Springer Development of Plant-Based Medicines: Conservation, Efficacy and Safety

The `plant' is often the most neglected part of plant-based medicine. Throughout time, humans have searched, collected, and effectively used plants for healing. Currently, the medicinal plant-based business is flourishing at a dramatic pace and at the expense of an already declining population of plant species, many of which are on the verge of extinction. In spite of this history and popularity, the mystery of what transforms a plant into a medicinal plant persists, and there are chronic problems with ensuring the safety and efficacy of medicinal plant products. Therefore, there is a real need for a full characterization of medicinal plant species and for the development and application of novel technologies for the production of plant-based medicines. This book highlights some of the recent advances and new approaches to the development of technologies for plant-based medicines and is intended to stimulate new discussions among researchers, regulatory authorities, and pharmaceutical organizations, leading to significant advancements in the field. Review `The book is useful to students in the field of conservation ecology, natural product chemistry, economic botany, phytotherapy, to list just a few. In addition it gives very good references and citations for researchers in the broad area of medical plants. In conclusion, the book is highly recommended based on the contents of the wide coverage of topics and the current relevance for medicinal plant research. ' Plant Science 162:473 (2002)