Indigenous Medicinal Plants Including Microbes and Fungi

The Volume is the revised 2nd edition of proceedings of a national seminar sponsored by CSIR and ICAR, New Delhi, held at Gurukul Kangri University, Hardwar. The book has been divided in to 6 sections : Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Medicinal Pteridophytes, Micropropagation or Tissue Culture and Cultivation, Herbal Cosmetics, Ethnobotany and Conservation and Phytochemistry.

The first section covers an informative icon on alcoholic preparations in Charka Samhita, on bacterial endotoxin test also called LAL test, production of vinegar biological suppression of microbes by microbial metabolites, ergot and ergot alkaloids, control of phomopsis fruit rots by leaf extracts of certain medicinal plants, antiviral effect of essential oils, fungal colonization of Desmostachya, mycorrhizal fungi of some medicinal plants of the Thar desert, antibacterial activity of lichens, mushrooms and plants and hypoglycaemic activity of Salvadora. The concept of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics has been provided.

In the 2nd section almost all important medicinal pteridophyts of India have been covered. The 3rd section covers asymbiotic Germination and micropropagation of medicinal orchids, Ochrosia with antineoplastic alkaloids, anther culture of Solanum khasianum, and biotechnological methods for propagation of Indian Bdelium. Germination of seeds of High Altitude Medicinal Plants and cultivation in plains have been given. The 4th section on herbal cosmetics provides remarkable information. The 5th section covers ethnobotanical information gathered from tribal areas of this vast country. Some important medicinal plants of Charka Samhita and adultesants are also given. The last 6th section gives information on essential oils, isolation of steroids and lectins.