Medicinal Plants in the Asia Pacific for Zoonotic Pandemics provides an unprecedented, comprehensive overview of the phylogeny, botany, ethnopharmacology, and pharmacology of more than 100 plants used in the traditional medical systems of Asia and Pacific. It discusses their actions and potentials against viruses, bacteria, and fungi that represent a threat of epidemic and pandemic diseases, with an emphasis on the molecular basis and cellular pathways. This book presents scientific names, the botanical classification, traditional medicinal uses, active chemical constituents, and pharmacology. This volume is a critical reference for anyone involved in the discovery of lead molecules or phytopharmaceutical products for the prevention or treatment of pandemic viral, bacterial, or fungal infections. FEATURES Phylogenetic presentation of medicinal plants and a chemotaxonomical rationale of antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal actions Discusses the chemical structure-activity relationship, pharmacokinetics, and oral bioavailability of antimicrobial principles Introduces the molecular mechanism of natural products on viruses, bacteria, and fungi Contains a selection of botanical plates and useful bibliographic references This book is a useful research tool for postgraduates, academics, and the pharmaceutical, herbal, and nutrition industries. Medicinal Plants in the Asia Pacific for Zoonotic Pandemics includes commentary sections that invite further research and reflection on the fascinating and timely subject of the development of drugs and herbals from Asia-Pacific medicinal plants to safeguard humanity and other life forms against the forthcoming waves of viral, bacterial, or fungal pandemics. This book is an ideal reference text for medicinal plant enthusiasts.

Medicinal Plants: Chemistry, Biology and Omics reviews the phytochemistry, chemotaxonomy, molecular biology, and phylogeny of selected medicinal plant tribes and genera, and their relevance to drug efficacy. Medicinal plants provide a myriad of pharmaceutically active components, which have been commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine and worldwide for thousands of years. Increasing interest in plant-based medicinal resources has led to additional discoveries of many novel compounds, in various angiosperm and gymnosperm species, and investigations on their chemotaxonomy, molecular phylogeny and pharmacology. Chapters in this book explore the interrelationship within traditional Chinese medicinal plant groups and between Chinese species and species outside of China. Chapters also discuss the incongruence between chemotaxonomy and molecular phylogeny, concluding with chapters on systems biology and "-omics" technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics), and how they will play an increasingly important role in future pharmaceutical research.

Provides an understanding of (mostly) enzymatic reactions that are responsible for the function and maintenance of living things This innovative text for non-biochemistry majors includes introductory material at the beginning of each chapter that contextualizes chapter themes in real-life scenarios Online supporting materials with further opportunities for research and investigation Synthesis questions at the end of each chapter that encourage students to make connections between concepts and ideas, as well as develop critical-thinking skills

Dynamic Treatment Regimes: Statistical Methods for Precision Medicine provides a comprehensive introduction to statistical methodology for the evaluation and discovery of dynamic treatment regimes from data. Researchers and graduate students in statistics, data science, and related quantitative disciplines with a background in probability and statistical inference and popular statistical modeling techniques will be prepared for further study of this rapidly evolving field. A dynamic treatment regime is a set of sequential decision rules, each corresponding to a key decision point in a disease or disorder process, where each rule takes as input patient information and returns the treatment option he or she should receive. Thus, a treatment regime formalizes how a clinician synthesizes patient information and selects treatments in practice. Treatment regimes are of obvious relevance to precision medicine, which involves tailoring treatment selection to patient characteristics in an evidence-based way. Of critical importance to precision medicine is estimation of an optimal treatment regime, one that, if used to select treatments for the patient population, would lead to the most beneficial outcome on average. Key methods for estimation of an optimal treatment regime from data are motivated and described in detail. A dedicated companion website presents full accounts of application of the methods using a comprehensive R package developed by the authors. The authors' website www.dtr-book.com includes updates, corrections, new papers, and links to useful websites.

