From Herbs to Healing

In the twenty-first century Pharmacognosy was transformed into a molecular science building on classic botanical and modern chemical knowledge, leading to a better understanding of the complex molecular effect - structure relationships and interactions required for the development of new drugs based on biologically active plant substances.

The work demonstrates the place of phytotherapy in healing, the role of herbs in complementary and traditional therapy, and research strategies for the development of drugs of natural plant origin.

This book is primarily designed for scientific researchers, but is also very useful for undergraduate and postgraduate students in their professional training. As this book discusses herbs from all over the world, it is specifically drafted to be useful not only in Hungary and Europe, but also for people in other continents as an English language encyclopaedia of medicinal plants and their biologically active compounds.

Table of Contents:

Foreword.- Acknowledgement.- Chapter I. DEVELOPMENTS IN KNOWLEDGE OF PLANT DERIVED NATURAL PRODUCTS PHARMACOGNOSY IN THE 21ST CENTURY.- Chapter II. QUALITY REQUIREMENTS FOR HERBAL DRUGS; ANALYTICAL METHODS.- Chapter III. BIOSYNTHESIS OF PLANT SUBSTANCES; BIOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS.- Chapter IV. DISCUSSION OF HERBAL DRUGS BASED ON THE BIOGENETIC CLASSIFICATION OF THEIR MAIN ACTIVE COMPONENTS.- Chapter V. BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF COMPOUNDS OF PLANT ORIGIN.- Chapter VI. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY.- Chapter VII. APPENDIX.- Abbreviations.