Artemisia annua is a well-known medicinal plant that has been utilized for a number of purposes, including malaria, for centuries. This is the first comprehensive book to cover the importance of Artemisia annua in the global health crisis and in the treatment against diseases. A component and extract, artemisinin, is the source of other derivatives which are also suitable for pharmaceutical use. The present demand for artemisinin far outpaces its supply. Researchers are working globally towards improving artemisinin content in the plant by various means. Artemisia annua: Prospects, Applications and Therapeutic Uses highlights the different approaches, including 'omics', that are being used in current research on this immensely important medicinal plant. Providing comprehensive coverage of the agricultural and pharmaceutical uses of this plant, Artemisia annua will be essential reading for botanists, plant scientists, herbalists, pharmacognosists, pharmacologists and natural product chemists.

Radiation-Processed Polysaccharides: Emerging Roles in Agriculture is the first book to focus exclusively on this emerging and important option for reducing the overuse and negative impact of agrochemicals in agriculture. Among practices being developed for effective and eco-friendly plant growth regulators in crop production, using radiation-processed polysaccharides (RPPs) is a promising technique. Comprised of chapters from diverse areas of plant science, including agriculture, agronomy, biotechnology, nanotechnology, molecular biology, and radiation agriculture, this book provides insights into the practical application of RPPs and inspires further research toward sustainable and efficient agricultural production. Polysaccharides (sodium alginate, carrageenan, chitosan and others) in their depolymerized state are increasingly important to agriculture based on their unique biological properties, biocompatibility, biodegradability and non-toxicity. Understanding the impact of RPPs on the plant phenotype, translocation of nutrients from source to sink, signal processing, and crosstalk helps improve the applicability of RPPs and sustainable agricultural yield.

This book studies the production of indole alkaloids in the important medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don, commonly known as periwinkle. The anticancer alkaloids, viz. vinblastine and vincristine, are mainly present in the leaves of C. roseus and inhibit the growth of cancer cells by hindering the formation of mitotic apparatus during cell division. Further, vinblastine helps increase the chance of surviving childhood leukemia while vincristine is used to treat Hodgkin's disease. Great efforts have been made to produce these alkaloids at a large scale by the culture of plant cells. In view of this worldwide demand for commercial use, this book explores how to maximize the production of anticancer alkaloids from C. roseus. This reference book will be helpful for research students, teachers, ethnobotanists, pharmacologists and herbal growers who have a strong interest in this anticancer medicinal plant of paramount importance.

This book studies the production of indole alkaloids in the important medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don, commonly known as periwinkle. The anticancer alkaloids, viz. vinblastine and vincristine, are mainly present in the leaves of C. roseus and inhibit the growth of cancer cells by hindering the formation of mitotic apparatus during cell division. Further, vinblastine helps increase the chance of surviving childhood leukemia while vincristine is used to treat Hodgkin's disease. Great efforts have been made to produce these alkaloids at a large scale by the culture of plant cells. In view of this worldwide demand for commercial use, this book explores how to maximize the production of anticancer alkaloids from C. roseus. This reference book will be helpful for research students, teachers, ethnobotanists, pharmacologists and herbal growers who have a strong interest in this anticancer medicinal plant of paramount importance.

Artemisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone originally extracted from the medicinal plant Artemisia annua L., is an effective antimalarial agent, particularly for multi-drug resistant and cerebral malaria. However, the concentration of artemisinin in the plant is very low. Because the chemical synthesis of artemisinin is complicated and not economically feasible in view of the poor yield of the drug, the intact plant remains the only viable source of artemisinin production. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the concentration of artemisinin in A. annua to reduce the cost of artemisinin based antimalarial drugs. Plant scientists have focused their efforts on A. annua for a higher artemisinin crop yield. With the present volume, we are bringing together the research which is being done on this plant throughout the world and future possibilities for scientists and researchers who want to work on it.

Artemisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone originally extracted from the medicinal plant Artemisia annua L., is an effective antimalarial agent, particularly for multi-drug resistant and cerebral malaria. However, the concentration of artemisinin in the plant is very low. Because the chemical synthesis of artemisinin is complicated and not economically feasible in view of the poor yield of the drug, the intact plant remains the only viable source of artemisinin production. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the concentration of artemisinin in A. annua to reduce the cost of artemisinin based antimalarial drugs. Plant scientists have focused their efforts on A. annua for a higher artemisinin crop yield. With the present volume, we are bringing together the research which is being done on this plant throughout the world and future possibilities for scientists and researchers who want to work on it.