Discusses endogenous benzodiazepine-like substances - what do they do, do they affect the anti-anxiety drugs and their adverse effects? Presents information on the enigmatic prolonged benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome Describes the compounds acting at the BDZ binding sites, both exogenous (classical BDZ drugs and BDZ from food and plants) and endogenous (endozepines) Assesses the putative interactions in physiology, pathology and pharmacology of the compounds acting at the BDZ binding sites

Cassia is an indigenous plant in Africa, Latin America, Northern Australia and Southeast Asia. Several Cassia species are of high commercial and medicinal significance since they are used as spices and in traditional medicines. Currently plants from genus Cassia is in great demand due to their immense medicinal properties. Cassia species have various pharmacological activities such as antibacterial, analgesic, antiinflammatory, antiarthritic, hepatoprotective, antitumor, antifertility, antifungal, antioxidant, antileishmaniatic, antimicrobial, CNS and hypoglycaemic activitiy. Different class of compounds reported from Cassia species are anthraquinones, phenolics, flavonoids, chromenes, terpenes, proanthocyanidins, coumarins, chromones and lignans. The taxonomy and nomenclature of Cassia species are quite complex. It is very difficult to differentiate them due to their overlapping morphological characters and close similarities. This usually leads to misidentification and misinterpretation of the components. Features: Presents collection of Ayurvedic features and scientific evidence of most important medicinal plants of Cassia species Chemical signatures for identification of Cassia species Easy to use analytical procedure for quality control of Cassia species and its products.

Discusses endogenous benzodiazepine-like substances - what do they do, do they affect the anti-anxiety drugs and their adverse effects? Presents information on the enigmatic prolonged benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome Describes the compounds acting at the BDZ binding sites, both exogenous (classical BDZ drugs and BDZ from food and plants) and endogenous (endozepines) Assesses the putative interactions in physiology, pathology and pharmacology of the compounds acting at the BDZ binding sites

Microbial lipases are industrially important and have gained attention due to their stability, selectivity, and broad substrate specificity. Lipases are used as medicine, and they also aid in indigestion, heartburn, allergy to gluten in wheat products (celiac disease), Crohn's disease, and cystic fibrosis. This volume considers the industrial demand for new sources of lipases with different catalytic characteristics that stimulate the isolation, growth, and development of new microbial strains. The volume narrates the challenging metagenomic approach with the isolation of the lipase gene, its cloning into Escherichia coli, culture of the recombinant bacteria, and extraction and assessment of the lipase enzyme. Lipase-producing bacteria are available in different habitats, such as industrial wastes, vegetable oil processing factories, dairy plants, and soils contaminated with oil and oil seeds, among others. This volume is the effort of the authors to document the scientific findings carried out over the last eight years in the area of un-culturable soil microorganisms. The book presents the physic-chemical features of lipases and their specific applications in different commercial industries. The in-depth study looks at metagenomics for lipases from all angles and provides a truly informative resource. It describes the biochemical characterization of lipase enzymes with the high activity in the presence of 1% tributyrin. A wide review has been presented in the book on lipase enzymes purified from a large collection of microbes present in soil, seawater, waste-dumping sites, animal systems (including human beings), and the atmosphere. Stability of enzymes over changing environments of the industry is indeed a big issue, and the book deals at length with the changing temperatures and pH and metal ion concentrations.

This new book, Plant- and Marine- Based Phytochemicals for Human Health: Attributes, Potential, and Use, provides insight with scientific evidence on the use of medicinal plants in the treatment of certain diseases. It describes bioactive compounds of marine and plant origin that have been discovered to be advantageous for human health, shedding new light on the potential of phytochemicals on human health and contributing to the ocean of knowledge on phytochemistry and pharmaceutical biology. In addition, the role of plant-based pharmaceuticals is also discussed as an example of innovative uses of plant product. This book addresses the importance of phytochemicals from plants and marine life. It divided in four parts: Bioactive compounds in medicinal plants: status and potential Plant-based pharmaceuticals in human health: review Therapeutic attributes of mushroom, cereal grains, and legumes Innovative use of medicinal plants This compendium will be useful for the students and researchers as well as for industry professionals working in the food, nutraceuticals, and herbal industries.

