The first book in English on the medicinal plants of Europe, this volume contains up-to-date summaries by leading researchers on the pharmacological effects and active compounds for many widely used medicinal plants. It includes discussions of the German Commission E Monographs, of legal issues associated with selling herbs in the U.S., and of the status of European phytomedicines. The chapters are divided into reviews of general issues and detailed entries on specific plants.

Plants have been used to treat disease throughout human history. On a clay slab that dates back approximately five thousand years, the Sumerians recorded medicinal recipes that made use of hundreds of plants, including poppy, henbane, and mandrake. During the Middle Ages, monks commonly grew and prescribed plants such as sage, anise, and mint in their monasteries. And as the market for herbal remedies and natural medicine grows, we continue to search the globe for plants and plant compounds to combat our various ailments. In Phytomedicines, Herbal Drugs, and Poisons, Ben-Erik van Wyk offers a richly illustrated, scientific guide to medicinal and poisonous plants, including those used for their mind-altering effects. Van Wyk covers approximately 350 species—from Aloe vera and Ephedra sinica to Cannabis sativa and Coffea arabica—detailing their botanical, geographical, pharmacological, and toxicological data as well as the chemical structures of the active compounds in each. Readers learn, for example, that Acacia senegal, or gum acacia, is used primarily in Sudan and Ethiopia as a topical ointment to protect the skin and mucosa from bacterial and fungal infections, and that Aconitum napellus, more commonly known as aconite, is used in cough syrups but can be psychedelic when smoked or absorbed through the skin. With 350 full-color photographs featuring the plants and some of their derivative products, Phytomedicines, Herbal Drugs, and Poisons will be an invaluable reference not only for those in the health care field but also for those growing their own medicinal herb gardens, as well as anyone who needs a quick answer to whether a plant is a panacea or a poison.

Covering fundamentals and new developments in phytotherapy, this book combines pharmaceutical sciences and chemistry with clinical issues. • Helps readers better understand phytotherapy and learn the fundamentals of and how to analyze phytotherapeutic agents • Discusses phytotherapy in modern medicine, chemoprevention of disease, and alternatives to western medicines for specific diseases • Chapters summarizes the uses and applications of phytomedicines, by type like Chinese, Greco-Arab, Indian, European, and Ayurvedic • Includes international regulatory perspectives and discusses emerging regulations for various established and emerging markets

Approx.344 pages

This richly illustrated reference guide treats the subject of herbal medicines in an integrated fashion with reference to pharmacognosy, pharmacology and toxicology. It will help to enable internists, phytotherapists, physicians, healthcare practitioners as well as students to understand why, when and how herbal medicines can be used in the treatment of diseases. A great deal of pathology and therapeutic information is also included. Numerous tables as well as figures clarify complex mechanisms and other information. The most important medicinal plants and drugs are illustrated with exceptional color plates.

The global popularity of herbal supplements and the promise they hold in treating various disease states has caused an unprecedented interest in understanding the molecular basis of the biological activity of traditional remedies. Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects focuses on presenting current scientific evidence of biomolecular ef