Contents: 1. History, origin of pharmacognosy. 2. Definition, scope and future trends in pharmacognosy. 3. Classification of crude drugs. 4. Traditional system of medicine. 5. Collection and processing of crude drugs. 6. Plant hormones/growth regulators. 7. Plant tissue culture: principles and methodology. 8. Medicinal plant biotechnology. 9. Drug evaluation and adulteration. 10. General methods associated with phytochemical investigation of herbal products. 11. Basic metabolic pathways and the origin of secondary metabolites. 12. Hellucinogenic, teratogenic, allergic and other toxic plants. 13. Pesticides from natural origin. 14. Tumour inhibitors from plants. 15. Drugs containing carbohydrates. 16. Drugs containing alkaloids. 17. Drugs containing tannins. 18. Drugs containing volatile oils. 19. Drugs containing lipids (fixed oils, fats and waxes). 20. Drugs containing resins. 21. Drugs containing glycosides. 22. Enzymes and protein drugs. 23. Traditional medicinal plants. 24. Ayurvedic pharmacy. 25. Fibres, surgical dressing and sutures. 26. Marine drugs. 27. World Wide Trade in medicinal and aromatic plants and derived products. Appendixes. i. Chemical tests for plant constituents. ii. List of crude drugs. Glossary. References. Subject index.
"In a broad sense, pharmacognosy embraces a knowledge of the history, distribution, cultivation, collection, selection, preparation, commerce, identification, evaluation, preservation and use of drugs and economic substances affecting the health of man and other animals. Such economic substances extend beyond the category of crude drugs and their derivatives and include a variety of commercial products: allergens, allergenic extracts, antibiotics, immunizing biological, flavoring agents, condiments, beverages, insecticides, rodenticides and herbicides. In a restricted sense, the definition of pharmacognosy implies a particular knowledge of methods of identification and evaluation of drugs. The present book is an attempt to provide overall information to the readers interested in pharmacognosy."
