Herbal Technology : Concepts and Approaches
Contents: Preface. I. Phytochemistry: 1. Primary metabolites. 2. Secondary metabolites. 3. Analytical methods. II. Medicinal plants: 1. Identity of medicinal plants. 2. Bioprespecting and chemoprospecting. 3. Biomarkers. 4. Active principles. 5. Cultivation of medicinal plants. 6. Harvesting and storage. 7. Extraction methods. 8. Formulations. 9. Pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. 10. Herbal cosmetics. 11. Antioxidant therapy. 12. Aromatherapy. 13. Nutraceuticals. 14. Herbal veterinary medicine. 15. Documentation, TKDL and DNA Fingerprinting. 16. Metabolomics: small molecule 'omics'. 17. Patenting. 18. Distribution of medicinal plants in India. III. Natural Dyes: 1. Phenolics. 2. Alkaloids. 3. Indoles. 4. Betacyanins. 5. Terpenoids. 6. Porphyrins. 7. General. 8. Analytical methods for natural dyes. 9. Dyeing techniques. IV. Biopesticides: 1. Microbial biopesticides. 2. Botanical pesticides. 3. Parasitoids and predators. 4. Pheromones and other semiochemicals. 5. Ecdysteroid agonists. 6. Brassinosteroids. 7. Nematodes. 8. Other substances. V. Biofertilisers: 1. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria. 2. Cyanobacteria. 3. Phosphate Solubilising Microorganisms (PSMS). 4. Vascular Arbuscular Mycorrhiza (VAM). 5. Azolla pinnata B. Br. 6. Mixed cropping. VI. Biofuel: 1. Petroleum. 2. Petro-crops. 3. Biocrude. 4. Liquid resins. 5. Vegetable oils, Waxes and Plant Oil Methylester (PME). 6. Biogas. 7. Alcohols. 8. Biological hydrogen. 9. Wood. References. Index.
"This is the first comprehensive book codifying the principles on the concepts, trends and various aspects of this exciting and recent branch of Botany. Herbal Technology encompasses all the myriads of ways of utilizing the multifarious potentialities of plants for human welfare. Since all the ways of utilizing plants and plant products are based on the chemical diversity of the plant, a comprehensive treatise on Phytochemistry is given in the beginning. In the chapter on Medicinal plants emphasis is on the correct botanical identity, name changes, biomarkers, active principles, cultivation, extraction, formulations, aromatherapy, herbal cosmetics, herbal veterinary medicine, antioxidant therapy, metabolomics and TKDL. Natural Dyes deals with the botany, chemistry and uses of about 150 plants which yield them. Also dealt with are colors for food and pharmaceutical preparations, in cosmetics like face powder and lipsticks, in paints and for painting. Biopesticides contain more than 300 plants in terms of their pesticidal principles and utilities and the preparation of extracts of as many as 40 plants. The fifth chapter is on Biofertilisers wherein emphasis is on soil microbes including nitrogen fixing bacteria, cyanobacteria, phosphate solubilising microorganisms and vascular arbuscular mycorrhizae. Biofuel, the last chapter, delves on the various alternate sources of fuels such as petrocrops, biocrude, liquid resins, vegetable oils and plant oil methyl esters, biogas, alcohols and biological hydrogen.
This book is just a beginning in this direction. Each of the topics is designed in such a way to rouse the curiosity of the student/reader and a conscientious worker can add many different dimensions in every topic. The subject of Herbal Technology will initiate a great deal of interest in the scientific community and will lead to many research programmes in each of the topics, be that Biopesticides or Biofuel."
