From the Publisher

WITH the cost of modern medicine reaching astronomical heights scientists have begum delving into the rich and ancient traditional systems based on plants. The ancient dwellers of India had relied on them for centuries to cure themselves and their wisdom is not only enshrined in treatise but has been handed down orally from generation to generation. In the developed Western affluent world too thinking has veered around to using natural material for drugs and pharmaceuticals and in this context, the abundant inventory of medicinal plants that India has takes on a very important relevance.

This book is a comprehensive volume detailing the characteristics of 560 genera covering 1,170 species. The documentation is exhaustive including nomenclature, description, distribution, and cultivation processing and physical and chemical properties. With several countries patenting Indian products and methods a specially written chapter on Intellectual Property Rights and Medicinal Plants has been added to this fourth revised and enlarged edition.

Attempts have been made to include all aspects of medicinal plants. To this end chapters contain complete information on history, isolation and characterization of active principles, transformation of medicinal system, medicinal plants and phytochemicals, suggestions for improvement of medicinal crop industry etc.

Dr. A. Am Michael in a specially written foreword, says the present book provides comprehensive and condensed information of an extensive and large number of medicinal plants grown and found in different parts of the world covering many important and interesting aspects on the subject. The book will be valuable to students and teachers, scientists, cultivators, entrepreneurs and the farmer.

About the Author:

He is and eminent scientist in the field of horticulture, retired as Project Coordinator, All India Coordinated Research Project on floriculture, Indian Council Of Agricultural Research. He obtained his M. Sc. In Horticulture with first class and first rank from Kalyani University and Ph. D. in horticulture from Calcutta University. He is also a diploma holder in Business Management and Industrial Administration, United Nations Studies and Landscape Architecture.

He has 38 years research, teaching, management, developmental and administrative experience in private organizations, Indian Botanic Gardens, Botanical Survey of India, state Agricultural Universities and ICAR Institutes. He was Head of the Division of Medicinal and Aromatic Crops, Indian Institute of Horticulture Research, Banglore. He has also served as Professor of Horticulture and Professor-in-Charge, North Bengal Campus, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Cooch-Behar, West Bengal.

He has visited several foreign countries. He has published about 400 research papers and popular scientific articles in journals of national and international repute. He is the author of seven books among which Advanced Commercial Floriculture, Handbook of Medicinal Plants and Medicinal Herbs and Flowers have been widely acclaimed and well received.

he is a member of several scientific societies of India and Abroad, referee of scientific projects of different organization, referee of foreign and Indian journals Ph. D examiner of agricultural universities and traditional universities. He has long teaching experience at Post-graduate level and has guided a number of M. Sc. and Ph. D students in floriculture.

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