Artemisia annua is a well-known medicinal plant that has been utilized for a number of purposes, including malaria, for centuries. This is the first comprehensive book to cover the importance of Artemisia annua in the global health crisis and in the treatment against diseases. A component and extract, artemisinin, is the source of other derivatives which are also suitable for pharmaceutical use. The present demand for artemisinin far outpaces its supply. Researchers are working globally towards improving artemisinin content in the plant by various means. Artemisia annua: Prospects, Applications and Therapeutic Uses highlights the different approaches, including 'omics', that are being used in current research on this immensely important medicinal plant. Providing comprehensive coverage of the agricultural and pharmaceutical uses of this plant, Artemisia annua will be essential reading for botanists, plant scientists, herbalists, pharmacognosists, pharmacologists and natural product chemists.

Majority of the medicinal plants belong to angiospermic families of which legume family (Fabaceae) is the third largest, with approximately 650 genera and 20,000 species. A handsome number of medicinal legumes are potential sources of glycosides (aloe-emodin, chrysophenol, emodin, and rhein etc.), antibiotics, flavonoids, alkaloids and phytochemicals, which are used in drug manufacturing by the pharmaceutical industries. Among them, hyacinth bean, senna sophera, coffee senna and cassia tora constitute the most important source of therapeutic agents used in the modern as well as traditional systems of medicine. For the cultivation of plants, the role of mineral nutrition is of paramount importance. Generally legumes require high amount of phosphorus and calcium for their growth, nodule formation and N2-fixation. Hence, intensive research efforts should be expanded for maximizing the yield of potentially useful leguminous medicinal plants particularly through optimal supply of the required fertilizers. This work provides valuable information regarding mineral nutrition strategies for the cultivation of medicinally important leguminous plants.

Historical uses of Catharanthus roseus in the treatment of diabetes, fever, malaria, regulation of menstrual cycle, throat infection and chest complaints have been reported. Only few plants have the anticancer properties and periwinkle is one of them. The physiologically important and antineoplastic alkaloids, vinblastine and vincristine, are mainly present in leaves and antihypertensive alkaloids are found in roots such as ajmalicine, serpentine and reserpine. Vincristine and vinblastine have extensive use in modern medicine as potential anticancer compounds. Above medicinal properties are worth attracting the attention of plant scientists to increase the secondary metabolites of this plant. The growth and active constituents production of medicinal plants can be altered by the application of several PGRs.The present study explore the role of two well known PGRs namely gibberellic acid and triacontanol to increase the productivity aanticancerous alkaloids in Catharanthus roseus L.

Herbal medicines are in great demand in both developed and the developing countries because even in many of the modern medicines, the basic composition of drugs is derived from plants due to their easy availability, least side effects, low prices, and long-lasting curative properties. Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) occupy prominent positions both in ancient and modern systems of medicine. Though India is a major producer of turmeric, the growing on supply demand owing to its nutritive and therapeutic values is putting a heavy strain in the market. To overcome this critical situation, its enhanced production with value addition, if possible, is extra-ordinarily desirable. Thus, it is necessary to improve the techniques of cultivation and increase the per hectare yield of the medicinal and spice crops through balanced nutrition. This work provides valuable information regarding mineral nutrition strategies for the cultivation of this important spice crop. The application of mineral nutrients through roots improves the productivity and quality attributes and production of curcumin content in Curcuma longa L.

Malaria is thought to be among the oldest of human diseases. It has long had serious effects on morbidity and mortality, and in turn on the economic and social fabric of nations and society. Various methods have long been utilized to mitigate its frequency and effects in both temperate and tropical climates. Presently the most effective treatment of malaria is based on derivatives of artemisinin, an extract from the plant Artemisia annua. Only artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) meets international standards set-up by WHO and UNICEF for the cure of malaria. The present demand for artemisinin is far more than that of supply, therefore, researchers are working round the world towards improving artemisinin content in the plant by various means. This work explains the potential use of radiolytically derived oligomers of sodium alginate together with soil-applied phosphorus induce the productivity and artemisinin (antimalarial drug) synthesis in Artemisia annua plants.

This contributed volume brings together an inclusive collection of information about the medicinal crop fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum). Fenugreek is one of the medicinal plants important in the management of diabetes and contributes greatly in the alternative systems of medicine. These beneficial properties of fenugreek are covered in here. Further, this book explores the agronomy, biotechnology, genomics and biochemistry aspects of the crop. This book is of interest to teachers, researchers, agronomists and biochemists. Also, the book serves as additional reading material for graduate students of agriculture and pharmacology. National and international agricultural scientists, policy makers will also find this to be a useful read.