Lesser Known Medicinal Plants : Cultivation & Utilization Techniques


Book Description

Interest in medicinal plants as a re-emerging health aid has been fuelled by the rising costs of prescription drugs in the maintenance of personal health and well-being. Herbal-based traditional medicine has become popular in developed countries in recent years, and its use is likely to increase in the coming years. This system has advantages over the modern medicine as it is prophylactic. Therefore, it would be a wise step if most of medicinal plants, which are lesser known to mankind but have immense potential, particularly those which are in high demand and rare should be cultivated and brought into limelight. The basis for this book originally have been stemmed from the passion of both the authors in order to develop better methods of conveying and spreading the cultivation aspects of many crops and its uses by compiling the information available. As the world moves further into the advanced age, along with generating vast amount of information, there will be a greater need to access legacy plant materials with technology available. Thus this book helps in accessing the information on rare medicinal plants and thereby breaking down barriers of accessibility of limited information. The information provided has been compiled from various books, bulletins, write ups and journals. Hope this book provides, the readers a comprehensive data and knowledge on cultivation and the uses of lesser known medicinal plants.




Herbs Cultivation & Their Utilization


Book Description

India is one of the leading Herbs producer and exporter in the world. Several meticulous researches were conducted and experimented with herbs. They arrived at more precise conclusions about the usefulness of diverse plants and herbs that are utilized in different fields like medicine, cosmetics, perfumes and so on. The Ayurveda healing is completely based on herbs, which have definite medicinal importance or significance. In the primeval times, the Indian sagacious held the view that ayurveda herbs are the only resolution to treat numeral health related problems and diseases. Herbal products are replacing the synthetics products because of its harsh nature. Herbal products are in huge demand in the developed world for health care for the reason that they are efficient, safe and have lesser side effects. Growing herbs is easy to do, and people continue to turn their love for gardening into successful businesses growing and selling fresh cut herbs, herb plants, and other herb related products. The book makes an attempt to provide information on cultivation and utilization of herbs. The book also contains the described process of the cultivation of medicinal herbs, spices etc with photograph and diagrams. This book also describes about the role of perfumery, analysis of essential oils and flavors, recent development of some natural products and more. This book covers the comprehensive information on herbs cultivation & their utilization. We hope that this book will be very helpful for new Entrepreneurs, Herb Growers, professionals & research Institutions.




Medicinal and Aromatic Plants


Book Description

Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are invaluable natural resources of use to human race, without which the survival of human/ animal race is incredible. There is an enormous diversity of plants which are put into medicinal, beauty care and culinary purposes. Cultivation of commercially important medicinal plants is in high demand as the global community is growing towards a green and herbal oriented approach. India as a country has thousands of years old traditional medicinal systems which rely solely on medicinal plants. There is a gradual loss of medicinal plants with the increasing demand of plant derived drugs. Majority of medicinal plants are still collected from the wild. This doesn't meet the demand and thereby pave ways to adulterants. The over extraction and ignorant activities cause biodiversity loss. Farm production of MAPs in these days is extremely vulnerable to underlying climate risk. Sustainable management of these resources requires urgent attention for environmental stability and improvement of livelihood. New income generating opportunities are opening up for rural populations and in particular for small-scale farmers as well as marginal farmers through MAPs cultivation. New generation are not well aware of the various uses of many plants to which it was put before. Thus there is an urgent need to spread the knowledge and conserve the wild populations of medicinal plant diversity in various forest areas of India. Considering the importance of the MAPs, an attempt was taken in this edited book to understand and highlight the role of MAPs in livelihood improvement and income generation through cultivation, conservation and utilisation. Most of the chapters in this book dealt with individual medicinal plants in detail. Two chapters have also been included on pests and diseases management of MAPs. Nowadays, IPR issues are more important. One chapter has been included on IPR issues on medicinal plants. A chapter also devoted on value addition of the medicinal plant products.




Sustainable Uses and Prospects of Medicinal Plants


Book Description

Sustainable Uses and Prospects of Medicinal Plants presents information on less known and underexplored medicinal plant species in various regions of the world. The book investigates current advances in medicinal plant science and includes detailed information on the use of green nanotechnology, characterization of plants, conservation, revitalization, propagation, and pharmacological activities of selected plants. A volume in the Exploring Medicinal Plants series, it collects information on less known medicinal plant species in various regions of the world for documentation profiling their ethnobotany, developments in their phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities and provides an in-depth look at some specific herbal medicines of importance, threatened and less known species and addresses sustainable utilization and conservation of medicinal plants to ensure existence and use. Appropriate for plant and biodiversity conservation organisations, community leaders, academicians, researchers, and pharmaceutical industry personnel, the book comprises innovative works with information of what is expected to address sustainability in the future.




