Contents: 1. Methods of Extraction and Characterization. 2. Carbohydrates. 3. Amino acids and Proteins. 4. Fats and Oils. 5. Terpenoids. 6. Alkaloids. 7. Phenolics. 8. Other nitrogen containing compounds. 9. Sulphur containing compounds. 10. Alkanes, Acetogenins and Polyacetylenes. References. Index.

It is heartening to see that this book is widely accepted by Students and Teachers of Phytochemistry, Biochemistry, Botany, and Molecular biology and thus was sold out within a span of four years.  The feedback received was that the book contains simple experiments which can be performed easily even in a poorly equipped laboratory. During the last four years, two years and more were influenced negatively by fear of Corona and during the lockdown times, almost all college and University research laboratories remained shut. Only Microbiological and Biotechnological laboratories were functioning, that too driven by a desire to find out a vaccine for Covid virus. Therefore there was not much development in the field of plant analytical methods and thus this book remains up to date even now. We are overawed when teachers ring us up and ask us questions they have and which students ask them when they perform the experiments based on this book. That shows a genuine desire to learn these methods for their benefit. Many academic institutions like Universities and colleges have drafted courses based on this book. The phytochemical methods are much needed in studying medicinal plants in Ayurveda, Pharmacy courses, Botany, Biochemistry, and Biotechnology, and many research projects are being planned at the Undergraduate, Post-Graduate, and Research levels.

The emphasis on Alternative Medicine drives people to look to plants as safe ways to combat pathogens and increase immunity. The role of neglected compounds like simple Phenolics, flavonoids, and tannins in influencing various biochemical parameters in the body is much understood now and this also contributes to screening plants for such compounds.