Traditional Herbal Medicine Research Methods

This book introduces the methodology for collection and identification of herbal materials, extraction and isolation of compounds from herbs, in vitro bioassay, in vivo animal test, toxicology, and clinical trials of herbal research. To fully understand and make the best use of herbal medicines requires the close combination of chemistry, biochemistry, biology, pharmacology, and clinical science. Although there are many books about traditional medicines research, they mostly focus on either chemical or pharmacological study results of certain plants. This book, however, covers the systematic study and analysis of herbal medicines in general – including chemical isolation and identification, bioassay and mechanism study, pharmacological experiment, and quality control of the raw plant material and end products.

The global popularity of herbal supplements and the promise they hold in treating various disease states has caused an unprecedented interest in understanding the molecular basis of the biological activity of traditional remedies. Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects focuses on presenting current scientific evidence of biomolecular ef

A concise overview of some of the findings and topics related to the pharmacology and clinical applications of traditional herbal therapeutics. It addresses the current and potential roles for herbal medicine in the context of our evolving health-care systems. Introducing many pharmacological advances made, the work also describes the modern theories and scientific methodologies applied to today's studies on herbal medicines and new drug development.

Evidence-Based Validation of Herbal Medicines: Translational Research on Botanicals brings together current thinking and practice in the characterization and validation of natural products. The book describes different approaches and techniques for evaluating the quality, safety and efficacy of herbal medicine, particularly methods to assess their activity and understand compounds responsible and their probable underlying mechanisms of action. This book brings together the views, expertise and experiences of scientific experts in the field of medicinal plant research, hence it will be useful for researcher who want to know more about the natural lead with their validation and also useful to exploit traditional medicines. Includes state-of-the-art methods for detecting, isolating and performing structure elucidation by degradation and spectroscopic techniques Highlights the trends in validation and value addition of herbal medicine with different scientific approaches used in therapeutics Contains several all-new chapters on topics such as traditional-medicine-inspired drug development to treat emerging viral diseases, medicinal plants in antimicrobial resistance, TLC bio profiling, botanicals as medicinal foods, bioprospecting and bioassay-guided isolation of medicinal plants, immunomodulators from medicinal plants, and more

Based on careful analysis of burden of disease and the costs ofinterventions, this second edition of 'Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries, 2nd edition' highlights achievable priorities; measures progresstoward providing efficient, equitable care; promotes cost-effectiveinterventions to targeted populations; and encourages integrated effortsto optimize health. Nearly 500 experts - scientists, epidemiologists, health economists,academicians, and public health practitioners - from around the worldcontributed to the data sources and methodologies, and identifiedchallenges and priorities, resulting in this integrated, comprehensivereference volume on the state of health in developing countries.

In Spite Of Increasing Urbanisation, A Large Proportion Of The Indian Population Has Retained Its Reliance Upon The Traditional Approach To Healthcare And Continues To Consult Traditional Medicinal Practitioners (Tmps) For Medical Treatment. India Is Sitting On A Gold Mine Of Well-Recorded And Well-Practised Knowledge Of Traditional Herbal Medicine. Amongst The Ancient Civilisations, India Has Been Known To Be A Rich Repository Of Medicinal Plants. The Rig Veda, Yajur Veda And Atharva Veda And Later On, The Charaka Samhita And The Sushruta Samhita Described The Properties And Uses Of Plants In Compounding Of Drugs And These Are Still Used In Classical Formulations. The Present Book Herbal Medicine: Traditional Practices Contains 17 Articles On Different Aspects Of The Subject. The Book Incorporates Articles On Traditional Phytotherapy For Jaundice; Medicinal Plants Used Against Gynaecological Morbidity; Indigenous Knowledge For Curing And Preventing Paediatric Diseases; Herbal Traditional Medicine For Sensory Organ Diseases And Other Ethnomedicinal Plants Used By Tribals Of India. Articles On Recent Approaches In The Development And Standardisation Of Formulations Of Herbal Drugs And The Role Of Biotechnology In Their Upgradation Provide Excellent Information On The Topic. The Book Also Covers Topics On Conservation Of Medicinal Plants In India, Strategy For Development Of Medicinal And Aromatic Plants And Application Of Industrial Wastes For Growth Of Medicinal And Aromatic Plants. Articles On Traditional Knowledge System About Veterinary Health Care Provide Information On Plants Used For Curing Animal Diseases. In Addition, General Articles Namely Soma Plants; Botanical Enigma And Hypoglycaemic Impact Of Spirulina Algae Have Added To The Value Of The Book. The Present Book Provides Excellent Glimpses Of The Rich Herbal Medicine And Traditional Knowledge Heritage Of India. The Present Book Will Serve Not Only As An Excellent Reference Material But Also As A Practical Guide For Herbal Healers, Vaidyas, Hakims, Research Workers And Students In The Field Of Medicinal Plants.

