With chapters written by scientists from respected institutes and universities around the world, this book looks at the bioprospecting of medicinal plants for potential health uses and at the pharmacognosy of a selection of medicinal and aromatic plants. The book touches on a diverse selection of topics related to medicinal plants. Chapters look at the use of medicinal plants in healthcare and disease management, such as to treat inflammation, anti-hyperglycemia, and obesity and as immunity boosters. The authors also address the conservation, maintenance, and sustainable utilization of medicinal plants along with postharvest management issues. A chapter discusses the use of synthetic seeds in relation to cryopreservation, and a chapter is devoted to the use of microcomputed tomography and image processing tools in medicinal and aromatic plants. Other topics include consumption, supply chain, marketing, trade, and future directions of research. Some specific plants discussed include fennel, basil, clove, ginger, lavender, turmeric, ginsing, and asparagus in connection with their various therapeutic properties, including anti-rheumatic, anti-asthmatic, anti-diabetic, carminative, diuretic, fever-reducing, and hypotensive. Medicinal Plants: Bioprospecting and Pharmacognosy will prove informative for scientists and researchers in medicinal plants as well as for faculty and students, pharmaceutical researchers, and others.

Spices provide our food with nutraceutical value rather than actual nutrition. But apart from the popular and major spices, there are several other spices, which, in spite of their enormous contribution to human health, remain underexploited or underutilized. This new volume, Underexploited Spice Crops: Present Status, Agrotechnology, and Future Research Directions, is a valuable compilation of agrotechniques coupled with background information, research works, and scientific discussions on these spices. It will include in-depth narration on underexploited spice crops as products in influencing present-day the global export market and the renewed interest in these crops throughout the world. The volume deals with the scientific approach of growing underexploited spices with the intention of popularizing them. Separate chapters on the importance of each spice, methods of growing and harvesting, and recent research from around the world along with future strategies are covered.

Indian spices are famous across the globe and have attracted food lovers for ages. With the increasing awareness of health through foods, people are now more conscious about the health and nutraceutical benefits of spices. The past few years have witnessed pioneering research work in this area with various spices. This volume is a comprehensive volume that collects and collates the wisdom of the past and blends it with the technological progress of today. The book offers comprehensive coverage on the subject of Indian spices and their agrotechniques. It is a rich compilation of agrotechniques coupled with background information, research work, and scientific discussion on the basic and applied aspects on the subject. The first chapter in Spices: Agrotechniques for Quality Produce is introductory and provides an overview of spices that have important flavor compounds. It looks at the present status of world spice scenario on export and import, major markets, etc. The second chapter deals with classification of spices, condiments, and herbs. The third chapter is the major one that precisely describes agrotechniques and production technology of fifty individual spices comprised of the major spices. It covers three rhizomatous spices, six bulbous spices, eight tree spices (six aromatic and two acidulant), eleven seed spices, twelve leafy or herbal spices or aromatic herbs, four lesser-known spices, and three other spices with due consideration to quality and value-added benefits. This chapter also presents a general discussion of the systematic position, composition, uses, export-import scenario, medicinal values, etc., of these spices. The subsequent chapters deal with recent research approaches on spices around the world and explore the promises of organic spices and future research directions. This volume will be useful to all those who are interested in spices, including students, teachers, researchers, amateur readers, policymakers, as well as farming communities.

Indian spices are famous across the globe and have attracted food lovers for ages. With the increasing awareness of health through foods, people are now more conscious about the health and nutraceutical benefits of spices. The past few years have witnessed pioneering research work in this area with various spices. This volume is a comprehensive volume that collects and collates the wisdom of the past and blends it with the technological progress of today. The book offers comprehensive coverage on the subject of Indian spices and their agrotechniques. It is a rich compilation of agrotechniques coupled with background information, research work, and scientific discussion on the basic and applied aspects on the subject. The first chapter in Spices: Agrotechniques for Quality Produce is introductory and provides an overview of spices that have important flavor compounds. It looks at the present status of world spice scenario on export and import, major markets, etc. The second chapter deals with classification of spices, condiments, and herbs. The third chapter is the major one that precisely describes agrotechniques and production technology of fifty individual spices comprised of the major spices. It covers three rhizomatous spices, six bulbous spices, eight tree spices (six aromatic and two acidulant), eleven seed spices, twelve leafy or herbal spices or aromatic herbs, four lesser-known spices, and three other spices with due consideration to quality and value-added benefits. This chapter also presents a general discussion of the systematic position, composition, uses, export-import scenario, medicinal values, etc., of these spices. The subsequent chapters deal with recent research approaches on spices around the world and explore the promises of organic spices and future research directions. This volume will be useful to all those who are interested in spices, including students, teachers, researchers, amateur readers, policymakers, as well as farming communities.

