Ethnopharmacology Of Wild Plants

The book provides valuable information on wild plants and their ethnopharmacological properties, discussion on ethnobotany, phytotherapy, diversity, chemical and pharmacological properties including antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antiprotozal properties. The chapters include a wide range of case studies, giving updated evidence on importance of wild plant resources from different countries including Nepal, India, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Egypt, Peru, etc. In addition, some specific species are used to explain their potential properties. Discussing traditional usage and pharmacological properties of wild plants, this book is entirely different from other related publications and useful for the researchers working in the areas of conservation biology, botany, ethnobiology, ethnopharmacology, policy making, etc.

Ethnopharmacology and Biodiversity of Medicinal Plants provides a multitude of contemporary views on the diversity of medicinal plants, discussing both their traditional uses and therapeutic claims. This book emphasizes the importance of cataloging ethnomedical information as well as examining and preserving the diversity of traditional medicines. It also discusses the challenges present with limited access to modern medicine and the ways in which research can be conducted to enhance these modern practices. The book also explores the conservation procedures for endangered plant species and discusses their relevance to ethnopharmacology. Each chapter of this book relays the research of experts in the field who conducted research in diverse landscapes of India, providing a detailed account of the basic and applied approaches of ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology. The book reviews multiple processes pertaining to medicinal plants, such as collecting the traditional therapeutic values and validation methods. It also explores developments in the field such as the diversity and medicinal potential of unexplored plant species and applications in drug formulation to fight against anti-microbial resistance (AMR).

This book offers a broad summary of the wild plants and their usage, as well as the growing interest in ethnopharmacology research. The book comprises of important issues such as diversity of wild plants with emphasis on medicinal and food plants, threats to wild plants and traditional ethnobotanical knowledge, their uses in skin diseases, snake-bites, in cosmeceuticals, etc. Moreover, the ethnopharmacological relevance of wild plants in Latin America has been discussed. The chapters include a wide range of case studies, giving updated evidence on the importance of their wild plant resources from different countries including Peru, Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Brazil. In addition, some specific species are used to explain their potential properties, as well as the dangers of their use without guidance of trained natural healers. The book discusses traditional usage and properties of wild plants and is entirely different from other related publications and useful for the researchers working in the areas of conservation biology, botany, ethnobiology, ethnopharmacology, policymakers, etc.

Ethnopharmacology is one of the world’s fastest-growing scientific disciplines encompassing a diverse range of subjects. It links natural sciences research on medicinal, aromatic and toxic plants with socio-cultural studies and has often been associated with the development of new drugs. The Editors of Ethnopharmacology have assembled an international team of renowned contributors to provide a critical synthesis of the substantial body of new knowledge and evidence on the subject that has emerged over the past decade. Divided into three parts, the book begins with an overview of the subject including a brief history, ethnopharmacological methods, the role of intellectual property protection, key analytical approaches, the role of ethnopharmacology in primary/secondary education and links to biodiversity and ecological research. Part two looks at ethnopharmacological contributions to modern therapeutics across a range of conditions including CNS disorders, cancer, bone and joint health and parasitic diseases. The final part is devoted to regional perspectives covering all continents, providing a state-of-the –art assessment of the status of ethnopharmacological research globally. A comprehensive, critical synthesis of the latest developments in ethnopharmacology. Includes a section devoted to ethnopharmacological contributions to modern therapeutics across a range of conditions. Contributions are from leading international experts in the field. This timely book will prove invaluable for researchers and students across a range of subjects including ethnopharmacology, ethnobotany, medicinal plant research and natural products research. Ethnopharmacology- A Reader is part of the ULLA Series in Pharmaceutical Sciences www.ullapharmsci.org

The contributions selected for this ebook span the entire ten-year period and we have selected examples which have had a particular impact on the debates in the field. Broadly speaking, they fall into four main areas: - Overarching reviews within ethnopharmacology - Reviews of specific species or other taxa regarding their pharmacology; phytochemistry and local / traditional use - Assessments of the pharmacological evidence for specific active compounds or classes of compounds - Assessments of the safety and potential risks of herbal substances. With these themes, this eBook contributes to the debate about the evidence- base of such practices incorporating both the scientific evidence available and the local / traditional concepts associated with their use.

In 1860, Oliver Wendell Holmes pointedly expressed himself to the Massachusetts Medical Society: “I firmly believe that if the whole Material Medica, as now used, could be sunk to the bottom of the sea, it would be all the better for mankind, and all the worst for the fishes.” Should one think the same about the current approach in drug discovery from plants? Probably yes. Despite the spending of billions of US dollars, and three decades of efforts, high-throughput screenings have only allowed the discovery of a couple of drugs. One could have reasonably expected the discovery of an arsenal of drugs from the millions of plant extracts randomly tested, but “hits” can be inactive in vitro or too toxic, some molecules need to be metabolized first to be active, and false-positive and false-negative results are common. The bitter truth is that the robotic approach in discovering drugs from plants has proven, to date, its inability to excavate the hundreds of molecules that will contribute to the health progress of Man. However, one can reasonably see that the last patches of primary rainforest on earth hold still hundreds of spectacularly active drugs that await discovery.

This book illustrates, in a comprehensive manner, the most crucial principles involved in pharmacology and allied sciences. The title begins by discussing the historical aspects of drug discovery, with up to date knowledge on Nobel Laureates in pharmacology and their significant discoveries. It then examines the general pharmacological principles - pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, with in-depth information on drug transporters and interactions. In the remaining chapters, the book covers a definitive collection of topics containing essential information on the basic principles of pharmacology and how they are employed for the treatment of diseases. Readers will learn about special topics in pharmacology that are hard to find elsewhere, including issues related to environmental toxicology and the latest information on drug poisoning and treatment, analytical toxicology, toxicovigilance, and the use of molecular biology techniques in pharmacology. The book offers a valuable resource for researchers in the fields of pharmacology and toxicology, as well as students pursuing a degree in or with an interest in pharmacology.

Ethnopharmacology is a component of Encyclopedia of Biological, Physiological and Health Sciences in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. Ethnopharmacology is the scientific study correlating ethnic groups, their health, and how it relates to their physical habits and methodology in creating and using medicines. This Theme on Ethnopharmacology presents the field as an amalgam of perspectives, primarily those of pharmacology, pharmacognosy, anthropology, and botany. It highlights the uniquely biocultural perspective on ethnopharmacology offered by medical anthropology, which underscores that health and healing are culturally constructed and socially negotiated. The definition of ethnopharmacology that frames this volume is: the study of indigenous medical systems that connects the ethnography of health and healing with the physiological relevance of its medical practices. The history of botanical medicines is traced from primate self-medication to contributions to biomedicine. The methods of ethnopharmacologic inquiry are presented from pharmacologic, ecological, ethnographic, data management, and ethical perspectives. Chapters are devoted to plants used in the treatment of specific disorders: cancer, parasitic infection, AIDS, inflammation, diabetes, and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disorders. The important role that plant medicines play in the developing world is revealed in discussion of ritual and ceremony, safety issues, health care, and biodiversity. These two volumes are aimed at the following a wide spectrum of audiences from the merely curious to those seeking in-depth knowledge: University and College students Educators, Professional practitioners, Research personnel and Policy analysts, managers, and decision makers and NGOs.