Herbal Medicine


Book Description

The global popularity of herbal supplements and the promise they hold in treating various disease states has caused an unprecedented interest in understanding the molecular basis of the biological activity of traditional remedies. Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects focuses on presenting current scientific evidence of biomolecular ef







Agro Techniques of Medicinal Plants


Book Description

Medicines are the second most essential requisite after food for mankind. For medicines, medicinal plants are the important sources of raw drugs. Therefore, the demand on plant based therapeutics has increased many fold in both developing and developed countries due to the growing recognition that they are natural products, being non-narcotic, having no side effects, easily available at affordable prices. Due to hug demand of plant-based crude drugs throughout the world, today urgent need to domesticate or cultivate the medicinal plants in large scale to fulfill the unexpected demand. But due to lack of systematic information on cultivation of medicinal crops at one place, growers are not ready to adopt such practices in their agrosystem. Changing herbal market scenario rapidly and expanding local and global market and immense export potential to Europe, America and other Western Countries has opened up a new prospective field for Indian agriculture. To fully make use of this emerging demands world wide appropriate knowledge regarding their value addition, processing, market potential (export/import) of crude drugs, adulterants and substitutions and crude drugs and standardization and quality control is of utmost important. This unique book ventures to probe into this very important area covering almost the entire gamut of the burning issues relating to medicinal plants. The export of crude (herbal) drugs is gaining strength due to its inherent advantage coupled with the proliberalization. This invaluable book consisting of 11 chapters contributed every aspects related to the cultivation of medicinal plants viz. Nursery technology, Biofertilizers and biological pest control, Organic farming, Agro technique (40 commercial important medicinal plants), Harvesting technology and value addiction, Adulterants and substitutions, Market potential (export/import), Standardization and quality control, Legistration and policy, Sustainable conservation and development strategies. This book is a ready manual and information database for policy makers, administrators, academia, exporters, extension workers, manufacturers, growers and general readers interested in medicinal plants.




Conservation of Medicinal Plants


Book Description

A detailed discussion of the need to conserve medicinal plants and their environments.




Plants Go to War


Book Description

As the first botanical history of World War II, Plants Go to War examines military history from the perspective of plant science. From victory gardens to drugs, timber, rubber, and fibers, plants supplied materials with key roles in victory. Vegetables provided the wartime diet both in North America and Europe, where vitamin-rich carrots, cabbages, and potatoes nourished millions. Chicle and cacao provided the chewing gum and chocolate bars in military rations. In England and Germany, herbs replaced pharmaceutical drugs; feverbark was in demand to treat malaria, and penicillin culture used a growth medium made from corn. Rubber was needed for gas masks and barrage balloons, while cotton and hemp provided clothing, canvas, and rope. Timber was used to manufacture Mosquito bombers, and wood gasification and coal replaced petroleum in European vehicles. Lebensraum, the Nazi desire for agricultural land, drove Germans eastward; troops weaponized conifers with shell bursts that caused splintering. Ironically, the Nazis condemned non-native plants, but adopted useful Asian soybeans and Mediterranean herbs. Jungle warfare and camouflage required botanical knowledge, and survival manuals detailed edible plants on Pacific islands. Botanical gardens relocated valuable specimens to safe areas, and while remote locations provided opportunities for field botany, Trees surviving in Hiroshima and Nagasaki live as a symbol of rebirth after vast destruction.




Lost Crops of the Incas


Book Description

This fascinating, readable volume is filled with enticing, detailed information about more than 30 different Incan crops that promise to follow the potato's lead and become important contributors to the world's food supply. Some of these overlooked foods offer special advantages for developing nations, such as high nutritional quality and excellent yields. Many are adaptable to areas of the United States. Lost Crops of the Incas includes vivid color photographs of many of the crops and describes the authors' experiences in growing, tasting, and preparing them in different ways. This book is for the gourmet and gourmand alike, as well as gardeners, botanists, farmers, and agricultural specialists in developing countries.