About Book

A medicinal plant is a plant that is used with the intention of maintaining health, to be administered for a specific condition, or both, whether in modern medicine or in traditional medicine. In modern medicine, around a quarter of the drugs prescribed to patients are derived from medicinal plants, and they are rigorously tested. Medicinal plants provide three main kinds of benefit: health benefits to the people who consume them as medicines; financial benefits to people who harvest, process, and distribute them for sale; and society-wide benefits, such as job opportunities, taxation income, and a healthier labour force. Facilitated by the technological advancement, the early understanding of medicinal chemistry as “synthesizing bioactive molecules” has become the connecting bridge of a variety of related scientific disciplines. This book is compiled in such a manner that it will provide in-depth knowledge about the theory and practice of medicinal plants. It studies, analyses and uphold the pillars of medicinal plants and its utmost significance in modern times. It deals with fungicide activity, cancer preventive agents, in vitro culture of medicinal plants, derived natural products, aromatic and medicinal plants. It provides a myriad of pharmaceutically active components, which have been commonly used worldwide for thousands of years. While understanding the long-term perspectives of the topics, the book makes an effort in highlighting. Coherent flow of topics, student-friendly language and extensive use of examples make this book invaluable source of knowledge. The book is an essential guide for both academicians and those who wish to pursue this discipline further.

Preface............................................................................................................ v

Chapter 1 Medicinal Plants for Treatment of Prevalent Diseases.....................1

Abstract...................................................................................................1

1. Introduction............................................................................................2

2. Medicinal plants with demonstrated anti-malarial activity.........2

3. Medicinal plants with demonstrated activity against

Vibrio cholera.........................................................................................7

4. Medicinal plants with demonstrated anti-tuberculosis

activity...................................................................................................10

5. Medicinal plants with demonstrated activity against

pneumonia............................................................................................14

6. Medicinal plants with demonstrated anti-asthmatic activity.....15

7. Conclusion............................................................................................18

Chapter 2 Antifungal Activity of Brazilian Medicinal Plants against Candida

Species.........................................................................................................26

Abstract.................................................................................................26

1. Oral candidiasis—by Elizete Maria Rita Pereira/Vagner Rodrigues Santos.....................................................................................................27

2. Brazilian medicinal plants tested against Candida spp.—

by Vagner Rodrigues Santos.............................................................30

3. Oral candidiasis clinical trial studies..............................................40

4. Conclusions..........................................................................................40

Acknowledgements.............................................................................41

Chapter 3 Herbal Medicinal Products in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis....60

Abstract.................................................................................................60

1. Introduction..........................................................................................61

2. Herbal medicinal products for oral use in the treatment of

osteoarthritis.........................................................................................62

3. Herbal medicinal products for topical use in the treatment of

osteoarthritis.........................................................................................70

4. Conclusion............................................................................................73

Acknowledgements.............................................................................74

Chapter 4 Clinical Relevance of Medicinal Plants and Foods of Vegetal

Origin on the Activity of Cytochrome P450......................................85

Abstract.................................................................................................85

1. Introduction..........................................................................................86

2. General aspect of pharmacokinetics................................................86

3. Conclusions..........................................................................................96

Chapter 5 Biological and Medicinal Importance of Sponge...........................105

Abstract...............................................................................................105

1. Introduction........................................................................................106

2. Anticancer agents..............................................................................107

3. Antibacterial active agents..............................................................111

4. Antiviral compounds and their efficacy.......................................113

5. Antifungal compounds....................................................................114

6. Anti-inflammatory compounds......................................................117

7. Marine sponge-derived compounds with enzyme inhibitory

activity.................................................................................................117

8. Sponge-derived immunosuppressive compounds and their

efficacy.................................................................................................118

9. Hypocholesterolemic compounds..................................................119

10. Sponge–derived antibiotics..............................................................119

11. Marine sponges-derived antifouling and antibiofilm

compounds.........................................................................................120

12. Conclusion..........................................................................................121

Chapter 6 Analgesic Potential of Extracts and Derived Natural Products from

Medicinal Plants......................................................................................141

Abstract...............................................................................................141

1. Introduction........................................................................................142

2. Analgesic (painkiller).......................................................................143

3. Conclusions........................................................................................150

Acknowledgements...........................................................................150

Chapter 7 Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.): An Important Medicinal

and Aromatic Crop.................................................................................156

Abstract...............................................................................................156

1. Introduction........................................................................................157

2. Medicinal properties and chemical constituents........................160

3. Agronomy...........................................................................................161

4. Species, names, origin and distribution.......................................161

5. Chromosome number.......................................................................163

6. Molecular genetic diversity.............................................................164

7. Mutation breeding............................................................................166

8. Fenugreek tissue culture..................................................................167

9. Conclusion..........................................................................................168

Chapter 8 Abiotic and Biotic Elicitors–Role in Secondary Metabolites

Production through In Vitro Culture of Medicinal Plants..........177

Abstract ..............................................................................................177

1. Introduction........................................................................................178

2. Classification of elicitors and secondary metabolite production

via in vitro culture of medicinal plants.......................................180

3. Abiotic elicitors..................................................................................181

4. Chemical elicitors..............................................................................186

5. Hormonal elicitors............................................................................187

6. Biotic elicitors.....................................................................................188

7. Parameters of elicitors......................................................................191

8. Conclusion..........................................................................................195

Chapter 9 Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms as Promising Agents in

Cancer........................................................................................................213

1. Introduction........................................................................................213

2. Mushroom-derived anticancer polysaccharides..........................214

3. Chemical carcinogenesis and two-stage carcinogenesis

theory...................................................................................................217

4. Screening for cancer preventative substances.............................217

5. Cancer preventative effects of edible mushroom.......................219

6. Cancer preventative effects of mushroom supplements...........221

7. Cancer preventative effects and active ingredients of medicinal

mushrooms.........................................................................................226

8. Conclusion..........................................................................................230

Acknowledgements...........................................................................231

Chapter 10 Medicinal and Edible Plants as Cancer Preventive Agents.........238

1. Introduction........................................................................................238

2. Primary screening of antitumor promoters.................................239

3. Anti-carcinogenic tests in animals.................................................240

4. Supplemental and edible plants.....................................................242

5. Conclusion..........................................................................................260

Chapter 11 In Vitro Multiplication of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants and

Fungicide Activity...................................................................................273

1. Introduction........................................................................................273

2. In vitro multiplication of plants from genus Thymus, Mentha,

Calendula and Catharanthus..........................................................275

3. Fungicide activity..............................................................................285

4. Conclusion..........................................................................................291

5. Acknowledgment..............................................................................291

Citation......................................................................................................301

Index...........................................................................................................303

About Author

Oliver Fouda pursued his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the Public State University, Ratchburi. He specializes in pathophysiological processes and molecular interactions and has contributed extensively in the same through his works. He is a Visiting Professor at Public Research University, Qingdao. He has contributed & edited over 50 technical papers and five reference books, academic textbooks and various articles. Fouda is an active member of several scientific and medical societies, where he continues to share his expertise and knowledge in the field of biomedicine.