Medicinal Plants : From Farm to Pharmacy

This book offers a fresh look on a variety of issues concerning herbal medicine - the methods of growing and harvesting various medicinal plants; their phytochemical content; medicinal usage; regulatory issues; and mechanism of action against myriad of human and animal ailments. ''Medicinal Plants: From Farm to Pharmacy'' comprises chapters authored by renowned experts from academics and industry from all over the world. It provides timely, in-depth study/analysis of medicinal plants that are already available in the market as supplements or drug components, while also introducing several traditional herbs with potential medicinal applications from various regions of the world. The book caters to the needs of a diverse group of readers: plant growers, who are looking for ways to enhance the value of their crops by increasing phytochemical content of plant products; biomedical scientists who are studying newer applications for crude herbal extracts or isolated phytochemicals; clinicians and pharmacologists who are studying interactions of herbal compounds with conventional treatment modalities; entrepreneurs who are navigating ways to bring novel herbal supplements to the market; and finally, natural medicine enthusiasts and end-users who want to learn how herbal compounds are produced in nature, how do they work and how are they used in traditional or modern medicine for various disease indications.