Plant Extracts

Abstract

Medicinal plants are a source of a wide variety of biologically active compounds that have been used extensively over many centuries as crude material or pure compounds for treating various diseases. Of the estimated 250,000-500,000 species of plants on Earth, only 1%-10% are used by humans. Plant-based traditional medicine plays a key role in the development and advancement of modern studies by serving as a starting point for the development of novelties in drug discovery. This book presents a comprehensive overview of medicinal plants and their potential uses, with chapters on Chinese traditional medicine, antioxidant activity of faba bean extracts, and antiviral activity of several plant extracts. This book will prove useful to a wide variety of readers, from medical professionals to farmers and gardeners to those interested in herbs and herbal medicine.