Praveen K. Saxena - Böcker

Throughout time, humans have searched, collected, and effectively used plants for healing, but the "plant" is often the most neglected part of plant-based medicine. The medicinal plant-based business is flourishing at a dramatic pace, at the expense of an already declining population of plant species, many of which are on the verge of extinction. In spite of this history and popularity, the mystery of what transforms a plant into a medicinal plant persists, and there are chronic problems with ensuring the safety and efficacy of medicinal plant products. Therefore, there is a real need for a full characterization of medicinal plant species and for the development and application of novel technologies for the production of plant-based medicines. This book highlights some of the advances and approaches to the development of technologies for plant-based medicines and is intended to stimulate new discussions among researchers, regulatory authorities, and pharmaceutical organizations, leading to significant advancements in the field.

Given the vital and far-reaching applications of medicinal plant metabolites worldwide, the quality and consistency of the products as well as the very survival of various species are of the utmost importance. In Protocols for In Vitro Cultures and Secondary Metabolite Analysis of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants, expert researchers provide detailed, step-by-step protocols for the establishment of in vitro cultures of key medicinal plants, their mass multiplication in a controlled environment, and step-wise secondary metabolite analysis, genetic transformation, large-scale metabolite production in a bioreactor, and molecular markers. In addition, many of these protocols will provide a basis for much needed efforts of in vitro germplasm conservation or cryopreservation of medicinal plant species at the brink of extinction as well as efforts to protect them from the adverse impact of rapid climatic changes. As a volume in the Methods in Molecular Biology™ series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.Comprehensive and authoritative, Protocols for In Vitro Cultures and Secondary Metabolite Analysis of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants is an ideal resource for scientists endeavoring to continue the research on this exciting natural branch of medicine.