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Subrat SaurabhAuthor of Kuch Woh Pal
Plants are known to synthesize hundreds of chemical compounds for functions like defence against pests, internal and external pathogens, diseases and herbivores. Numerous phytochemicals with biological activity have been identified. In modern medicine, around a quarter of the drugs prescribed to patients are derived from medicinal plants after clinical trials in animals and human subjects for efficacy and side effects. Some of the findings have led to the production of plant-based medicines. The global market value of medicinal plant products exceeds $100 billion per annum. This is the reason why the World Health Organization initiated the Traditional Medicine Program some years ago, to help Member States to make a critical examination of their traditional medicine systems and practices and to see what should be retained and adapted to today's needs and what should be discarded as useless or harmful. In some Asian and African countries, up to 80% of the population relies on traditional medicine for their Primary health care needs. Hence, countries like China, India have combined traditional and modern medicine in the health services. In this publication, the medicinal uses of more medicinally significant tropical and temperate plants, algae and fungi (mushrooms) have been explained. And special mentions are made on the medicinal importance of garlic, turmeric and marijuana and plants with anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, cardio-protective activity.
V. Alphonse Amalraj Ph.d.
Retired as Principal Scientist of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in 2013, the author has about 40 years of research and teaching experience in the fields of plant sciences and plant genetic resources. He has worked at Central Arid Zone Research Institute (Jodhpur, Rajasthan), National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (Vellanikkara, Kerala) and Sugarcane Breeding Institute (Coimbatore, Tamil nadu). He has published 78 research papers in national and international journals, 23 popular articles, chapters in 7 books, 12 books/monographs/germplasm catalogues and participated in 30 conferences and symposia. Under the joint Indo-US Plant Genetic Resources Program, he visited several plant germplasm and research centers under ARS in USA during 1995.
After securing first rank gold medal in Master’s degree from University of Madras in 1974, worked as Research Fellow in TN Carnatic Flora Project in which he explored, collected and identified flowering plants during 1974 – 1978. From 1978 till 2013, was Research Scientist (ICAR) involved with exploring, collecting, maintaining and characterizing various economic, wild relatives of crop plants, traditional varieties/land races of crops, and has also studied important medicinal plants in southern region. As a result of these programs, he described FOUR New species in Curcuma (wild turmeric) and ONE in Pepper. His Doctoral thesis was on the unknown medicinal desert tree, Balanites (‘Hingot’), fruits of which yield ‘diosgenin’, a raw material for synthesis of sex hormones, steroids and anabolic drugs. He also served as Nodal Scientist for Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights with reference to sugarcane crop.
