This book reports the potential plants for human survival, explored medicinal aspects of the ongoing research and development for ethnic-traditional applications and nutraceutical values of plants. Note: T&F does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

This is build upon based on twenty-five excellent research articles and main focused plant species are Boswellia serrata, Butea monosperma, Colebrookea oppositifolia, Cymbopogon khasianus, Dendrophthe falcata, Dysoxylum binectariferum, Echinacea purpurea, Grewia asiatica, Picrorrhiza kurroa, Saussurea costus, Withania somnifera, Zanthoxylum armatum, different species of Aconitum and Panax, Ashtavarga groups (Habenaria intermedia, Habenaria edgeworthii, Malaxis acuminata, Malaxis muscifera, Lilium polyphyllum, Polygonatum verticillatum, Polygonatum cirrhifolium and Roscoea procera), and hundreds of potential life-saving plants used by different ethnic tribes of Himalaya as food, shelter and medicine in their day-to-day life. Various research studies and clinical trials mentioned in the book will add and contribute a lot in discovering quick leads for medicine formulations and products development. In addition to research suggestions and valuation of plants for humans contained within each of the articles, an introduction section emphasizes particular research avenues for attention in the drug development programmes. As the reader will note, these compilations represent a wide collection of views, reflecting the diversity of sciences and interests of thousands of ideas that enabled thoughtful deliberations from a wide range of scientific perspectives.

The Wild Wisdom of Weeds is the only book on foraging and edible weeds to focus on the thirteen weeds found all over the world, each of which represents a complete food source and extensive medical pharmacy and first-aid kit. More than just a field guide to wild edibles, it is a global plan for human survival. When Katrina Blair was eleven she had a life-changing experience where wild plants spoke to her, beckoning her to become a champion of their cause. Since then she has spent months on end taking walkabouts in the wild, eating nothing but what she forages, and has become a wild-foods advocate, community activist, gardener, and chef, teaching and presenting internationally about foraging and the healthful lifestyle it promotes. Katrina Blair’s philosophy in The Wild Wisdom of Weeds is sobering, realistic, and ultimately optimistic. If we can open our eyes to see the wisdom found in these weeds right under our noses, instead of trying to eradicate an “invasive,” we will achieve true food security. The Wild Wisdom of Weeds is about healing ourselves both in body and in spirit, in an age where technology, commodity agriculture, and processed foods dictate the terms of our intelligence. But if we can become familiar with these thirteen edible survival weeds found all over the world, we will never go hungry, and we will become closer to our own wild human instincts—all the while enjoying the freshest, wildest, and most nutritious food there is. For free! The thirteen plants found growing in every region across the world are: dandelion, mallow, purslane, plantain, thistle, amaranth, dock, mustard, grass, chickweed, clover, lambsquarter, and knotweed. These special plants contribute to the regeneration of the earth while supporting the survival of our human species; they grow everywhere where human civilization exists, from the hottest deserts to the Arctic Circle, following the path of human disturbance. Indeed, the more humans disturb the earth and put our food supply at risk, the more these thirteen plants proliferate. It’s a survival plan for the ages. Including over one hundred unique recipes, Katrina Blair’s book teaches us how to prepare these wild plants from root to seed in soups, salads, slaws, crackers, pestos, seed breads, and seed butters; cereals, green powders, sauerkrauts, smoothies, and milks; first-aid concoctions such as tinctures, teas, salves, and soothers; self-care/beauty products including shampoo, mouthwash, toothpaste (and brush), face masks; and a lot more. Whether readers are based at home or traveling, this book aims to empower individuals to maintain a state of optimal health with minimal cost and effort.

