Herbal Drugs

The global popularity of herbal supplements and the promise they hold in treating various disease states has caused an unprecedented interest in understanding the molecular basis of the biological activity of traditional remedies. Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects focuses on presenting current scientific evidence of biomolecular ef

This volume of the IARC Monographs provides an assessment of the carcinogenicity of 14 drugs and herbal products. The IARC Monographs Working Group relied on epidemiological studies to evaluate the carcinogenic hazard to humans exposed to the drugs digoxin (widely prescribed for the treatment of chronic heart failure), pioglitazone (used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus), and hydrochlorothiazide (used to treat hypertension). Other agents evaluated included the drugs primidone, sulfasalazine, pentosan polysulfate sodium, and triamterene, and five herbal products (or their components): Aloe vera whole leaf extract, goldenseal root powder, Ginkgo biloba leaf extract, kava extract, and pulegone. In view of the limited agent-specific information available from epidemiological studies, assessments of these agents relied mainly on carcinogenicity bioassays to reach conclusions as to the carcinogenic hazard to exposed humans.

Quality Control and Evaluation of Herbal Drugs brings together current thinking and practices for evaluation of natural products and traditional medicines. The use of herbal medicine in therapeutics is on the rise in both developed and developing countries and this book facilitates the necessary development of quality standards for these medicines.This book elucidates on various challenges and opportunities for quality evaluation of herbal drugs with several integrated approaches including metabolomics, chemoprofiling, marker analysis, stability testing, good practices for manufacturing, clinical aspects, Ethnopharmacology and Ethnomedicine inspired drug development. Written by Prof. Pulok K Mukherjee, a leader in this field; the book highlights on various methods, techniques and approaches for evaluating the purity, quality, safety and efficacy of herbal drugs. Particular attention is paid to methods that assess these drugs’ activity, the compounds responsible and their underlying mechanisms of action. The book describes the quality control parameters followed in India and other countries, including Japan, China, Bangladesh, and other Asian countries, as well as the regulatory profiles of the European Union and North America. This book will be useful in bio-prospecting of natural products and traditional medicine-inspired drug discovery and development. Provides new information on the research and development of natural remedies - essential reading on the study and use of natural resources for preventative or healing purposes Brings together current thinking and practices in quality control and standardization of herbal drugs highlighting several integrated approaches for metabolomics, chemo-profiling and marker analysis Aids in developing knowledge of various techniques including macroscopy, microscopy, HPTLC, HPLC, LC-MS/MS, GC-MS etc. with the development of integrated methods for evaluation of botanicals used in traditional medicine Assessment of herbal drugs through bio-analytical techniques, bioassay guided isolation, enzyme inhibition, pharmacological, microbiological, antiviral assays and safety related quality issues References global organizations, such as the WHO, USFDA, CDSCO, AYUSH, TCM and others to serve as a comprehensive document for enforcement agencies, NGOs and regulatory authorities

Plants have been used to treat disease throughout human history. On a clay slab that dates back approximately five thousand years, the Sumerians recorded medicinal recipes that made use of hundreds of plants, including poppy, henbane, and mandrake. During the Middle Ages, monks commonly grew and prescribed plants such as sage, anise, and mint in their monasteries. And as the market for herbal remedies and natural medicine grows, we continue to search the globe for plants and plant compounds to combat our various ailments. In Phytomedicines, Herbal Drugs, and Poisons, Ben-Erik van Wyk offers a richly illustrated, scientific guide to medicinal and poisonous plants, including those used for their mind-altering effects. Van Wyk covers approximately 350 species—from Aloe vera and Ephedra sinica to Cannabis sativa and Coffea arabica—detailing their botanical, geographical, pharmacological, and toxicological data as well as the chemical structures of the active compounds in each. Readers learn, for example, that Acacia senegal, or gum acacia, is used primarily in Sudan and Ethiopia as a topical ointment to protect the skin and mucosa from bacterial and fungal infections, and that Aconitum napellus, more commonly known as aconite, is used in cough syrups but can be psychedelic when smoked or absorbed through the skin. With 350 full-color photographs featuring the plants and some of their derivative products, Phytomedicines, Herbal Drugs, and Poisons will be an invaluable reference not only for those in the health care field but also for those growing their own medicinal herb gardens, as well as anyone who needs a quick answer to whether a plant is a panacea or a poison.

Although lots of books have been published about herbal therapy, a comprehensive overview of the adverse effects of botanical medicines is not available. Yet such an overview is badly needed, because of the enormous rise in the use of herbal remedies. The book series will provide approximately 150 monographs on herbal remedies and plant-derived drugs. Each monograph will provide introductory information on Botany, Chemistry, Pharmacology and Uses, followed by an Adverse Reaction Profile subdivided according to organ and function. The World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (Copenhagen) has decided to support the book in the form of an acknowledgement that it has been preparedin cooperation with this Office.

This is a professional level major reference work containing information, in A-Z format, on herb-drug, herb-supplement, herb -food and herb-laboratory test interactions; all of which is data referenced. Commercial herbal medicinal products are increasingly consumed on a regular basis by people in the developed world. Often such products are taken concurrently with conventional medicines, frequently without the knowledge of health care professionals. As more evidence has become available, there has been an increasing awareness of the potential and actual problems of interactions, often dangerous, between conventional medicines and herbal medicines. This proposed new major reference brings together available data on approximately 200 of the most commonly used herbal medicines in highly structured, rigorously scientific monographs. Although our texts on herbal medicines and drug interactions include the major well-known interactions, this text is able to treat the subject in considerably more detail.

Phytochemicals are the mainstay of therapeutics of herbal or botanical medicine. Research on phytomolecules is conducted worldwide and several have been screened for clinical trials. This includes several promising anticancer phytomolectules, such as withaferin-a and camphothecin. This book provides a scientific understanding of the mode of action of these molecules. It targets only those phytohemicals and herbal extracts that are subjects of recent pharmacological investigations. Chapters such as industrial crops for steroid manufacturing and anticancer and cytotoxic potential of sesquiterpenoids add special flavour to the book, making readers eager to learn more about the commercial viability of phytochemical and herbal extracts.

This full-color reference offers practical, evidence-based guidance on using more than 120 medicinal plants, including how to formulate herbal remedies to treat common disease conditions. A body-systems based review explores herbal medicine in context, offering information on toxicology, drug interactions, quality control, and other key topics. More than 120 herbal monographs provide quick access to information on the historical use of the herb in humans and animals, supporting studies, and dosing information. Includes special dosing, pharmacokinetics, and regulatory considerations when using herbs for horses and farm animals. Expanded pharmacology and toxicology chapters provide thorough information on the chemical basis of herbal medicine. Explores the evolutionary relationship between plants and mammals, which is the basis for understanding the unique physiologic effects of herbs. Includes a body systems review of herbal remedies for common disease conditions in both large and small animals. Discusses special considerations for the scientific research of herbs, including complex and individualized interventions that may require special design and nontraditional outcome goals.