In 1997, with the support of the National Center of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA, a WHO informal discussion developed draft guidelines for methodology on research and evaluation of traditional medicine. Since then, the draft has been revised four times. The guidelines were finalized at a WHO consultation in April 2000, in Hong Kong, China, with the support of the Government of Hong Kong SAR. The guidelines focus on the current major debates on safety and efficacy of traditional medicine, and are intended to raise and answer some challenging questions concerning the evidence base. They also clarify certain commonly used but unclear definitions. The guidelines present some national regulations for the evaluation of herbal medicine, and also recommend new approaches for carrying out clinical research, for example, using the WHO QOL user manual. The quality of life (QOL) manual was developed by the WHO Programme on Mental Health, and may also be used to evaluate the results of clinical research in traditional medicine.

Indigenous Knowledge Behind Traditional Practice Of Herbs Is Like Crude Diamond, Hardest But Without Shine And Not Acknowledged And Accepted As Diamond By The People. Today An Artificial Shining Stone, Well Packed, Aggressively Marketed And Supported By Strategic Advertisement Is The Biggest Threat To The Existence Of Real Diamond. If This Continues Then This Phenomenon Of Endangered Indigenous Knowledge Of Tribals Will Become Extinct And Needless To Discuss, We The Human Being Will Be Deprived Of The Real Essence And Hence The Biggest Looser. It Is Important To Know That It Requires $ 1.5 Billion And 10-15 Years To Develop A New Drug, Whereas, The Development Of New Drug Through Traditional Herbal Knowledge And Tribal Healers Could Be Much Shorter And Needless To Discuss Cost Effective . The Whole Book Moves Around The Fulcrum Of Traditional Herbal Knowledge Of Indian Tribesmen. It Is The Finest Attempt To Explain The Traditional Herbal Knowledge Of Indian Tribal Regions Which Are Very Different In Terms Of Forest, Vegetation, Cultures, And Beliefs. Nevertheless, Equally Competitive So Far Age Old Medicinal Practices Are Concerned. The Book Deals With About 210 Important Medicinal Plants Used By The Traditional Herbal Healers In India. Given Vernacular Names In English, Sanskrit And Many Other Indian Regional Languages, Short Diagnostic Taxonomic Description, Ecology And Distributional Aspects Provided Under Each Plant And Up-To-Date Information About The Ongoing Research Of Every Medicinal Plant Mentioned Here Makes This Book More Reader Friendly And Advanced. Latest Accepted And Valid Botanical Names In Accordance With Icbn Have Been Adopted For The Medicinal Plants To Sustain Correct Identity. The Book Contains More Than 2200 Traditional Herbal Practices As Per The Different Disorders, Methodology Of Drug Preparation And Procedure Of Intake. Easy Language, 90 High Resolution Colour Photographs And Systematic Presentation Of Medicinal Plants With Major Emphasis Given On Traditional Herbal Therapies, Usage, And Comparative Analysis Along With Data-Tables Make The Study More Exhaustive And Generate Temptation To Read It Again And Again. It Is Hoped That It Will Serve As An Informative Databank For Herbal Researchers Who Are Engaged In New Drug Development; A Perfect Reference Material For Ethnobotanists, Herbalists And Pharmacologists; And A Guiding Tool For A Housewife For Home Remedies.

Integration of complementary and alternative medicine therapies (CAM) with conventional medicine is occurring in hospitals and physicians offices, health maintenance organizations (HMOs) are covering CAM therapies, insurance coverage for CAM is increasing, and integrative medicine centers and clinics are being established, many with close ties to medical schools and teaching hospitals. In determining what care to provide, the goal should be comprehensive care that uses the best scientific evidence available regarding benefits and harm, encourages a focus on healing, recognizes the importance of compassion and caring, emphasizes the centrality of relationship-based care, encourages patients to share in decision making about therapeutic options, and promotes choices in care that can include complementary therapies where appropriate. Numerous approaches to delivering integrative medicine have evolved. Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States identifies an urgent need for health systems research that focuses on identifying the elements of these models, the outcomes of care delivered in these models, and whether these models are cost-effective when compared to conventional practice settings. It outlines areas of research in convention and CAM therapies, ways of integrating these therapies, development of curriculum that provides further education to health professionals, and an amendment of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act to improve quality, accurate labeling, research into use of supplements, incentives for privately funded research into their efficacy, and consumer protection against all potential hazards.

This book highlights the latest international research on different aspects of medicinal plants and fungi. Studies over the last decade have demonstrated that bioactive compounds isolated from medicinal fungi have promising antitumor, cardiovascular, immunomodulatory, anti-allergic, anti-diabetic, and hepatoprotective properties. In the light of these studies, the book includes chapters (mostly review articles) by eminent researchers from twelve countries across the globe working in different disciplines of medicinal plants and fungi. It discusses topics such as the prevention of major neurodegenerative and neurotoxic mechanisms by Centella asiatica; the medicinal properties and therapeutic applications of several mushrooms species found in different parts of the world; and fungal endophytes as a source of bioactive metabolites including anticancer and cardioprotective agents. There are also chapters on strategies for identifying bioactive secondary metabolites of fungal origin; the use of genomic information to explore the biotechnological potential of medicinal mushrooms; and solid state fermentation of agro-industrial and forestry residues for the production of medicinal mushrooms. It is a valuable resource for the researchers, professionals and students working in the area of medicinal plants and fungi.