This exquisitely detailed, full-color field guide provides the identification details and practical information needed to find and properly use many of the medicinal plants and wild plant foods that provide chemicals necessary for optimum health and disease prevention. The book takes the user from simple and familiar plants ones that are less common and more difficult to identify. Each of the 122 plant entries includes a color photograph, plant description, and location. Plants are grouped according to how common or rare they are, as well as to where they are found: prairies, woodlands, mountains, deserts, and wetlands. Relevant facts about each plant include toxicity, historical uses, modern uses, as well as wildlife/veterinary uses. Additional information featured in this extraordinary field guide: explanations of how each plant affects the human body; cultural and ethnic uses of medicinal herbs and cooking spices; others creatures who consume the plants; a list of most recommended garden herbs; web site resources, and much more.

Phytomedicine: A Treasure of Pharmacologically Active Products from Plants aims to present updated knowledge of plant-based medicines in terms of their research and development, production, and utilization, from the viewpoint of sustainability and by using the latest technologies. The book explores different phytometabolites on a mass scale, coupled with the efficacy, performance and applicability on target organisms to treat curable and fatal diseases. Readers will find a coherent package of phytotherapeutic information regarding inclusive assortment of research based, scientific amplitude of metabolites from the plant world encompassing various action plans. Information is presented sequentially regarding phytochemistry, biological activity and the serviceable aspects of bioactive compounds. The book also addresses various advancements and achievements of novel drugs from plants using molecular and enzymatic activities, and various technological tools in an ecofriendly fashion. - Discusses phytotherapeutic properties for a wide range of medical conditions, including anti-pyretic, anti-infective, anti-malarial, Anti-AIDS, anti-diabetic, anti-cancerous, immune-modulatory applications - Includes a discussion of synergistic effects of formulations and antagonistic drug interactions - Addresses advancements and achievements of novel plant-based drugs using molecular, enzymatic activities and various technological tools in an eco-friendly fashion

Synthesis of Medicinal Agents from Plants highlights the importance of synthesizing medicinal agents from plants and outlines methods for performing it effectively. Beginning with an introduction to the significance of medicinal plants, the book goes on to provide a historical overview of drug synthesis before exploring how this can be used to successfully replicate and adapt the active agents from natural sources. Chapters then explore the medicinal properties of a number of important plants, before concluding with a discussion of the future of drugs from medicinal plants. Illustrated with real-world examples, it is a practical resource for researchers in this field. In an age of rapid environmental destruction, hundreds of medicinal plants are at risk of extinction from overexploitation and deforestation, limiting the natural resources available for active agent extraction, thereby threatening the discovery of future cures for diseases. Simultaneously, with the increasing population and advances in medical sciences, the demand for drugs is continuously increasing and cannot be met with just plants. The ability to synthetically replicate the active compounds from these plants is essential in creating an ecologically-aware, sustainable future for drug design - Includes detailed coverage of therapeutic compound synthesis - Uses multiple real-world examples to support content - Lays out a sustainable template for the future of developing active agents from natural products

An in-depth look at the role of plant spirits in shamanic rituals from around the world • Shows how shamans heal using their knowledge of plant spirits as well as the plant’s “medical properties” • Explores the core methods of plant shamanism--soul retrieval, spirit extraction, and sin eating--and includes techniques for connecting with plant spirits • Includes extensive field interviews with master shamans of all traditions In Plant Spirit Shamanism, Ross Heaven and Howard G. Charing explore the use of one of the major allies of shamans for healing, seeing, dreaming, and empowerment--plant spirits. After observing great similarities in the use of plants among shamans throughout the world, they discovered the reason behind these similarities: Rather than dealing with the “medical properties” of the plants or specific healing techniques, shamans commune with the spirits of the plants themselves. From their years of in-depth shamanic work in the Amazon, Haiti, and Europe, including extensive field interviews with master shamans, Heaven and Charing present the core methods of plant shamanism used in healing rituals the world over: soul retrieval, spirit extraction, sin eating, and the Amazonian tradition of pusanga (love medicine). They explain the techniques shamans use to establish connections to plant spirits and provide practical exercises as well as a directory of traditional Amazonian and Caribbean healing plants and their common North American equivalents so readers can ex-plore the world of plant spirits and make allies of their own.