection of Ayurvedic features and scientific evidence of important medicinal plants. Discusses chemical signatures for the identification of Rauvolfia (Sarpagandha) and its products. Easy-to-use analytical procedure for quality control of Rauvolfia and its products.

Several Phyllanthus species are widely used in traditional medicine and herbal formulation for the treatment of a variety of ailments such as flu, dropsy, diabetes, jaundice and bladder calculus. The medicinal properties of these species are due to the presence of lignans, flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids and terpenoids. Phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin are the major lignans from Phyllanthus species having estrogenic properties that reduce toxicity and vascular tension, and protect hepatocytes. This book deals with the importance of separation techniques in screening of major lignans, flavonoids and terpenoids in Phyllanthus species using HPLC/UPLC coupled with mass spectrometric techniques. Features: Collection of Ayurvedic features and scientific evidence of important medicinal plants. Screening of major lignans, flavonoids and terpenoids in plant parts/whole plant extracts and their geographical variations in Phyllanthus amarus. Easy-to-use analytical procedure for the quality control of Phyllanthus and its products.

Naturally present bioactive compounds in plants are referred to as "Phytochemicals" and are being studied extensively for their role in human health. Studies have shown that they can have an important role to play in the prevention and management of several human diseases. Recognizing the increasing interest in this area, this book is being published in response to the need for more current information globally about phytochemicals and their role in human health. Chapters of the book are authored by internationally recognized authors who are experts in their respective field of expertise. The chapters represent both original research as well as up-to-date and comprehensive reviews. We are sure that the book will be an important reference source meeting the needs of a wide range of interest groups.

Cassia is an indigenous plant in Africa, Latin America, Northern Australia and Southeast Asia. Several Cassia species are of high commercial and medicinal significance since they are used as spices and in traditional medicines. Currently plants from genus Cassia is in great demand due to their immense medicinal properties. Cassia species have various pharmacological activities such as antibacterial, analgesic, antiinflammatory, antiarthritic, hepatoprotective, antitumor, antifertility, antifungal, antioxidant, antileishmaniatic, antimicrobial, CNS and hypoglycaemic activitiy. Different class of compounds reported from Cassia species are anthraquinones, phenolics, flavonoids, chromenes, terpenes, proanthocyanidins, coumarins, chromones and lignans. The taxonomy and nomenclature of Cassia species are quite complex. It is very difficult to differentiate them due to their overlapping morphological characters and close similarities. This usually leads to misidentification and misinterpretation of the components. Features: Presents collection of Ayurvedic features and scientific evidence of most important medicinal plants of Cassia species Chemical signatures for identification of Cassia species Easy to use analytical procedure for quality control of Cassia species and its products.

This report is structured in five parts: national framework for traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM); product regulation; practices and practitioners; the challenges faced by countries; and finally the country profiles. Apart from the section on practices and practitioners the report is consistent with the format of the report of the first global survey in order to provide a useful comparison. The section on practices and practitioners which covers providers education and health insurance is a new section incorporated to reflect the emerging trends in T&CM and to gather new information regarding these topics at a national level. All new information received has been incorporated into individual country profiles and data graphs. The report captures the three phases of progress made by Member States; that is before and after the first WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy (1999?2005) from the first global survey to the second global survey (2005?2012) and from the second survey to the most recent timeline (2012?2018).

Ginger: The Genus Zingiber is the first comprehensive volume on ginger. Valued as a spice and medicinal plant from ancient times both in India and China, ginger is now used universally as a versatile spice and in traditional medicine as well as in modern medicine. This book covers all aspects of ginger, including botany, crop improvement, chemistry

This book provides an overview of the Ocimum genus from its genetic diversity to genome sequences, metabolites and their therapeutic utilities. Tulasi, Ocimum tenuiflorum, as a member of the family Lamiaceae, is a sacred plant in India. The plants of this genus Ocimum are collectively referred to as Basil and holy basil is worshipped in the Hindu religion. Basils are reservoirs of diverse terpenoids, phenylpropanoids and flavonoids, in addition to commercially important aromatic essential oils. In 2016, two working groups in India published the genome sequence in two different genotypes of Ocimum tenuiflorum. To help the readers understand the complexities of the genus and different chemotypes, this book accumulates all the available information on this medicinal plant including the genome. The complete knowledge may enable researchers to generate specific chemotypes in basil either through conventional breeding or development of transgenic lines. It also makes it possible to investigate the medicinal nature of holy basil compared to different species of the same genus.