Himalayan Medicinal Plants

The Himalayan Region is a mega hot spot for biological diversity. It supports over 1,748 plants species of known medicinal value. This title focuses on origin and distribution of Himalayan herbs, their medicinal potential, industrial significance, and research advancements pertaining to molecular breeding and omics-based approaches. Discusses evolved secondary biochemical pathways often in response to specific environmental stimuli Reviews conservation efforts Presents an in-depth analysis of 12 key species

Research in recent years has increasingly shifted away from purely academic research, and into applied aspects of the discipline, including climate change research, conservation, and sustainable development. It has by now widely been recognized that “traditional” knowledge is always in flux and adapting to a quickly changing environment. Trends of globalization, especially the globalization of plant markets, have greatly influenced how plant resources are managed nowadays. While ethnobotanical studies are now available from many regions of the world, no comprehensive encyclopedic series focusing on the worlds mountain regions is available in the market. Scholars in plant sciences worldwide will be interested in this website and its dynamic content. The field (and thus the market) of ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology has grown considerably in recent years. Student interest is on the rise, attendance at professional conferences has grown steadily, and the number of professionals calling themselves ethnobotanists has increased significantly (the various societies, like the Society for Economic Botany, the International Society of Ethnopharmacology, the Society of Ethnobiology, and the International Society for Ethnobiology currently have thousands of members). Growth has been most robust in BRIC countries. This new MRW on Ethnobotany of the Himalayas takes advantage of the increasing international interest and scholarship in the field of mountain research. It includes the best and latest research on a full range of descriptive, methodological, theoretical, and applied research on the most important plants in the Himalayas. Each contribution is scientifically rigorous and contributes to the overall field of study.

The Himalayan region is among the largest mountains systems of the world with uncounted unique medicinal plants resources. The lesser Himalayas ranges are the extension of Greater Himalayas. They have unique ecology, vegetation and diversity of medicinal flora due to tremendous variation in the altitude, climate and associated wildlife. The utilization of medicinal plants in medicine suffers from the fact that although plants are used to treat diseases, scientific evidence is lacking in many cases. Different societies of the world use the plants according to their own beliefs and knowledge and previous experiences. Their knowledge about the use of the plants is usually not known to the other world or science. This book provides a brief introduction of Lesser Himalayas, ethnobotanical aspects, marketing and anthropogenic pressure on medicinal flora. It comprises one hundred medicinal plant species including Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms and Angiosperms (Monocots and Dicots) along with their scientific description and traditional uses.

Himalayan Phytochemicals: Sustainable Options for Sourcing and Developing Bioactive Compounds provides a detailed review of the important medicinal plants which have already been discovered in the Himalayan region, outlining their discovery, activity and underlying chemistry. In addition, it supports a global shift towards sustainable sourcing of natural products from delicate ecosystems. Across the world, environmental destruction and overharvesting of medicinal plants are reducing and destroying multiple important sources and potential leads before researchers have the chance to discover, explore or synthesize them effectively. By identifying this problem and discussing its impact on the Himalayan region, Himalayan Phytochemicals: Sustainable Options for Sourcing and Developing Bioactive Compounds frames the ongoing global struggle and highlights the key factors that must be considered and addressed when working with phytochemicals from endemic plant sources. Reviews both well-known and recently discovered plants of this region Highlights methods for phytochemical extraction and analysis Provides context to support a shift towards sustainable sourcing of natural products

Contributed articles presented at the Workshop on "Himalayan Medicinal Plants: Potential and Prospects" organized by G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment & Development Kosi-Katarmal, Almora from 5-7 November, 1988.

