Matthias F Melzig – författare

Essential oils have been an integral part of human civilization for thousands of years. Their applications are highly diverse and range from fragrances to natural constituents of a healthy diet and use as active ingredients in medicinal products. Essential oils are natural complex substances (NCS) - complex mixtures of plants, animals and minerals as they occur in nature, and also as preparations derived from them. The secrets of the mutual interactions of the single substances that constitute NCS have not yet been unveiled. Synergistic, antagonistic and additive effects can all occur. Further research of such complex plant mixtures offers new options for the development of active plant-based medicines and biologically active resources for human, animal and plant life. This is especially important as mono-substance remedies, such as antibiotics, are reaching their therapeutic limits. This book provides a concise insight into essential oils as NCS, their analytic and galenic properties, their use in veterinary medicine and aromatherapy for humans, as well as their role in cosmetic and food industries.

Essential oils (EOs), which mainly consist of volatile organic compounds, have been an integral part of human civilization for thousands of years. Their applications are highly diverse and range from fragrances in perfumes and cosmetics to natural constituents of a healthy diet and use as active ingredients in medicinal products. The antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties of essential oils render them valuable for the treatment and prevention of various diseases. Essential oils are natural complex substances consisting of hundreds of individual compounds. This intricate composition, also referred to as ´natural complex substances´ (NCS), gives each EO its unique properties. The use of EOs as NCS is widespread in practice, e.g. in aromatherapy for the treatment of psychosomatic problems, inhalation for respiratory diseases and topical application for skin diseases. EOs are expected to play an increasingly important role in both human and veterinary medicine in the future. The different functionalities of individual constituents of EOs contribute to their wide range of physical and chemical properties. This diversity allows them to act on multiple targets, offering a wide range of therapeutic benefits compared to single, isolated compounds. This book provides a compact and comprehensive overview of essential oils, their analytical and Galenic characteristics, their use in human and veterinary medicine, and their diverse applications in the cosmetics and food industries.

Das Lexikon der Arzneipflanzen und Drogen gibt einen umfassenden Überblick über die heute wie auch in früherer Zeit verwendeten Arzneidrogen.Die 3. Auflage des Lexikons enthält ca. 480 neue Artikel inkl. Strukturformeln der Drogeninhaltsstoffe und wurde um das Gebiet der Nahrungsergänzungsmittel erweitert. In den einzelnen Artikeln wird auf Drogen europäischer Arzneibücher hingewiesen sowie auf solche, die in der europäischen, afrikanischen, amerikanischen oder asiatischen traditionellen Medizin eingesetzt werden.Die Anordnung der Stichwörter erfolgt alphabetisch nach den wissenschaftlichen Namen der Pflanzen/Tiere/Mikroorganismen und beinhaltet Vorkommen bzw. Herkunft der Drogen, Inhaltsstoffe, therapeutische Nutzung bzw. Anwendung in der Volksheilkunde und Homöopathie.Als umfassendes Nachschlagewerk für alle Fragestellungen zu Arzneidrogen wendet sich das Lexikon an Wissenschaftler und Studenten der Pharmazie, Biologie, Medizin, Chemie sowie an Ärztefür Naturheilverfahren, Apotheker, Heilpraktiker und an Mitarbeiter in der Industrie.