This book is a unique overview of insights on the genetic basis of anti-diabetic activity, chemistry, physiology, biotechnology, mode-of-action, as well as cellular mechanisms of anti-diabetic secondary metabolites from medicinal plants. The World Health Organization estimated that 80% of the populations of developing countries rely on traditional medicines, mostly plant drugs, for their primary health care needs. There is an increasing demand for medicinal plants having anti-diabetic potential in both developing and developed countries. The expanding trade in medicinal plants has serious implications on the survival of several plant species, with many under threat to become extinct. This book describes various approaches to conserve these genetic resources. It discusses the whole spectrum of biotechnological tools from micro-propagation for large-scale multiplication, cell-culture techniques to the biosynthesis and enhancement of pharmaceutical compounds in the plants. It also discusses the genetic transformation as well as short- to long-term conservation of plant genetic resources via synthetic seed production and cryopreservation, respectively. The book is enriched with expert contributions from across the globe. This reference book is useful for researchers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries, medicinal chemists, biochemists, botanists, molecular biologists, academicians, students as well as diabetic patients, traditional medicine practitioners, scientists in medicinal and aromatic plants, Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and other traditional medical practitioners.

This work comprehensively covers the production, processing and post harvest technology of Indian spices with an added focus on the history and uniqueness of this legendary regional product. Individual chapters describe the unique aspects of these spices and their production, post harvest technology and value addition, molecular breeding, organic farming aspects, climate change effects and bioactive compounds. Seasonal, preparatory, and storage conditions resulting in composition variations are explored. Indian Spices: The Legacy, Production and Processing of India's Treasured Export begins by outlining the historical legacy of Indian spices and describing the many aspects that make this product so unique and highly valued. The abundance and variety of these spices are also delineated. Further chapters focus on current research involving the production technology involved in production, management, harvesting and processing of Indian spices along with post harvest processes, storage and transportation. Important and effective trends such as molecular breeding for spice crop improvement, tissue culture, climate change impacts, organic spices, extension strategies and secondary metabolites receive dedicated chapters. A valuable aspect of this work is the presentation of value chains for these spices, with extensive research presented on the marketing and export of the product. With the shift from localized distribution networks to a fully globalized industry, this book comes at an important time of growth for Indian spices and will be of major value to any researcher with interest in the past, present and future of this product.

This book is a unique overview of insights on the genetic basis of anti-diabetic activity, chemistry, physiology, biotechnology, mode-of-action, as well as cellular mechanisms of anti-diabetic secondary metabolites from medicinal plants. The World Health Organization estimated that 80% of the populations of developing countries rely on traditional medicines, mostly plant drugs, for their primary health care needs. There is an increasing demand for medicinal plants having anti-diabetic potential in both developing and developed countries. The expanding trade in medicinal plants has serious implications on the survival of several plant species, with many under threat to become extinct. This book describes various approaches to conserve these genetic resources. It discusses the whole spectrum of biotechnological tools from micro-propagation for large-scale multiplication, cell-culture techniques to the biosynthesis and enhancement of pharmaceutical compounds in the plants. It also discusses the genetic transformation as well as short- to long-term conservation of plant genetic resources via synthetic seed production and cryopreservation, respectively. The book is enriched with expert contributions from across the globe. This reference book is useful for researchers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries, medicinal chemists, biochemists, botanists, molecular biologists, academicians, students as well as diabetic patients, traditional medicine practitioners, scientists in medicinal and aromatic plants, Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and other traditional medical practitioners.

