Introduction

Natural bioactive compounds from medicinal plants are inexplicably diverse in chemical structure and biological properties. The unmet therapeutic requirements for various diseases serve as a guide for researchers to study natural compounds. These studies are intended to isolate, identify the structural characterization and eventually discover the pharmacological activity of natural compounds from their plant sources with the goal of treating specific diseases.

Bioactive Phytochemicals: Drug Discovery to Product Development explores the scope and approaches of drug discovery from natural products. Chapters in the book cover information about the cultivation, collection and processing of medicinal plants, the methods and high throughput techniques for isolation and characterization of bioactive phytochemicals and pharmacological screening for activity, formulation and quality control. Information about the regulations specified for natural medicinal products in different region of the world is also presented, followed by a concluding chapter devoted to the role of natural herbal products for treatment of human diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, inflammation and neurological disorders. Each chapter concludes with a general reference section, which is a bibliographic guide to more advanced texts. The contributing authors for this volume are drawn from a rich blend of experts in various areas of herbal medicine which encompass herbal drug discovery to product development.

The concise and organized layout along with a broad coverage of phytochemistry and drug discovery makes this book a suitable reference for students of medicinal chemistry, researchers and industry professionals interested in herbal product development.