Hypolipidemic Herbs And Plant Profiles

The human system employs the use of endogenous enzymatic as well as non-enzymatic antioxidant defence systems against the onslaught of free radicals and oxidative stress. Enzymatic antioxidants and non-enzymatic antioxidants work synergistically with each other, using different mechanisms against different free radicals and stages of oxidative stress. Dietary and lifestyle modifications are seen as the mainstay of treatment and management of chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus. The major aims of dietary and lifestyle changes are to reduce weight, improve glycaemic control and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, which accounts for 70- 80% of deaths among those with diabetes. It is also important to note that medicinal plants have been used as medicines since ancient time, and continue to play significant role even in modern medicine in management and treatment of chronic diseases. Impressive numbers of modern therapeutic agents have been developed from plants. Phytochemicals have been isolated and characterised from fruits such as grapes and apples, vegetables such as broccoli and onion, spices such as turmeric, beverages such as green tea and red wine, as well as many other sources. The WHO estimates that approximately 80% of the worlds inhabitants rely on traditional medicine for their primary health care and many medicinal plants have ethno-medical claims of usefulness in the treatment of diabetes and other chronic diseases globally, and have been employed empirically in antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, antihypertensive, antinflammatory and antiparasitic remedies. This book examines the role of antioxidant-rich natural products in management and treatment of diabetes and other chronic diseases.

Medicinal plants have been used in the prevention, diagnosis, and elimination of diseases based on the practical experience of thousands of years. There is a pressing need to initiate and transform laboratory research into fruitful formulations leading to the development of newer products for the cure of diseases such as AIDS, cancer, and hepatitis

Advances in Food and Nutrition recognizes the integral relationship between the food and nutritional sciences and brings together outstanding and comprehensive reviews that highlight this relationship. Contributions detail the scientific developments in the broad areas of food science and nutrition are intended to ensure that food scientists in academia and industry as well as professional nutritionists and dieticians are kept informed concerning emerging research and developments in these important disciplines.

The use of different foods, herbs, and spices to treat or prevent disease has been recorded for thousands of years. Egyptian papyrus, hieroglyphics and ancient texts from the Middle East have described the cultivation and preparations of herbs and botanicals to "cure the sick". There are even older records from China and India. Some ancient scripts describe the use of medicinal plants which have never been seen within European cultures. Indeed, all ancient civilizations have pictorial records of different foods, herbs, and spices being used for medical purposes. However, there are fundamental issues pertaining to the scientific evidence for the use of these agents or their extracts in modern medicine. There have been considerable advances in scientific techniques over the last few decades. These have been used to examine the composition and applications of traditional cures. Modern science has also seen the investigation of herbs, spices and botanicals beyond their traditional usage. For example, plants which have been used for “digestion” or “medical ills” since time immemorial are now being investigated for anti-cancer properties or their toxicity, using high throughput screening. Techniques also include molecular biology, cellular biochemistry, physiology, endocrinology and even medical imaging. However, much of the material relating to the scientific basis or applications of traditional foods, herbs, spices and botanicals is scattered among various sources. The widespread applicability of foods or botanicals are rarely described and cautionary notes on toxicity are often ignored. These issues are explored in Ancient and Traditional Foods, Plants, Herbs and Spices used in Cardiovascular Health and Disease. Features: Investigates alternative healthcare paradigms that use traditional dietary foods, plant-derived materials, and extracts to treat cardiovascular diseases Provides information on diets, specific agents, and extracts Many chapters focus on plant-derived material, providing a historical background, uses, toxicity and cautionary notes and summary points With contributions from leading international experts, this book is useful for cardiologists, nutritionists, physicians, healthcare workers, food scientists and those working in the food industry, pharmacologists, and research scientists.

With over 50,000 distinct species in sub-Saharan Africa alone, the African continent is endowed with an enormous wealth of plant resources. While more than 25 percent of known species have been used for several centuries in traditional African medicine for the prevention and treatment of diseases, Africa remains a minor player in the global natural

This is the second volume in a series of monographs which are intended to promote information exchange and international harmonised standards for the quality control and use of herbal medicines. It contains scientific information on 30 selected plants, and each entry includes a pharmacopoeial summary for quality assurance purposes, information on its clinical application and sections on contraindications, pharmacology, safety issues, and dosage forms. It provides two cumulative indexes with entries in alphabetical order by plant name and according to the plant material of interest.