This new volume presents a plethora of new research on the use of nanoconjugate nanocarriers in drug delivery. Nanotechnology as drug carriers has been observed to increase the level of sophistication through a variety of ways. It helps to alleviate some of the pitfalls of conventional dosage forms, such as few pitfalls such as non-specific drug delivery, dose dumping, poor patient compliance, toxicities linked with higher doses, etc. With chapters from highly skilled, experienced, and renowned scientists and researchers, Nanoconjugate Nanocarriers for Drug Delivery is divided into four sections, providing an introduction to nanocarriers for drug delivery, physicochemical features of nanocarriers, and specific applications dealing with drug delivery in particular. The materials used as well as formulation and characterization have been discussed in detail. The nanocarriers covered in the book include nanoparticles, vesicular carriers, carriers having carbon as the core constituent, dispersed systems, etc. The book also delves into the interaction and associations between drug delivery research and its therapeutic applications in practice. The book integrates a wide variety of case studies, research, and theories in an attempt to reveal the diversity and capture the novel approaches of nanoconjugate nanocarriers for drug delivery employed by developers and content experts in the field. This timely publication will be an essential reference and current awareness source, building on the available literature in the field of pharmacy and biomedical science, while also providing ideas for further research opportunities in this dynamic field.

This title includes a number of Open Access chapters. Pharmaceutical technology deals with the discovery, production, processing, and safe and effective delivery of medications to patients. Technologies involved include computer modeling for research, bioengineering for research instrumentation, processes and methods for increasing production, and computing technology and biosystematics for the management and analysis of data. This new book covers a wide range of important topics on today's pharmaceutical technology, such as in vitro drug release and controlled drug delivery, the use of nanotechnology in pharmaceuticals, quantum dot imaging, assessment and efficacy of pharmaceuticals, and much more.

This forward-looking book focuses on the recent advances in nanomedicine and drug delivery. It outlines the extraordinary new tools that have become available in nanomedicine and presents an integrated set of perspectives that describe where we are now and where we should be headed to put nanomedicine devices into applications as quickly as possible, while also considering the possible dangers of nanomedicine. The book considers the full range of nanomedicinal applications that employ molecular nanotechnology inside the human body, from the perspective of a future practitioner in an era of widely available nanomedicine. Written by some of the most innnovative minds in medicine and engineering, this unique volume will help professionals understand cutting-edge and futuristic areas of research that can have tremendous payoff in terms of improving human health. Readers will find insightful discussions of nanostructured intelligent materials and devices that are considered technically feasible and which have a high potential to produce advances in medicine in the near future. Topics include: Health benefits of phytochemicals and the application of colloidal delivery systems Study of non-covalent attachment of recombinant targeting proteins to polymer-modified Adenoviral gene delivery vectors The role of nanoparticles as adjuvants for mucosal vaccine delivery Poly(amido-amine)s as delivery styems for biologically active substances Antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles Nanomedicine in the use of cancer treatment Dendrimers, capsules based on lipid vesicles for drug delivery Many other recent achievements

