Advances in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

This new two-volume book categorically provides detailed information on highly demanded and medicinally important plants and their natural habits and habitats, taxonomy, cultivation practices, essential oils, active ingredients, biomolecules, modes of action, drug development, and value additions for marketing purpose. Examples of such plants include Achillea spp. (yarrow), Acorus calamus (sweet flag), Ocimum spp. (basil), Dioscorea spp., Eucalyptus spp., Commiphora spp. (guggul), Kaempferia galanga (aromatic ginger), and Lavandula spp. (lavender). Many others are included in the volume as well. With contributions from international experts, these two volumes present chapters that detail the history of these major medicinal and aromatic plants and also report on systematic botany, advanced production and propagation technologies, plant nutrition, moisture management, intercultivation, plant protection, postharvest technology, processing-value addition, and marketing trade. Further, the book presents promising low-cost and ecofriendly plant products and biomolecules, which are free from side-effects for use as pharmaceuticals and herbal drugs. The most ancient form of medical therapies involving herbs has been neglected for a few decades back and has regained enormous popularity because of the effectiveness and fewer hazardous properties of many medicinal and aromatic plants. Nature has all sorts of protective medicinal compounds within its huge bioresources, which are still being identified for beneficial health purposes. Herbs containing aromatic properties because of their essential oils also have medicinal uses apart from being used as dependable sources of natural fragrance for cosmetics, perfumery, and food industries competing with synthetic aroma chemicals. These volumes will be an excellent and comprehensive compendium for academicians and professionals working in plant resources. The compilation will also be valuable for students, researchers, medical practitioners, farmers, entrepreneurs, traders, industrialists, and NGOs who are involved in research and development and production and pharmaceutics of medicinally important plants.