Main description:

This book on medicinal plant biotechnology covers recent developments in this field. It includes a comprehensive up-to-date survey on established medicinal plants and on molecules which gained importance in recent years. No recently published book has covered these carefully selected topics. The contributing scientists have been selected on the basis of their involvement in the related plant material as evident by their internationally recognised published work.

Contents:

A.A. Salim, Y.-W. Chin, A. D. Kinghorn: Drug Discovery from Plants.- P. Waffo-Teguo, K. Stephanie, R. Tristan, J.M. Merillon: Grapevine Stilbenes and Biological Effects.- M.T. Luczkiewicz: Research into Isoflavonoid Phytoestrogens in Plant Cell Cultures.- S. Kintzios: Recent Advances in Secondary Metabolite Production from Plant Cell Culture: the Successful Case Stories of Rosmarinic Acid and Taxol.- K.G. Ramawat, M. Mathur, S. Dass, S. Suthar: Guggulsterone: A Potent Natural Hypolipidemic Agent from Commiphora wightii- Problems, Perseverance and Prospects.- P. Corchete: Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn: The Source of Silymarin.- A. Kirakosyan, D.M. Gibson, P.B. Kaufman: The production of Dianthrones and Phloroglucinol Derivatives in St. John's Wort.- D. Laurain-Mattar: Production of Alkaloids in Plant Cell and Tissue Cultures.- R. Mandapati: Bacopa Monnieri, a Nootropic Drug - A review.- R. Uma Shaanker, B.T. Ramesha, G. Ravikanth, R. Gunaga, R. Vasudeva, K.N. Ganeshaiah: Chemical Profiling of Nothapodytes nimmoniana for Camptothecin, an Important Anticancer Alkaloid: Towards Development of a Sustainable Production System.- S. Ghosh, S. Jha: Cochicine- an Overview for Plant Biotechnologists.- S. Srivastava, A.K. Srivastava: Recent Advances of in vitro Azadirachtin Production.- A. Pal: Arabinogalactan Protein and Arabinogalactan: Biomolecules with Biotechnological and Therapeutical Potentials.- S. Guillon, J. Tremouillaux-Guiller, P. K. Pati, P. Gantet: Hairy Roots: a Powerful Tool for Plant Biotechnological Advances.- S. Guillon, P. Gantet, M. Thiersault, M. Rideau, J Tremouillaux-Guiller: Hairy Roots of Catharanthus roseus: Efficient Routes to Monomeric Indole Alkaloid Production.- Z. Weglarz, J.L. Przybyl, A. Geszprych: Rose Root (Rhodiola rosea L): Effect of Internal and External Factors on Accumulation of Biologically Active Compounds.- L. F. Brisson: Apoptosis and Plant Derived Pharmaceuticals.- K. G. Ramawat, S. Goyal: Indian Herbal Drugs Scenario inGlobal Perspectives.- R. Mandapati, N.S. Kanaki: Phytochemical Standardization of Herbal Drugs and Polyherbal Formulations