This volume addresses efforts to overcome the shortcomings of conventional dosage forms by exploiting the principles of nanoscience to deliver drugs for medical treatment. Nanodispersions are an important aspect because they possess globules/particles in sizes usually below 1000 nm in which the drug is dispersed in a continuous medium employing surface-active agents as stabilizers. With chapters written by experienced scientists and researchers in the field, this volume provides an abundance of information on various aspects of nanodispersions for drug delivery. The book is divided into several sections: nanoemulsions, nanosuspensions, and diverse dispersed systems. The chapters detail what nanodispersions have demonstrated in the past and what they are expoected to continue to do in the future as the technology further evolves. Key features: * Provides an overview of nanoemulsions for drug delivery * Introduces the general principles, classification, and methods of preparation of nanoemulsion-based drug delivery systems * Presents information relevant to specific routes of applications of nanoemulsions * Looks at the various aspects of nanosuspensions, including their formulation components, preparation methods, unique features, methods of characterization, and applications in various routes of administration * Explores nanomicellar approaches for drug delivery * Discusses the preparation, applications, and clinical considerations of nanogels for drug delivery

The new volume takes an interdisciplinary look at current technical challenges and recent developmental trends in microbial biotechnology. It covers an avalanche of new information available through research by focusing on a broad spectrum of issues on different microorganisms and their recent applications and implications in agriculture, soil science and forestry, industry, and public health and medicine. Microbes present in our immediate environment have a direct or indirect influence leading to either a harmful or beneficial effect. Microbial Biotechnology: Technological Challenges and Developmental Trends is divided into four major sections that focus on Part I: Antimicrobial Agents: Role and Applications in Medicine and Health Care Part II: Role of Microorganisms in Agriculture and Plant Biotechnology Part III: Microbial Enzymes and Their Potential Industrial Applications Part IV: Microorganisms in Environment: Role and Industrial Applications Topic include organic chemistry, biomass conversion, optimal production processes for different microbes, screening methods, and application of omics approaches such as (meta) genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, or other biotechnology tools, to provide a deeper understanding of the microbial-based new and emerging products, trends, processes, and technologies. The chapters present unbiased original research results on microbes by incorporating case studies wherever appropriate. Providing research findings applicable to the development of new methodologies, applications, and technologies, the book will be a valuable resource for people working in various fields of microbiology.

This valuable new book offers a new perspective on dendrimers that bridges the gap between basic research and applied nanomedicine. It explores the ultimate effectiveness of dendrimers in theranostics, a promising field that combines therapeutics and diagnostics into single multifunctional formulations used to affect therapy or treatment of a disease state. The authors examine the potential uses of dendrimers, which have proven their capabilities in local/systemic drug delivery, physical stabilization of the drug, solubility enhancement of the poorly soluble drugs, and gene delivery.

Pharmaceutical Biotechnology: A Focus on Industrial Application covers the development of new biopharmaceuticals as well as the improvement of those being produced. The main purpose is to provide background and concepts related to pharmaceutical biotechnology, together with an industrial perspective. This is a comprehensive text for undergraduates, graduates and academics in biochemistry, pharmacology and biopharmaceutics, as well as professionals working on the interdisciplinary field of pharmaceutical biotechnology. Written with educators in mind, this book provides teachers with background material to enhance their classes and offers students and other readers an easy-to-read text that examines the step-by-step stages of the development of new biopharmaceuticals. Features: Discusses specific points of great current relevance in relation to new processes as well as traditional processes Addresses the main unitary operations used in the biopharmaceutical industry such as upstream and downstream Includes chapters that allow a broad evaluation of the production process Dr. Adalberto Pessoa Jr. is Full Professor at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Sao Paulo and Visiting Senior Professor at King's College London. He has experience in enzyme and fermentation technology and in the purification processes of biotechnological products such as liquid-liquid extraction, cross-flow filtration and chromatography of interest to the pharmaceutical and food industries. Dr. Michele Vitolo is Full Professor at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Sao Paulo. He has experience in enzyme technology, in immobilization techniques (aiming the reuse of the biocatalyst) and in the operation of membrane reactors for obtaining biotechnological products of interest to the pharmaceutical, chemical and food industries. Dr. Paul F. Long is Professor of Biotechnology at King's College London and Visiting International Research Professor at the University of Sao Paulo. He is a microbiologist by training and his research uses a combination of bioinformatics, laboratory and field studies to discover new medicines from nature, particularly from the marine environment.

