Essentials Of Medicinal And Aromatic Crops

Medicinal and aromatic crops (MACs) are high-value crops since the natural products obtained from them are low-volume high-value commodities that have numerous applications in various sectors such as the food, beverage, food supplement, flavor and fragrance, perfumery and cosmetics, pharmaceutical and aromatherapy industries. In addition, the plant biomass is used in the production of teas and medical applications in traditional and also modern medicines. MACs are important mainly because they contain plant secondary metabolites such as essential oils, alkaloids, glygosides, saponins, tannins, vitamins and other bioactives. Plant secondary metabolites are differentiated from plant primary metabolites of photosynthesis and respiration since they are directly involved in growth and development of plants. Some MACs are used as spices and culinary herbs since they contain mainly essential oils, and are used as tonic to the digestive system, appetite modification and other systems and may facilitate nutrient uptake and utilization from various foods. A significant amount of MACs and their natural products have also demonstrated antimicrobial, antifungal and bactericidal activity and significant antioxidant capacity. In the past, MACs and their natural products have been used as a source for various medicines, in food and beverage production and in aroma products. Essentials of Medicinal and Aromatic Crops summarizes the current knowledge on medicinal and aromatic crops, including the agronomical practices of important MACs and their products, their beneficial effects and utilization of MAP and their products. The chapters provide a comprehensive guide to the most important and used medicinal and aromatic crops and their use in functional foods, nutraceuticals and as bioactives against various ailments, providing researchers, teachers, chemists, food scientists, agronomists and agroecologists in academia, industry and government a fully up to date singular source on this important topic.

In Recent Years, There Has Been A Tremendous Growth Of Interest In Plant-Based Drugs, Pharmaceuticals, Perfumery Products, Cosmetics And Aromatic Compounds Used In Food Flavours, Fragrances, And Natural Colours. An Attempt Has Been Made In This Book To Provide All Possible Pooled Information Including The Research Findings That Have Been Generated By The Division Of Horticultural Sciences, The University Of Agricultural Sciences, The Indian Institute Of Horticultural Research, The Central Institute Of Medicinal And Aromatic Crops, The National Botanical Research Institute, The Regional Research Laboratories, Icar, And Others.

This book provides readers a fundamental understanding of the science and applications of medicinal and aromatic plant materials. Chapters of this handbook covers the basics of ethnobotany, (bio)active compounds and their natural sources. Information about the cosmetic, nutritional, medicinal and industrial uses (dyes, tannins and biocides) is also presented. Readers will also learn about concepts central to quality control processes, sustainable management, wild harvesting and the economic valuation of the industrial impact of endemic plants. The volume also presents a case study of the wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.), which is helpful in explaining the above concepts. This book is intended as a handbook for undergraduate students and teaching professionals in research and higher education institutions involved in agricultural engineering, pharmacy, forestry, natural product chemistry. Non experts interested in aromatic and medicinal plant agriculture, transformation and commercialization will also find the content informative.

Aroma has played a vital role, directly as well as indirectly, in the life of human beings since its appearance on the earth as a result of evolution. India, Egypt and Persia were amongst the first countries to have conceived the process of distillation of essential oils. Aromatic plants have essential or aromatic oils naturally occurring in them. They help heal mental ailments and other diseases. India is endowed with a rich wealth of medicinal plants. Aromatic (Aroma Producing) plants are those plants which produce a certain type of aroma. Their aroma is due to the presence of some kind of essential oil with chemical constituents that contain at least one benzene ring in the their chemical configuration. These plants have made a good contribution to the development of ancient Indian material medica. In recent years, there has been a tremendous growth of interest in plant based drugs, pharmaceuticals, perfumery products, cosmetics and aroma compounds used in food flavors and fragrances and natural colors in the world. The chemical nature of these aromatic substances may be due to a variety of complex chemical compounds. There is a definite trend to adopt plant based products due to the cumulative derogatory effects resulting from the use of antibiotic and synthetics and except for a few cultivated crops, the availability of plant based material is mainly from the natural sources like forests and wastelands. There is a need to introduce these crops into the cropping system of the county, which, besides meeting the demands of the industry, will also help to maintain the standards on quality, potency and chemical composition. During the past decade, demand for aromatic plants and its products has attracted the worldwide interest, India being the treasure house of biodiversity, accounts for thousands of species which are used in herbal drugs. 90% of herbal industry requirement of raw material is taken out from the forests. This book basically deals with cultivation of matricaria chamomilla, present agro production technology status of celery, cultivation of ocimum gratissimum linn. var clocimum, the production and perfume potential of jasminum collections, chemical modification of turmeric oil to more value added products, biologically active compounds from turpentine oil, folk medicinal uses of indigenous aromatic plants in nepal , traditional uses of selected aromatic plants of bhutan and their cultivation prospects, blending aspects of perfumes with turpentine constituents, the chemistry of mint flavour, essential oils of cinnamomum species, citral containing cymbopogon species etc. The aim of publishing this book is to provide multidisciplinary information on aromatic plants. The book covers method of cultivation and utilization of various aromatic plants. This is very useful book for farmers, technocrats, agriculture universities, libraries, new entrepreneurs etc.

Make sure your crops are market-ready with the aid of harvest and post-harvest mechanization Medicinal and Aromatic Crops presents harvest and post-harvest mechanization methods for the profitable production of market-ready medicinal crops. This practical handbook includes photos, detailed figures, and schematic drawings of machines that will help bring existing design ideas to life and inspire new ones for use in harvesting and primary processing. The book also includes general information on medicinal and aromatic plants, current production trends, and “how-to” instructions for improving the production process. Even though the use of mechanization contributes not only to a marked increase in production, but also enables uniform quality and a decrease in drudgery for everyone involved, there’s a distinct lack of material available of the subject. Medicinal and Aromatic Crops fills in the gap, providing a thorough, comprehensive look at every aspect of the mechanism of growing, harvesting, and processing, including production steps and procedures, safety and quality, plant drying, the use of renewable energy sources, dry processing, extraction, industrial usage, financial analysis, and software usage. Medicinal and Aromatic Crops examines: environmental concerns manual and semi-mechanized harvesting transport the use of solar energy and solid biomass energy pre- and post-drying processes plant parts removal cutting, crushing, and milling post-drying separation and classification water and steam distillation and much more! Medicinal and Aromatic Crops is an invaluable guide to harvest and post-harvest mechanization for anyone involved in plant production and for agriculture educators and students.

Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) have accompanied mankind from its very early beginnings. Their utilization has co-evolved with homo sapiens itself bringing about a profound increase in our scientific knowledge of these species enabling them to be used in many facets of our life (e.g. pharmaceutical products, feed- and food additives, cosmetics, etc.). Remarkably, despite the new renaissance of MAPs usage, ca. 80 % of the world’s population is relying on natural substances of plant origin, with most of these botanicals sourced from the wild state. This first volume and ultimately the series, provides readers with a wealth of information on medicinal and aromatic plants.

This book covers interesting research topics and the use of natural resources for medical treatments in some severe diseases. The most important message is to have native foods which contain high amount of active compounds that can be used as a medicinal plant. Most pharmaceutical drugs were discovered from plants, and still ongoing research will have to predict such new active compounds as anti-diseases. I do believe this book will add significant knowledge to medical societies as well as can be used for postgraduate students.