Noncommunicable diseases are the leading cause of death around the world, accounting for nearly 70% of all deaths. Several factors such as unhealthy lifestyles, physical inactivity, exposure to UV-light, harmful use of alcohol, among others, might cause diseases such as cancer, diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases. The current conventional pharmacological approach of treatment for these diseases is often costly, which represents an economic burden for most people, mainly from the low- and middle-income countries, who cannot always afford to buy medication. Besides, with or without medical approval and surveillance, people often turn to incorporate preparations from local medicinal plants when they are already under prescribed medication for their particular ailments. On the other hand, medicinal plants contain a rich source of phytochemicals such as alkaloids, terpenes, and polyphenols, which are potential biopharmaceutical agents against several noncommunicable diseases. Several studies have been conducted to isolate, identify and evaluate such compounds with promising results. In this book, we comprehensively review the information that shows the potential of phytochemicals from selected Mexican medicinal plants against noncommunicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and the metabolic syndrome. This work also summarizes the toxicological studies and risks of the use of medicinal plants as well as perspectives in the future use of phytochemicals as biopharmaceutical agents.

The first contribution summarizes current trends in research on medicinal plants in Mexico with emphasis on work carried out at the authors' laboratories. The most relevant phytochemical and pharmacological profiles of a selected group of plants used widely for treating major national health problems are described. The second contribution provides a detailed survey of the so far reported literature data on the capacities of selected oxyprenylated phenylpropanoids and polyketides to trigger receptors, enzymes, and other types of cellular factors for which they exhibit a high degree of affinity and therefore evoke specifice responses. And the third contribution discusses aspects of endophytic actinobacterial biology and chemistry, including biosynthesis and total synthesis of secondary metabolites produced in culture. It also presents perspectives fo the future of microbial biodiscovery, with emphasis on the seondary metabolism of endophytic actinobacteria.

This book covers interesting research topics and the use of natural resources for medical treatments in some severe diseases. The most important message is to have native foods which contain high amount of active compounds that can be used as a medicinal plant. Most pharmaceutical drugs were discovered from plants, and still ongoing research will have to predict such new active compounds as anti-diseases. I do believe this book will add significant knowledge to medical societies as well as can be used for postgraduate students.

Phytochemicals from medicinal plants are receiving ever greater attention in the scientific literature, in medicine, and in the world economy in general. For example, the global value of plant-derived pharmaceuticals will reach $500 billion in the year 2000 in the OECD countries. In the developing countries, over-the-counter remedies and "ethical phytomedicines," which are standardized toxicologically and clinically defined crude drugs, are seen as a promising low cost alternatives in primary health care. The field also has benefited greatly in recent years from the interaction of the study of traditional ethnobotanical knowledge and the application of modem phytochemical analysis and biological activity studies to medicinal plants. The papers on this topic assembled in the present volume were presented at the annual meeting of the Phytochemical Society of North America, held in Mexico City, August 15-19, 1994. This meeting location was chosen at the time of entry of Mexico into the North American Free Trade Agreement as another way to celebrate the closer ties between Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The meeting site was the historic Calinda Geneve Hotel in Mexico City, a most appropriate site to host a group of phytochemists, since it was the address of Russel Marker. Marker lived at the hotel, and his famous papers on steroidal saponins from Dioscorea composita, which launched the birth control pill, bear the address of the hotel.

Functional and Preservative Properties of Phytochemicals examines the potential of plant-based bioactive compounds as functional food ingredients and preservative agents against food-spoiling microbes and oxidative deterioration. The book provides a unified and systematic accounting of plant-based bioactive compounds by illustrating the connections among the different disciplines, such as food science, nutrition, pharmacology, toxicology, combinatorial chemistry, nanotechnology and biotechnological approaches. Chapters present the varied sources of raw materials, biochemical properties, metabolism, health benefits, preservative efficacy, toxicological aspect, safety and Intellectual Property Right issue of plant-based bioactive compounds. Written by authorities within the field, the individual chapters of the book are organized according to the following practical and easy to consult format: introduction, chapter topics and text, conclusions (take-home lessons), and references cited for further reading. - Provides collective information on recent advancements that increase the potential use of phytochemicals - Fosters an understanding of plant-based dietary bioactive ingredients and their physiological effects on human health at the molecular level - Thoroughly explores biotechnology, omics, and bioinformatics approaches to address the availability, cost, and mode of action of plant-based functional and preservative ingredients

This book reviews the history, current state of knowledge, and different research approaches and techniques of studies on interactions between humans and plants in an important area of agriculture and ongoing plant domestication: Mesoamerica. Leading scholars and key research groups in Mexico discuss essential topics as well as contributions from international research groups that have conducted studies on ethnobotany and domestication of plants in the region. Such a convocation will produce an interesting discussion about future investigation and conservation of regional human cultures, genetic resources, and cultural and ecological processes that are critical for global sustainability.

