Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering, and Crop Improvement : Medicinal Plants, Volume 6

With chapters authored by world-renowned scientists, this book summarizes landmark research and describes medicinal plants as nature’s pharmacy. It provides suggestions on how to conserve, maintain, examine, and protect plants from deforestation, urbanization, and biopiracy. It includes a comprehensive account of the history of medicinal plants, including genetic resources, cytogenetics, and varietal improvement through conventional and modern methods. The book also covers their use in producing pharmaceutical drugs, cosmeceutical products, nutrition and food products, and beverages. It concludes with an examination of the use of molecular technology for maintaining authenticity and quality of plant-based products.

Medicinal Plants, Volume 6 of the Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering, and Crop Improvement series summarizes landmark research and describes medicinal plants as nature’s pharmacy.

Highlights

• Examines the use of molecular technology for maintaining authenticity and quality of plant-based products
• Details reports on individual medicinal plants including their history, origin, genetic resources, cytogenetics, and varietal improvement through conventional and modern methods, and their use in pharmaceutical, cosmeceutical, nutrition, and food industries
• Explains how to protect plants with medicinal properties from deforestation, urbanization, overgrazing, pollution, overharvesting, and biopiracy
• Brings together information on germplasm resources of medicinal plants, their history, taxonomy and biogeography, ecology and biodiversity, genetics and breeding, exploitation, and utilization in the medicine and food industries

Written by leading international experts and an innovative panel of scientists, Medicinal Plants offers the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on medicinal plant genetic resources and their increasing importance in pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical industries, medicine, and nutrition around the world.

Includes eight-page color insert more than 25 full color figures