Understanding Medicinal Plants
Routledge (Verlag)
978-0-7890-1552-5 (ISBN)
Learn how medicinal plants work from the chemical level upward
Understanding Medicinal Plants: Their Chemistry and Therapeutic Action is designed to teach the chemical concepts necessary to understand the actions of medicinal plants to people who are intimidated by chemistry. This beautifully illustrated, accessibly written guide explores the molecules of medicinal plants and the pharmacology behind their actions on the human body. The book will be valuable to non-science majors, biology majors, interested scientists of different disciplines, and practitioners and students of herbalism and complementary medicine.
Understanding Medicinal Plants covers the essentials, including:
understanding the symbolism of chemical structure
bondingand predicting useful properties
important plant compounds
isolation and purification of plant molecules
drug delivery and action in the human body
the chemistry of antioxidants
identification of plant molecules
Interest in alternative medicine and herbal products has never been higher than it is now. Understanding Medicinal Plants aims for the middle ground between technical manuals for highly trained individuals and books for the general public that may oversimplify the material. This introductory work provides you with a wealth of suggested reading materials, tables, figures, and illustrations. Three case studies illustrate specific plant drugs and their molecular constituents. This resource also provides an extensive glossary for easy reference.
In Understanding Medicinal Plants, you will find a lexicon of medicinally important chemical families found in plants to help you identify and understand the role of constituents such as:
alkaloids
flavonoids
coumarins
glycosides
amino acids
lignans
tannins
and many more
Understanding Medicinal Plants enriches your knowledge of the science behind herbalism and increases your savvy as a consumer of herbal products. This sourcebook will help you better understand the debates about the regulation of medicinal plants and related health care policy debates. With this book, you will be able to interpret media hype about medicinal plants with greater confidence.
Bryan Hanson, PhD, is the Julian Professor of Chemistry at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, where he has taught for seventeen years. His advanced education includes a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from California State University, Los Angeles, and a PhD in chemistry from UCLA with a focus on the total synthesis of natural products. After two years of postdoctoral work with Jim White at Oregon State University, he began teaching at DePauw in 1986. Professor Hanson's research interests are in the areas of medicinal plants, natural products, and chemical ecology. His primary teaching responsibilities are in organic chemistry, biochemistry, and a course intended for nonscientists called “Medicinal Plants for Poets.”
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Interpreting the Symbolism of Chemical Structures, or, Finding Your Way Around a Molecule
The Basic Rules of Bonding
What Do the Lines Mean?
Recognizing the Functional Groups
Naming Molecules
Sameness: Molecular Formulas and Isomers
Chapter 3. The Origins of Bonding and Molecular Properties
Elements, Atoms, and the Periodic Table
Electron Configurations: The Real Organizing Principle
Bonding to Create Molecules
Predicting Properties from Molecular Structure
Chapter 4. A Structural Lexicon of Medicinally Important Chemical Families Found in Plants
Compounds of Primary Metabolism
Secondary Metabolites
Chapter 5. Chemical Behavior and Its Application to Medicinal Molecules
Isolation of Medicinally Active Substances
Analysis and Identification of Medicinal Molecules
Antioxidants and Reactive Oxygen Species: Chemical Reactions Affecting Health
Chapter 6. Drug Delivery and Action
Delivering Drug Molecules
Where Drugs Act: Targets
The Molecular Level of Action
Chapter 7. Case Studies of Selected Plant Drugs
Ayahuasca and the Central Nervous System
Ginkgo and Brain Health
Cancer Treatments from Plants: Interrupting the Cell Cycle
Epilogue
Notes
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
| Erscheint lt. Verlag | 30.6.2005 |
|---|---|
| Verlagsort | New York |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Maße | 156 x 216 mm |
| Gewicht | 480 g |
| Themenwelt | Medizin / Pharmazie ► Medizinische Fachgebiete ► Pharmakologie / Pharmakotherapie |
| ISBN-10 | 0-7890-1552-8 / 0789015528 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0-7890-1552-5 / 9780789015525 |
| Zustand | Neuware |
| Haben Sie eine Frage zum Produkt? |
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