This book combines several ideas and philosophies and provides a detailed discussion on the value addition of fruits, vegetables, spices, plantation crops, floricultural crops and in forestry. Separate chapters address the packaging, preservation, drying, dehydration, total quality management and supply chain management of horticultural crops. The book explains value addition as a process of increasing the economic value and consumer appeal of a commodity with special reference to horticultural crops. Each chapter focuses on a specific area, exploring value addition as a production/ marketing strategy driven by customer needs and preferences. But, as such, it is also a more creative field, calling for more imagination than calculated, routine work. Value is added to the particular produce item when the product is still available when the season is out and the demand for the product exceeds the available supply. Value addition is an important factor in the growth and development of the horticultural sector, both in India and around the world. But very little information is available on this particular aspect of horticulture. Albert Einstein famously said, "Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value." This message is not only true for those people who want to make more of themselves, but also for those who want their creation or product in any form to excel. And it certainly applies to horticultural crops, which are extremely perishable. It is true that loss reduction is normally less costly than equivalent increases in production. The loss of fresh produce can be minimized by adopting different processing and preservation techniques to convert the fresh vegetables into suitable value-added and diversified products, which will help to reduce the market glut during harvest season. Value-added processed products are products that can be obtained from main products and by-products after some sort of processing and subsequently marketed for an increased profit margin. Generally speaking, value-added products indicate that for the same volume of primary products, a higher price is achieved by means of processing, packing, enhancing the quality or other such methods. The integrated approach from harvesting to the delivery into the hands of the consumer, if handled properly, can add value to fresh produce on the market. But most of the fresh produce has a limited life, although it can be stored at appropriate temperature and relative humidity for the same time. If such produce is processed just after harvesting, it adds value and stabilizes the processed products for a longer time. Preparing processed products will provide more variety to consumers and improve the taste and other sensory properties of food. This will also promote their fortification with nutrients that are lacking in fresh produce. By adopting suitable methods for processing and value addition, the shelf life of fresh produce can be increased manifold, which supports their availability year-round to a wider spectrum of consumers on both the domestic and international market. With increased urbanization, rising middle class purchasing power, changing food habits and a decline in making preserved products in individual homes, there is now a higher demand for industry-made products on the domestic market. In spite of all these aspects, only 1-2.2% of the total produce is processed in developing countries, as compared to 40-83% in developed countries. The horticultural export industry offers an important source of employment for developing countries. For instance, horticulture accounts for 30% of India's agricultural GDP from 8.5% of cropped area. India is the primary producer of spices, second largest producer of fruits and vegetables and holds a prominent position with regard to most plantation crops in the world. The cultivation of horticultural crops is substantially more labor-intensive than growing cereal crops and offers more post-harvest opportunities for the development of value-added products. This book offers a valuable guide for students of horticulture, as well as a comprehensive resource for educators, scientists, industrial personnel, amateur growers and farmers.

Spices provide our food with nutraceutical value rather than actual nutrition. But apart from the popular and major spices, there are several other spices, which, in spite of their enormous contribution to human health, remain underexploited or underutilized. This new volume, Underexploited Spice Crops: Present Status, Agrotechnology, and Future Research Directions, is a valuable compilation of agrotechniques coupled with background information, research works, and scientific discussions on these spices. It will include in-depth narration on underexploited spice crops as products in influencing present-day the global export market and the renewed interest in these crops throughout the world. The volume deals with the scientific approach of growing underexploited spices with the intention of popularizing them. Separate chapters on the importance of each spice, methods of growing and harvesting, and recent research from around the world along with future strategies are covered.

The history of aroma and fragrance dates back through several ages and civilizations. The sagacity of smell plays a remarkable role for human beings to recognise food. Best fruits can be judged when they are ripe and fit for consumption emitting lovely smell or aroma. The same attribute from flowers attracts insects leading to cross-pollination. India has enjoyed a paramount place in the fabrication of quality perfumes and aromatics since the prehistoric era. The celebrated Chinese voyager Fa-Hien described India as the land of aromatic plants. Indian cities like Delhi, Agra, Kannauj, Lucknow, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Aligarh, Bharatpur, Mysore, and Hyderabad emerged as centres of national and international trade in perfumery and other aromatic compounds, and were known for their quality across Asia, Europe and Africa. Aromatic plants precisely possess odorous volatile substances in root, wood, bark, stem, foliage, flower and fruit. The typical aroma is due to an assortment of composite chemical compounds. At present, information on the chemistry and properties of essential oils of only about 500 aromatic plants species is known in some detail out of a total of about 1500. Of these, about 50 species find use as commercial source of essential oils and aroma chemicals. It is realized now that perfumes are not the essentials of sumptuousness as they were in the past. It has given birth to new streams of medicinal therapy, aromatherapy, involving the use of essential oils and aromatics derived from plants to treat diseases. Essential oils are also reported to be better than antibiotics due to their safety and broad-spectrum activity. Natural essential oils are also potentially safe insecticides. The essential oil obtained from Acorus calamus having ss-asarone as an active principle produces sterility among a variety of insects of either sex. It has, therefore, been found very useful and secure for the storage of food grains. However, there is still very inadequate research for the cultivation of aromatic crops and extraction of essential oils across the globe. This book has been designed to highlight the associated issues of aromatic plants including the aspects of their classification, importance, uses and applications for human wellbeing, botany, agrotechniques, major bioactive constituents, post-harvest extraction, chemistry and biochemistry of aroma compounds along with an informative modern global research on these plants throughout the world. I hope this book will cater the scholastic services, reward diverse professionals and stakeholders, and serve as an informative handbook for theoretical as well as practical purposes.