The history of patent harmonization is a story of dynamic actors, whose interactions with established structures shaped the patent regime. From the inception of the trade regime to include intellectual property (IP) rights to the present, this book documents the role of different sets of actors - states, transnational business corporations, or civil society groups - and their influence on the structures - such as national and international agreements, organizations, and private entities - that have caused changes to healthcare and access to medication. Presenting the debates over patents, trade, and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement), as it galvanized non-state and nonbusiness actors, the book highlights how an alternative framing and understanding of pharmaceutical patent rights emerged: as a public issue, instead of a trade or IP issue. The book thus offers an important analysis of the legal and political dynamics through which the contest for access to lifesaving medication has been, and will continue to be, fought. In addition to academics working in the areas of international law, development, and public health, this book will also be of interest to policy makers, state actors, and others with relevant concerns working in nongovernmental and international organizations.

Updating and expanding the scope of topics covered in the previous edition, Percutaneous Absorption: Drugs, Cosmetics, Mechanisms, Methods, Fifth Edition supplies new chapters on topics currently impacting the field including cutaneous metabolism, skin contamination, exposure to protein allergens, in vitro absorption methodology and the percutaneous absorption of chemical mixtures. Complete with studies on the role of the skin as a key portal of entry for chemicals into the body, this book serves as a detailed reference source for recent advances in the field, as well as an experimental guide for laboratory personnel. Key Features: Details in vivo and in vitro methods for measuring absorption, dermal decontamination, mechanisms of transdermal delivery, and the relationship of transepidermal water loss to percutaneous absorption Considers a range of mathematical models, the safety evaluation of cosmetic ingredients, the absorption of hair dyes, nanoparticles for drug delivery, and other novel methods of drug delivery Discusses topics including skin metabolism, the skin reservoir, and the effects of desquamation on absorption

This new volume looks at the applications of biomarkers as important tools for herbal drug discovery, presenting research on phytoconstituents with advanced nanotechnological applications for healthcare benefits. Herbal drug discovery based on biomarkers is an emerging area in complementary and alternative medicine that has tremendous potential in healthcare. Conventional medications have limited efficacy and high toxicity, whereas herbal drugs are said to provide wide structural diversity that is not usually seen with conventional/synthetic drug molecules. Recognition of various herbal constituents, such as terpenoids, fatty acids, flavonoids and steroids, are well explored in the management and treatment of various disorders in this volume. These agents target various biomarkers such as nitric oxide (NO), cytokines, chemokines, adhesion molecules, NF- k , lipoxygenase (LOX), and arachidonic acid. Biomarkers as Targeted Herbal Drug Discovery: A Pharmacological Approach to Nanomedicines discusses phytoconstituent-based nanotherapeutics with applications for some specific health issues, such as arthritis, leishmanicidal, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, ocular disorders, etc.

Nature is an attractive source of therapeutic and preventive compounds, and with such chemical diversity found in millions of species of plants, over 60% of currently used anticancer agents are derived from natural sources. Cancer Inhibitors from Chinese Natural Medicines summarizes new advancements in the experimental and clinical research of a selection of promising cancer inhibitors. It focuses on the latest scientific investigations of 238 Chinese herbs and discusses important aspects, including the types of inhibitors in the herbs, level of potency, mechanisms, and the advances in modification and formulation. Formulations from nano-particulates and immunotoxins in cancer inhibitors are also included in this comprehensive resource.

