South Asia, a region of outstanding biological diversity, is home to approximately 2.1 billion people whose rich cultural traditions include sophisticated knowledge of the properties and uses of thousands of native and introduced plant species. Plant-based drugs, integral to the traditional medical systems of India and neighboring countries, play a central role in health care throughout the region and beyond, as regional and global demand for therapeutically valuable plants continues to grow. However, the ongoing transformation and degradation of forests and other natural ecosystems in this region due to rapid environmental and socioeconomic changes, poses serious challenges for the conservation and sustainable utilization of its medicinal plant wealth. Efforts to conserve the region’s rich biodiversity and associated traditional knowledge require up-to-date information on the status and trends of these resources and their importance for health care and livelihoods. Healing Plants of South Asia: A Handbook of the Medicinal Flora of the Indian Subcontinent helps to address this need. The work’s introduction provides overviews of South Asia’s diverse systems of traditional medicine, as well as the region’s biogeography, ecosystem and plant species diversity and associated conservation challenges. Subsequent chapters focus on nearly 2,000 species of plants most commonly used in traditional medicine within the region. In chapters devoted to ferns and lycophytes (including 59 species), conifers (20 species) and flowering plants (1849 species), the information provided draws upon a wide variety of authoritative published sources as well as reliable online databases. Entries for each species include: currently accepted scientific names and common synonyms; vernacular names in the major regional languages; a complete botanical description; information on the species’ ecology and conservation status; traditional therapeutic uses in Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Tibetan medicine, and more localized folk medical systems; and key references. The majority of these species are also beautifully illustrated with photos and/or botanical drawings. Healing Plants of South Asia: A Handbook of the Medicinal Flora of the Indian Subcontinent will be of value to students, scientists and professionals in a number of fields, including pharmacology, pharmaceutics, food chemistry and nutrition, natural products chemistry, ethnobotany and ethnomedicine. It should also appeal to conservationists, community development practitioners, industry, and policy makers, among a host of those involved in the world of medicinal plants and traditional medicine in South Asia.

Medicinal Plants of South Asia: Novel Sources for Drug Discovery provides a comprehensive review of medicinal plants of this region, highlighting chemical components of high potential and applying the latest technology to reveal the underlying chemistry and active components of traditionally used medicinal plants. Drawing on the vast experience of its expert editors and authors, the book provides a contemporary guide source on these novel chemical structures, thus making it a useful resource for medicinal chemists, phytochemists, pharmaceutical scientists and everyone involved in the use, sales, discovery and development of drugs from natural sources. - Provides comprehensive reviews of 50 medicinal plants and their key properties - Examines the background and botany of each source before going on to discuss underlying phytochemistry and chemical compositions - Links phytochemical properties with pharmacological activities - Supports data with extensive laboratory studies of traditional medicines

Five hundred years later, a conference held in Singapore brought together a large group of scholars from widely different national, academic and disciplinary contexts, to analyse and discuss the intricate consequences of Portuguese interactions in Asia over the longue duree. The result of these discussions is a stimulating set of case studies that, as a rule, combine original archival and/or field research with innovative historiographical perspectives. Luso-Asian communities, real and imagined, and Luso-Asian heritage, material and symbolic, are studied with depth and insight. The range of thematic, chronological and geographic areas covered in these proceeding is truly remarkable, showing not only the extraordinary relevance of revisiting Luso-Asian interactions in the longer term, but also the surprising dynamism within an area of studies which seemed on the verge of exhaustion. After all, archives from all over the world, from Rio de Janeiro to London, from Lisbon to Rome, and from Goa to Macao, might still hold some secrets on the subject of Luso-Asian relations, when duly explored by resourceful scholars.

The book will be very useful for students and researchers of ethnobotany, economic botany, bioresources, traditional universities, phytomedicines, Indian systems of medicines, plant genetic resources, biochemistry, biotechnology, pharmaceutical houses, corporate houses, herbal industry, policy planners, institutional libraries etc. and laymen alike.

Medicinal Plants in the Asia Pacific for Zoonotic Pandemics provides an unprecedented, comprehensive overview of the phylogeny, botany, ethnopharmacology, and pharmacology of more than 100 plants used in the traditional systems of Asia and Pacific medicine for the treatment of microbial infections. It discusses their actions and potentials against viruses, bacteria, and fungi that represent a threat of epidemic and pandemic diseases, with an emphasis on the molecular basis and cellular pathways. This book presents for each plant the scientific name, the botanical classification, traditional medicinal uses, active chemical constituents, and pharmacology. This volume is a critical reference for anyone involved in the discovery of leads for the development of lead molecules or phytopharmaceutical products for the prevention or treatment of pandemic viral, bacterial, or fungal infections. FEATURES Includes phylogenetic presentation of medicinal plants and a chemotaxonomical rationale of antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal actions Discusses chemical structure–activity relationship, pharmacokinetics, and oral bioavailability of antimicrobial principles Introduces the molecular mechanism of natural products on viruses, bacteria, and fungi Contains a selection of botanical plates and useful bibliographic references This book is a useful research tool for postgraduates, academics, and the pharmaceutical, herbal, and nutrition industries. Medicinal Plants in the Asia Pacific for Zoonotic Pandemics includes commentary sections that invite further research and reflection on the fascinating and timely subject of the development of leads or herbals from Asia-Pacific medicinal plants to safeguard humanity against the forthcoming waves of viral, bacterial, or fungal pandemics. This book is an ideal reference text for medicinal plant enthusiasts.

