Bioprospecting of Tropical Medicinal Plants

Book excerpt: This book focuses on natural products, in particular medicinal plants and their derived products, as an indispensable source of bioactive molecules that serve as either drug candidates or lead compounds for drug design and discovery . There are several advantages for plant-derived therapeutics, including wide availability, diverse pharmacological actions, and a generally good profile of safety and tolerability. Over the recent years, there have been numerous reports from clinical studies testifying the efficacy and safety of medicinal plants and phytochemicals in treating human diseases. A plethora of basic studies has also unraveled molecular mechanisms underlying the health benefits of herbal medicines. Nevertheless, issues such as identification of bioactive ingredients, standardization of the products, and drug interactions remain to be systematically documented. Bioprospecting of Tropical Medicinal Plants represents a comprehensive analysis of natural products, mainly medicinal plants and phytochemicals. It includes detailed medicinal properties and pharmacological action from in vitro models to clinical trials. The goal is to present the readers a carefully curated collection of plant-derived natural products and their underlying molecular mechanisms.