Medicinal Plants of the World: Chemical Constituents, Traditional and Modern Medicinal Uses

1206 Pages·1999·3.54 MB·English

by  Ivan A. Ross

Medicinal Plants of the World : Chemical
title: Constituents, Traditional, and Modern
Medicinal Uses
author: Ross, Ivan A.
publisher: Humana Press
isbn10 | asin: 0896035425
print isbn13: 9780896035423
ebook isbn13: 9780585224022
language: English
subject Medicinal plants--Encyclopedias.
publication date: 1999
lcc: RS164.R676 1999eb
ddc: 615/.32
subject: Medicinal plants--Encyclopedias.
Page iii
Medicinal Plants of the World
Chemical Constituents, Traditional and Modern
Medicinal Uses
By
Ivan A. Ross
© 1999 Humana Press Inc.
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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in
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without written permission from the Publisher.
All authored papers, comments, opinions, conclusions, or recommendations are those of the author(s), and do
not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher.
The author assumes no responsibility for, make no warranty with respect to results that may be obtained from
the uses or dosages listed, and does not necessarily endorse such uses or dosages and procedures. The author
is not liable to any person whatsoever for and damage resulting from reliance on any information contained
herein, whether with respect to plant identification, uses, procedures, dosages or by reason of any
misstatement or error contained in this work. The author recognized that there are differences in varieties of
plants, the geographical location in which they are grown, growing conditions, stage of maturity, and method
of harvesting and preparation.
This publication is printed on acid-free paper.
ANSI Z39.48-1984 (American Standards Institute)
Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials.
Cover illustration: Catharanthus roseus (see Chapter 8), Psidium guajava (see
(see Chapter 17), Momoradica charantia (see Chapter 19), Jatropha curcas (see
camara (see Chapter 15), and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (see Chapter 12).
Cover design by Patricia F. Cleary.
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Printed in the United States of America. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Medicinal plants of the world: chemical constituents, traditional, and modern medicinal uses/by Ivan A. Ross.
p. cm. Includes index.
ISBN 0-89603-542-5 (alk. paper)
1. Medicinal plants--Encyclopedias. I. Title.
S164.R676 1999
615' .32--dc21 98-34758
CIP
Page v
Preface
As a biologist with the US Food and Drug Administration I have been
involved in toxicological research. On one occasion, while
investigating herbal products sold in the United States as foods or
food supplements, I realized that there was an abundance of
information on plants that are commonly used as food and medicine.
However, the material available was not compiled to optimally serve
my interest. Most such books addressed the subject as folklore, and
their information was not prepared as an educational resource on plant
materials that are used as foods and food supplements by the general
public. As a result, to obtain a fair knowledge of any specific plant,
information from several books and journal articles had to be put
together. It is this experience that guided me to compile Medicinal
Plants of the World.
No current text describes the traditional medicinal uses, the chemical
constituents, the pharmacological activities, and the clinical trials of
those plants that are commonly used around the world as medicine.
The objectives that guided the writing of this book were to create a
reference for research scientists, phytochemists, toxicologists,
physicians, pharmacists, and other health care providers; to integrate
traditional and modern pharmacopoeias in order to develop a more
efficient medicine; to build confidence and self-reliance in the use of
medicinal plants; to revive an awareness of the importance of plants
as sources of medicine; and to encourage their utilization and
conservation.
Around the world, and even within countries, different names are used
for the same plant, and different plants may be referred to by the same
name. In an effort to familiarize readers with the International Code of
Botanical Nomenclature system, the code's Latin binomial is used for
each plant. The common names, together with the countries with
which they are associated, are also listed. Color illustrations of the
plants are provided to assist in their identification by those who are
not familiar with the botanical name nor any of the common names.
For the nonbotanist, the chapter on nomenclature and descriptive
terminology, the botanical description, and the origin and distribution
of each plant will be useful in the practical identification of the plants.
Since medical doctors are often reluctant to prescribe medicinal plants
without supporting scientific data, the sections on pharmacological
activities and clinical trials, as well as those on chemical constituents,
constitute most useful references. These sections will also be of value
to scientists with an interest in drug development. The section on
traditional medicinal uses, listed by countries, will provide
encouragement and build confidence and self-reliance in the
traditional users of medicinal plants. Throughout, the book presents
vital information that will find much use by students, practitioners, or
researchers interested or engaged in the development, evaluation, or
use of herbal medicines. The text presumes that the reader has had
little to no experience or knowledge of
Page vi
medicinal plants. A bibliography of approximately 1600 references is
presented for readers interested in more detailed information. It
represents a diversity of disciplines that reflect the complexity of the
field and the variety of interests in medicinal plants.
It is my hope that readers will find in Medicinal Plants of the World a
wealth of practical ideas and theoretical information that will expose
new horizons and little-known facts as well as their significant
applications, thereby helping us become healthier people, better
students, teachers, farmers, clinicians, researchers, and entrepreneurs.
IVAN A. ROSS
Page vii
Contents
Preface v
1 1
Nomenclature and Descriptive Terminology
Compound Leaves 3
Leaf Shapes 3
Leaf Margins 4
Leaf Tips 4
Leaf Bases 6
Attachment to Stem 7
Leaf Surfaces 7
Types of Inflorescence 8
Dry Fruits 12
Fleshy Fruits 13
Abbreviations and Chemical Constituents 14
2 15
Abrus precatorius
Common Names 15
Botanical Description 16
Origin and Distribution 16
Traditional Medicinal Uses 16
Chemical Constituents 17
Pharmacological Activities and Clinical Trials 19
3 25
Allium sativum
Common Names 26
Botanical Description 26
Origin and Distribution 26
Traditional Medicinal Uses 26
Chemical Constituents 28
Pharmacological Activities and Clinical Trials 31
4 65
Aloe vera
Common Names 65
Botanical Description 66
Origin and Distribution 66
Traditional Medicinal Uses 66
Chemical Constituents 68
Pharmacological Activities and Clinical Trials 70
Page viii
5 81
Annona muricata
Common Names 81
Botanical Description 81
Origin and Distribution 81
Traditional Medicinal Uses 81
Chemical Constituents 82
Pharmacological Activities and Clinical Trials 84
6 87
Carica papaya
Common Names 87
Botanical Description 88
Origin and Distribution 89
Traditional Medicinal Uses 89
Chemical Constituents 92
Pharmacological Activities and Clinical Trials 95
7 101
Cassia alata
Common Names 101
Botanical Description 102
Origin and Distribution 102
Traditional Medicinal Uses 102