Microbes and Non-Flowering Plants: Impact and Applications

Scientists have always looked and searched for novel products from plants and their utilization for human health and environment. The flowering plants have primarily been the focus of research whereas the non-flowering plants have remained unexplored and unexploited. Future researchers in biology, chemistry and medicine should tap these plants that have tremendous potential as therapeutic agents. In the present day life of stress and emergence of new diseases, non-flowering plants might pave the way for finding an answer for simple, inexpensive and alternate solution. The contents of the book have been divided into 24 chapters. Each chapter opens with a brief introduction. Diversity of non-flowering plants and their use as bioresources, biotechnological potential, biomolecules from these plants and natural products from endophytes used in medicine have been dealt in separate chapters. The microbes which include viruses, mycoplasmas, bacteria, yeasts and fungi and non-flowering groups such as algae, lichens, bryophytes, pteridophytes and gymnosperms have been dealt separately, giving a concise account of their use as food supplements, medicine and industries. The microbial products such as antibiotic, vaccines, toxins are added to give an insight into the application of microbial metabolites. Impact of viruses, mycoplasmas, bacteria, yeasts and fungi causing various diseases in plants, insects, birds, animals and human have been discussed in detail. A short account of role of microbes in biogeochemical cycles and biodegradation has been added to emphasize the role of microbes in environmental pollution.