Main description:

Presenting recent discoveries on ethnomedicinal plants around the world, this book focuses on evaluating the progress to date as well as the future potential of drug development in ethnomedicine. Eight reviews examine therapeutic applications including the spasmolitic effects of various plants, the anti-inflammatory activity of plants from Brazil and Tunisia, common fertility treatments in Trinidad and Tobago, traditional medicines from Cameroon and their interaction with estrogen receptors, the medicinal plants used in Spain to treat digestion problems, immune-modulators and stimulators from plants, and antimicrobial herbs from India.

Contents:

Ethnomedicinal Plants: Progress and the Future of Drug Development: Spasmolytic Effect of Constituents from Ethnomedicinal Plants on Smooth Muscle: Brazilian Ethnomedicinal Plants with Anti-inflammatory Action: Women's Knowledge of Herbs used in Reproduction in Trinidad and Tobago: Medicinal Value of Polyunsaturated and Other Fatty Acids Occurring in Ethnomedicinal Plants: Smoke of Ethnobotanical Plants used in Healing Ceremonies in Brazilian Culture: Traditional Medicines as the Source of Immuno-modulators and Stimulators and their Safety Issues: Traditional Knowledge about Indian Antimicrobial Herbs: Retrospect and Prospects:Medicinal Usefulness of Woodfordia fruticosa (Linn.) Azadirachta indica: Chemical Vonstituents and Biological Properties: Ethnomedicine of Quassia and Related Plants in Tropical America: Ethnomedicinal Use of Anti-inflammatory and Anti-rheumatic Plants in Tunisia: Medicinal Plants used in Folk Medicine for Digestive Diseases in Central Spain: Traditional Medicinal Products and their Interaction with Estrogens Receptors - Implications for Human Health: Applications of Microarray Technology in Ethnomedicinal Plant Research:Combining Ethnobotany and Informatics to Discover Knowledge from Data: Conservation Strategies for Ethnomedicinal Plants