Medicinal Plants in the Asia Pacific for Zoonotic Pandemics provides an unprecedented, comprehensive overview of the phylogeny, botany, ethnopharmacology, and pharmacology of more than 100 plants used in the traditional medical systems of Asia and Pacific. It discusses their actions and potentials against viruses, bacteria, and fungi that represent a threat of epidemic and pandemic diseases, with an emphasis on the molecular basis and cellular pathways. This book presents scientific names, the botanical classification, traditional medicinal uses, active chemical constituents, and pharmacology. This volume is a critical reference for anyone involved in the discovery of lead molecules or phytopharmaceutical products for the prevention or treatment of pandemic viral, bacterial, or fungal infections. FEATURES Phylogenetic presentation of medicinal plants and a chemotaxonomical rationale of antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal actions Discusses the chemical structure–activity relationship, pharmacokinetics, and oral bioavailability of antimicrobial principles Introduces the molecular mechanism of natural products on viruses, bacteria, and fungi Contains a selection of botanical plates and useful bibliographic references This book is a useful research tool for postgraduates, academics, and the pharmaceutical, herbal, and nutrition industries. Medicinal Plants in the Asia Pacific for Zoonotic Pandemics includes commentary sections that invite further research and reflection on the fascinating and timely subject of the development of drugs and herbals from Asia-Pacific medicinal plants to safeguard humanity and other life forms against the forthcoming waves of viral, bacterial, or fungal pandemics. This book is an ideal reference text for medicinal plant enthusiasts.

Medicinal Plants in the Asia Pacific for Zoonotic Pandemics provides an unprecedented, comprehensive overview of the botany, ethnopharmacology, and pharmacology of more than 100 plants used in the traditional medical systems of Asia and Pacific medicine for the treatment of microbial infections. It discusses their actions and potentials against viruses, bacteria, and fungi that represent a threat of epidemic and pandemic diseases, with an emphasis on the molecular basis and cellular pathways. This book presents for each plant the botanical classification, synonyms, scientific names, local names, habitat, distribution, botanical description, traditional medicinal uses, antimicrobial activities, active antimicrobial principles, and commentaries. This volume is a critical reference for anyone involved in the development of lead molecules or phytopharmaceutical products for the prevention or treatment of pandemic viral, bacterial, or fungal infections. FEATURES Includes phylogenetic presentations of medicinal plants and a chemotaxonomical rationale of antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal actions Discusses the chemical structure–activity relationship, pharmacokinetics, and oral bioavailability of antimicrobial principles Introduces the molecular mechanism of natural products on viruses, bacteria, and fungi Contains a selection of handmade botanical plates and useful bibliographic references This book is a useful research tool for postgraduates, academics, and the pharmaceutical, herbal, and nutrition industries. Medicinal Plants in the Asia Pacific for Zoonotic Pandemics includes commentary sections that invite further research and reflection on the fascinating and timely subject of the development of leads or herbals from Asia-Pacific medicinal plants to safeguard humanity against COVID-19 and the forthcoming waves of viral, bacterial, or fungal pandemics. This book is an ideal reference text for medicinal plant enthusiasts.

Medicinal plants are a source of potential therapeutic compounds. Phytotherapy can give patients long term benefits with less or no side effects. This is the third volume of the series which features monographs on selected natural products used to treat diabetes and hypertension. This volume brings 7 chapters contributed by 22 researchers, that cover updates on the biochemistry of diabetes, information on anti-diabetic and antihypertensive properties of oil bearing plants, herbs, fruits and vegetables, medicinal plants from Asia, as well as the medicinal value of specific plants such as, star apple (Chrysophyllum cainito). In terms of therapeutic agents, two reviews in this volume focus on terpenoids and glucagon-like peptide – 1 are also included. Each review covers different plant species or medicinal agents where applicable, providing readers essential information about their role in the treatment of diabetes and hypertension. Both academic and professional pharmacologists as well as clinicians will find comprehensive information on a variety of therapeutic agents in this volume.