Handbook of medicinal plants

Includes bibliographical references and index.

The medicinal plants are the basic source of raw-material for preparation of Ayurvedic medicines. Therefore, the quality of Ayurvedic products critically depends upon the quality of raw-material. By adopting good agro-technique of medicinal plants, the safety and quality of medicinal plant materials and finished products could be assured. The usage of medicinal plants for curing diseases goes back several millennia. Whilst most of the medicinal plants are native to India, some have their origin in foreign countries. The probable trade between the ancient civilisations and the arrival of the Europeans paved the way for these plants' entrée into the subcontinent. In India one would easily come across the regions of high floristic diversity include the extensive, relatively undisturbed forest ecosystems of the Himalayas, the Khasi and Mizo Hills of northeastern India, the Vindhya and Satpura ranges of northern peninsular India, and the Western Ghats. These forests contain an estimated 90 per cent of the country's higher (flowering) plant species and are therefore of special importance to traditional medicine. Medicinal plants play an essential role in the progress of human civilizations, as medicinal plants are a great resource for traditional medicines many modern medicines are produced. Medicinal plants have been used for thousands of years to treat health disorders and preserve current food epidemic diseases. This unique book ventures to probe into this very important area covering almost the entire gamut of the burning issues relating to medicinal plants.