Medicinal Roots and Tubers for Pharmaceutical and Commercial Applications

The root and tuber are vital parts of medicinal plants providing mechanical support, producing critical growth regulators, and storing food. Bioactive compounds obtained from plant roots and tubers demonstrate health benefits presenting antioxidative, antimicrobial, hypoglycaemic, hypocholesterolaemic, and immunomodulatory properties. Roots of many medicinal plants have been used for the treatment of disease and formulation of drugs, and they are also known for their commercial value, being used as an ingredient in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Medicinal Roots and Tubers for Pharmaceutical and Commercial Applications provides information on the medicinal properties of roots and tubers and various phytochemicals derived from them. Features Presents exhaustive information on plant roots and tubers including Glycyrrhiza glabra, Curcuma longa, Beta vulgaris, Zingiber officinale, Boesenbergia pandurata, Houttuynia cordata, Eutrema japonicum, and Withania somnifera Explains the roles of secondary metabolites isolated from roots and tubers and features information on their pharmaceutical and commercial applications Discusses opportunities for future prospects of different roots and tubers for their industrial applications A volume in the Exploring Medicinal Plants series, this book provides information on phytochemicals derived from medicinal plant roots and tubers. This is valuable information for scientists, researchers, and students working on medicinal plants, economic botany, chemistry, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and many other interdisciplinary subjects.