The world faces significant challenges as population and consumption continue to grow while nonrenewable fossil fuels and other raw materials are depleted at ever-increasing rates. This volume takes a technical approach that addresses these issues using green design and analysis. It brings together innovative research, new concepts, and novel developments in the application of new tools for chemical and materials engineers. It is an immensely research-oriented, comprehensive, and practical work that focuses on the use of applied concepts to enhance productivity and sustainability in chemical engineering. It contains significant research that reports on new methodologies and important applications in the fields of chemical engineering as well as the latest coverage of chemical databases. Highlighting theoretical foundations, real-world cases, and future directions, the volume covers a diverse collection of the newest innovations in the field, including new research on atomic/nuclear physics, the barometric formula, amino acids in aqueous solutions, bioremediation and biotechnology, and more.

Medicinal Plants of South Asia: Novel Sources for Drug Discovery provides a comprehensive review of medicinal plants of this region, highlighting chemical components of high potential and applying the latest technology to reveal the underlying chemistry and active components of traditionally used medicinal plants. Drawing on the vast experience of its expert editors and authors, the book provides a contemporary guide source on these novel chemical structures, thus making it a useful resource for medicinal chemists, phytochemists, pharmaceutical scientists and everyone involved in the use, sales, discovery and development of drugs from natural sources. Provides comprehensive reviews of 50 medicinal plants and their key properties Examines the background and botany of each source before going on to discuss underlying phytochemistry and chemical compositions Links phytochemical properties with pharmacological activities Supports data with extensive laboratory studies of traditional medicines

Each chapter provides information on different plants on aspects such as, reproductive biology, medicinal, chemical and pharmacological aspects, threats and conservation, cultivation, commercial status, future directions for research, value addition, patents and literature cited.

The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) is considered as storehouse of diverse group of medicinal plant species. Unsustainable in-situ harvesting practices coupled with climate change have posed a serious threat on a number of native and endemic medicinal plants including Angelica glauca and Heracleum candicans (Family-Apiaceae). Ex-situ cultivation of these Endangered species in suitable agro-climatic zones is recommended as conservation strategy. This book comprises of five chapters provides the first hand information on mass multiplication and production technology of these species. The results of experimental trials on seed biology, production of Quality planting materials through seeds and vegetative propagation, cultural practices, phenology, biomass, productivity and post cultivation evaluation of germplasm have been presented in detail. Applications of the results for developing an appropriate strategy for mass scale production and conservation of these species are suggested.

Forests cover thirty-one percent of the world’s land surface, provide habitats for animals, livelihoods for humans, and generate household income in rural areas of developing countries. They also supply other essential amenities, for instance, they filter water, control water runoff, protect soil erosion, regulate climate, store nutrients, and facilitate countless non-timber forest products (NTFPs). The main NTFPs comprise herbs, grasses, climbers, shrubs, and trees used for food, fodder, fuel, beverages, medicine, animals, birds and fish for food, fur, and feathers, as well as their products, like honey, lac, silk, and paper. At present, these products play an important role in the daily life and well-being of millions of people worldwide. Hence the forest and its products are very valuable and often NTFPs are considered as the ‘potential pillars of sustainable forestry’. NTFPs items like food, herbal drugs, forage, fuel-wood, fountain, fibre, bamboo, rattans, leaves, barks, resins, and gums have been continuously used and exploited by humans. Wild edible foods are rich in terms of vitamins, protein, fat, sugars, and minerals. Additionally, some NTFPs are used as important raw materials for pharmaceutical industries. Numerous industry-based NTFPs are now being exported in considerable quantities by developing countries. Accordingly, this sector facilitates employment opportunities in remote rural areas. So, these developments also highlight the role of NTFPs in poverty alleviation in different regions of the world. This book provides a wide spectrum of information on NTFPs, including important references. We hope that the compendium of chapters in this book will be very useful as a reference book for graduate and postgraduate students and researchers in various disciplines of forestry, botany, medical botany, economic botany, ecology, agroforestry, and biology. Additionally, this book should be useful for scientists, experts, and consultants associated with the forestry sector.

