Medicinal Plants: Biodiversity, Conservation and Traditional Knowledge (In 4 Volumes)

`Medicinal Plants' are an essential part of traditional health care systems. Their gathering and cultivation provide a critical source of income for many rural communities, especially landless poor and marginalized farmers. They are also inextricably linked to the region's natural biodiversity. Unfortunately, they are increasingly threatened by various environmental, socio-economic and institutional problems.

At the same time traditional and indigenous knowledge about these plants is weakening and, in some cases, vanishing altogether. While attempts have been made (both at local and national levels) to address these issues, they have suffered from inadequate funding, a lack of government prioritization, and insufficient information sharing and coordination among stakeholders. Medicinal Plants offer a wide range of subsistance, cultural and monetary benefits to people in the world. They provide affordable means of primary health care to poor and marginalized people, especially in impoverished rural areas."

Contents

Vol. 1

Preface

1. Introduction

2. Herbalism

3. The Importance of Medicinal Plants

4. Effects of Climate Change on Plant Biodiversity

5. Toxicity of Medicinal Plants

6. Essential Oils and Fractions from Medicinal Plants

7. Value Added Products and Possible Usage

8. Cultivation and Harvesting

9. Major Diseases and Insects Found in Medicinal Plants

10. Medicinal Plants in Nature

Bibliography

Index

Vol. 2

Preface

11. Medicinal Herbs

12. Eighteenth Century Treatments for Common Ailments

13. Genetic Transformation Systems for Medicinal Plants

14. Indigenous Medicine and Conservation of Biodiversity

15. Use of Medicinal Plants

16. A Cabinet of Plant Chemicals

17. The Nutritional and Pharmaco-logical Benefits of Dietary Plants

18. Drug Discovery from Natural Sources

19. The Engineering of Medicinal Plants

20. Defensive Strategies and Plant Chemistry

Bibliography

Index

Vol. 3

Preface

21. Significant Discoveries

22. Zoopharmacognosy and Botanical Taxonomy

23. Chemical Prospecting and New Plants

24. Major Constituents and their Source

25. Essential Oils and their Source

26. Usage of Medicinal Plant through the Ages

27. Drugs Obtained from the Lower Plants

28. Plants and Medicine

Bibliography

Index

Vol. 4

Preface

29. Black Cohosh

30. Blue Cohosh

31. Acorus Root

32. Helonias Root

33. Lomatium Kristathie

34. Lomatium

35. Oregon Grape

36. Trillium

37. Virginia Snakeroot

38. Agronomy and Biotechnology Applied to Medicinal Plant

39. Medicinal Plants and Biotechnology

40. Bio-Informatics on Medicinal Plants and Traditional Knowledge

41. The Supply and Demand of Medicinal Plants

Bibliography

Index