The rich biodiversity of Borneo provides many useful plants for medicinal purposes. Written by experts in the field, Medicinal Plants of Borneo provides a guide and introduction to the medicinal plants from Borneo used traditionally as well as plants whose medicinal uses have been recently discovered. These include anti-HIV plants - such as Calophyllum lanigerum (calanolide A) - and anti-cancer plants - such as Aglaia foveolata (silvestrol). The book also provides information on the relevant medicinal chemistry, such as isolated bioactive compounds and the mechanism of action, where available. FEATURES Discusses the rich experience in the use of medicinal plants and the wide diversity of Borneo's botanical resources Presents plants with medicinal properties from a scientific perspective Provides readers with current information on the chemistry and pharmacology of natural products with pharmaceutical potential Covers a range of chemical, botanical and pharmacological diversities Forms an important part of the Natural Products Chemistry of Global Plants series due to an increasing global interest in natural products and botanical drugs Simon Gibbons is Head of the School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, UK, and a Professor of Natural Product Chemistry. He was formerly a Professor of Medicinal Phytochemistry at the School of Pharmacy, University College London (UCL). Stephen P. Teo is a forest botanist with the Forest Department, Sarawak, Malaysia.

The vast and exciting Brazilian flora biodiversity is still underexplored. Several research groups are devoted to the study of the chemical structure richness found in the different Biomes. This volume presents a comprehensive account of the research collated on natural products produced from Brazilian medicinal plants and focuses on various aspects of the field. The authors describe the key natural products and their extracts with emphasis upon sources, an appreciation of these complex molecules and applications in science. Many of the extracts are today associated with important drugs, nutrition products, beverages, perfumes, cosmetics and pigments, and these are highlighted. Key Features: Presents Brazilian biodiversity: its flora, its people, and its research Describes the emergence of natural products research in Brazil Emphasizes the increasing global interests in botanical drugs Aids the international natural product communities to better understand the herbal resources in Brazil Discusses Brazilian legislation to work with native plants

Most adults take at least one prescription medication for example, for high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, depression, asthma, diabetes, COPD, or a variety of other reasons, but most people (and many healthcare providers) are totally unaware that medications can have direct negative effects on sexual functioning and performance. This informative and timely book written by three well-known medications experts explores the chemistry behind sexual arousal in men and women and clearly and authoritatively explains how the common categories of prescription and over-the-counter medications and abused substances might be the reason for their declining sexual performance or even interest.

Most adults take at least one prescription medication for example, for high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, depression, asthma, diabetes, COPD, or a variety of other reasons, but most people (and many healthcare providers) are totally unaware that medications can have direct negative effects on sexual functioning and performance. This informative and timely book written by three well-known medications experts explores the chemistry behind sexual arousal in men and women and clearly and authoritatively explains how the common categories of prescription and over-the-counter medications and abused substances might be the reason for their declining sexual performance or even interest.

The drug discovery and development process is getting longer, more expensive, and no better. The industry suffers from the same clinical attrition and safety-related market withdrawal rates today as it did 20 years ago. Industrialization of Drug Discovery: From Target Selection Through Lead Optimization scrutinizes these problems in detail, contrasting the promise of technology and industrialization with the challenges of using the tools available to their best advantage. The book explores early successes, examines the current state of the art, and provides a strategic analysis of the issues currently facing drug discovery. Introducing the historical background and current status of the industry, the book delineates the basic tenets underlying modern drug discovery, how they have evolved, and their use in various approaches and strategies. It examines, in detail, the regulations, requirements, guidelines, and draft documents that guide so many FDA actions. The editor devotes the remainder of the discussion to industrialization, compound and knowledge management functions, the drug screening process, collaboration, and finally, ethical issues. Drawing on real-life, from-the-trenches examples, the book elucidates a new approach to drug discovery and development. This modern-day, back-to-basics approach includes three steps: understand the science, unravel the story, and then intelligently apply the technology, bringing to bear the entire armamentarium of industrialization techniques, not just automation, to the discovery process. Using these steps, you can meet the goals of more specific targets, more selective compounds, and decreased cycle times. In effect, you can look for a bigger needle in a smaller haystack. Daniel E. Levy, editor of the Drug Discovery Series, is the founder of DEL BioPharma, a consulting service for drug discovery programs. He also maintains a blog that explores organic chemistry.