This book discusses the perception of disease, healing concepts and the evolution of traditional systems of healing in the Himalayas of Himachal Pradesh, India. The chapters cover a diverse range issues: people and knowledge systems, healing in ancient scriptures, concept of sacredness and faith healing, food as medicament, presumptions about disease, ethno-botanical aspects of medicinal plants, collection and processing of herbs, traditional therapeutic procedures, indigenous Materia medica, etc. The book also discusses the diverse therapeutic procedures followed by Himalayan healers and their significance in the socio-cultural life of Himalayan societies. The World Health Organization defines traditional medicine as wisdom, skills, and practices based on theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, used in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness and maintenance of health. In some Asian and African countries, 80% of the population depends on traditional medicine for primary health care. However, the knowledge of these conventional healing techniques and traditions associated with conveying this knowledge are slowly disappearing. The authors highlight the importance of safeguarding this indigenous knowledge in the cultural milieu of the Himachal Himalayas. This book will be an important resource for researchers in medical anthropology, biology, ethno-biology, ecology, community health, health behavior, psychotherapy, and Himalayan studies.

"Elementary Knowledge of Indian Medicinal Plants of Uttarakhand Himalaya mainly focuses on the taxonomy and ethnomedicinal uses of plants, and the information provided can be used to identify plants while surveying medicinal plants in the region. This compilation will be helpful for researchers and students working in the field of plant science and other related fields. This textbook is divided into five chapters, and the first chapter reviews the historical aspects of India in terms of traditional knowledge. The second chapter provides a general introduction to the biodiversity of medicinal plants in Uttarakhand, a Himalayan state of India, as well as its geography, population, herbal sector status, temperature and altitudes. The third chapter reviews 600 flowering plants belonging to 108 families. Each plant is described using its Ayurvedic/Sanskrit name, vernacular/local name, botanical properties, distribution, medicinal properties, phytochemical constituents and pharmacological status. The fourth chapter discusses 14 gymnosperms belonging to four families, and the fifth chapter discusses 18 pteridophytes from two families. Photographs of selected plants are also included in a separate section"--

India Has One Of The Oldest, Richest And Most Diverse Cultural Traditions Called Folk Tradition Associated With The Use Of Medicinal Herbs. Traditional Folk Medicine Is The Application Of Indigenous Beliefs, Knowledge, Skills And Cultural Practices Concerned With Human Health. The Ethnic People Have Provided Several Miracle Plants Of Medicinal Value To Modern Civilisation. The Present Book, Ethnomedicinal Plants, Contains 15 Articles On Different Aspects Of The Subject. The Book Contains Articles On Medicinal Plants In India And Their Conservation; Protection Of Traditional Knowledge; Medicinal Plants Of Nepal; And Ethno-Medico Botany Of Orissa And Some Parts Of Rajasthan. Articles On The Uses Of Plants In The Treatment Of Urinary Tract Diseases; Ethno-Veterinary Medicinal Plants And Plants In Healthcare During Pregnancy Include Some General And A Few Specific Medicinal Plants Of Great Importance. In Addition To This, General Articles, Namely, Ethnobotany Green Gold Branch Of Botanical Sciences And Modulation Of Radiosensitivity By Certain Plant And Plant Products, Etc. Have Added To The Value Of The Book. This Book Provides Excellent Glimpses Of The Rich Ethnomedicinal Heritage Of India. The Present Book Will Serve Not Only As An Excellent Reference Material But Also As A Practical Guide For Folk Healers, Vaidyas, Research Workers And Students In The Field Of Ethnobotany. Photographs On Front Of Jacket From Left To Right: 1St Row: Adhatoda Vasica, Solanum Nigrum, Abutilon Indicum, Ceterach Officinarum. 2Nd Row: Nardostachys Jatamansi, Selinum Candollei, Oryza Sativa, Cyperus Scarious 3Rd Row: Seeds Of Elaeocarpus Angustifolius, Abrus Precatorius, Celastrus Paniculatus, Vigna Unquiculata.