This book provides a complete review of multiple metabolic disorders and the use of phytochemicals for their prevention and treatment. When describing each metabolic disorder, all authors describe the main health alterations, providing the most current figures and statistics worldwide; medicinal plants used in traditional medicine for its treatment and scientific information related to their potential to prevent or treat each condition. Authors also include a complete scientific background check, comprehensive analysis of all phytochemicals recommended for each disorder, a description of the mechanism(s) of action and in vivo and/or in vitro studies. Within this volume, a series of 7 plant species, recommended to treat or prevent the previously described disorders, are presented with their botanical information, traditional use in different cultures and countries, and the available scientific information validating their health benefits. Besides, six main metabolic disorders are described, providing a full scientific background for its general understanding, and three study cases are presented, where metabolic disorders are analysed and approached from different medical and pharmaceutical angles. Chapter 1 -- Soybean contains a great nutritional value, which makes it an excellent food for the human diet. It has large amounts of protein and lipids and also provides fibre, calcium, iron, zinc, and several vitamins. For these reasons, the possible benefits of soy consumption for human health have been studied. Although the results obtained to date have not been conclusive, thanks to its high content of isoflavones (phytochemicals with estrogenic activity), soy is attributed with anti-inflammatory, antioxidants and antifungals properties. Moreover, soybeans could provide significant benefits to patients with cardiovascular diseases, cancer, or diabetes. Chapter 2 -- Oil, proteins, vitamins, fibres, and phytochemicals present in the avocado plant have shown the excellent capability of not only addressing the prevalence of these metabolic diseases but also being safe and having minimal side effects. The general objective of this book chapter is to review the bioactive compounds and their action to promote health benefits in the prevention and management of metabolic disorders. Chapter 3 -- Heliopsis longipes roots, which contain affinin, has been used in traditional cuisine as a spice for its pungent. Due to its tingling and numbing properties, it is frequently applied to heal diverse pains such as toothache, earache, and headache. Within this chapter, its applications on anti-inflammatory activity, local anaesthetic, analgesic, anti-mutagenic, and antioxidant activity, will be reviewed. Chapter 4 -- The species Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill., represents a good source of nutrients and antioxidants in the diet of consumers. This chapter aims to offer a simple and economical alternative formulation of artisan conserves prepared with nopal, in which the antioxidant activity was evaluated. Chapter 5 -- Metabolic syndrome is known as a group of metabolic abnormalities that increase the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. The cost of health for companies is very high for workers who have obesity or metabolic syndrome compared to healthy workers. Metabolic syndrome is closely related to obesity, and this, in turn, is associated with a poor diet (high intake of carbohydrates and fats). This chapter explains the decrement of risk factors in workers of Young Living Ecuador Farm based on the Health Belief Model. Chapter 6 -- The objective of this chapter book was to analyse the evidence obtained by clinical studies reported by scientific literature. Clinical studies have employed different components or products of grapes, such as pulp, freeze-dried grape, extracts, wine, and a distinct dose of resveratrol, to demonstrate their biological properties against diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and obesity. Chapter 7 -- The main purpose of this chapter is to describe the analysis of whether glycated haemoglobin values could be used as a limit marker for earlier diagnosis of type 2 DM in overweight patients. This was a nonexperimental, analytical, retrospective, longitudinal study of 100 overweight patients diagnosed with type 2 DM. The study was carried out in 2014 at Teodoro Maldonado Carbo Hospital, Guayaquil, Ecuador. Chapter 8 -- Rosemary is classified not only as spice or ornamental but also as a medicinal plant. It is an important source of volatile and non-volatile compounds. The proportion of them varies in function of diverse factors as a region of growth, environment, extraction treatment, and others. Thanks to its composition, rosemary owners several properties such as anti-obesity, anti-diabetes, anti-cancer, among others, thus the importance of this plant over metabolic diseases is presented in this chapter. Chapter 9 - Agave has been used in traditional medicine as an aesthetic, anticonvulsant, antipyretic, urinary antiseptic, cathartic, cicatricial, and regenerative, diuretic, emmenagogue, and eupeptic. Agave extracts and derived agave products have been used to prevent several metabolic diseases, such as diabetes and cancer. However, more studies are needed to support these effects.