Indian Traditional Veterinary Medicinal Plants

Plants have been utilized by man to meet his daily requirements since ancient times. As civilisation progressed, humans learnt the use of plants for their health care also. Since both man and plants co-evolved together, many of their constituents are similar in nature and therefore certain plant compounds have been found to cure specific human diseases. Traditional and folklore medicinal systems of India are very rich in knowledge on the plants as drugs. This information is proving useful in discovering individual compounds as modern drugs. Basic metabolic processes occurring in human and animals being identical, the herbal drugs identified for human use can be prescribed for the corresponding animal diseases. This book attempts to fulfil the need for a publication of traditional medicinal plants drugs used in veterinary medicine. This book details the use of a large number of single herbal drugs and their compound formulations as medicines in veterinary practice and animal health care. The efficacy of the herbal drugs depends on the genuineness of the plant materials used. Effort has been made to identify for each medicinal plant, the areas of occurrence and region-wise local names. Description provided on each medicinal plant gives taxonomical features, chemical constituents, concerned biological activities and rationale for their therapeutic use. A brief account of the cultivation protocol and harvesting time for optimum activities of principles are also given to encourage generation of the authentic plant material by users. The processing and storage procedures are also mentioned. Information on the ingredients of some important Ayurvedic preparations, controversial drugs, adulterants, substitutes and dangerous drugs is included. The indications, dosages, precautions are also given as specified by practitioners. It is hoped that the information provided in the book would be useful to the pharmacists, traditional Ayurvedic and veterinary physicians, students, teachers and researchers of the pharmaceutical and veterinary colleges and institutes and others variously involved in the use of medicinal plants for animal health care.