With contributions from renowned experts worldwide, this book will be an invaluable reference source for anyone interested in the development and medical application of tea.

Eucalyptus, a genus of over 800 species, is a multicrop par excellence. Not only is it grown for timber, pulp and fuelwood but, as the Aborigines discovered thousands of years ago, it has numerous medicinal and aromatic properties. Since the first commercial distillation of eucalyptus oil 150 years ago, a vast array of eucalyptus-based products has entered the marketplace, mainly for pharmaceutical, fragrance and flavour use. This book provides a useful reference for all those with an interest in Eucalyptus - in academia and industry alike, for researchers aswell as producers, processors,...

An in-depth review with contributions from researchers from across the globe, this book will be of interest to anyone involved with this genus in both academia and industry.

A comprehensive volume covering all aspects of the biology, pharmacology and industrial processing of the genus Thymus. An extremely up-to-date review which will be of interest to those in the fields of medicinal plants and natural products.

The world production of citrus fruit has risen enormously in the last few decades of the 19th century, leaping from 45 million tons a year in the early 1970's to 85 million in the season of 1996-1997. More than 30 per cent of these fruits go into industrial production in which essential oils and juice are the principal products. The main applications of essential oils are as flavourings for alcohol, soft drinks, food, pharmaceutical products and as fragrances for cosmetics and beauty products. Today, the potential applications of these essential oils are growing wider because they are...

Cardamom otherwise known as Malabar cardamom, true cardamom or small cardamom second only to pepper in its importance during the Renaissance period, is often qualified as the Queen of Spices because of its very pleasant aroma and taste. The Western Ghat forest of the Malabar coast, India, is the center of origin and diversity for cardamom and it might have been nature's design that the King and Queen of spices (black pepper and cardamom) originated in the same forest.
This volume contains sixteen chapters, fourteen on cardamom and one each on large cardamom and false cardamoms. All...

Echinacea has emerged from the realm of folklore medicine and into the territory of valued and potentially fundamental therapy. While an understanding of the promising medicinal applications of Echinacea is important, knowledge of the herb's chemistry, cultivation, and analytical profiles is equally as significant.
Echinacea: The genus Echinacea examines every element of the popular herb. Several chapters in this volume deal with the taxonomy, genetics, international culture methods, and chemistry of Echinacea, while other sections focus on the analytical evaluation of the various plant...

This text presents an in-depth review on the genus Trigonella and particularly the species T. foenum-graecum L. (fenugreek). It is written by experts and includes chapters describing the genus's botany, physiology, cultivation, breeding, nutrition, pest-disease and weed control.

Taxol, originally derived from the North American Yew tree in 1971, is well-known worldwide as a powerful anticancer agent. Mechanistically, it has a unique microtubule stabilizing activity, and was clinically developed as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of breast and ovarian cancers at the National Cancer Institute, Washington D.C., USA.
In this volume, the authors provide an authoritative account of the taxoids. it covers their production and biosynthesis - from commercial cultivation to plant tissue culture methods - describes taxoid chemistry, the analytical methods for...

Capsicum has been used since ancient times not only as a traditional medicine but also as a natural colorant. The medicinal properties of capsicum make it popular in both ayurvedic and homeopathic treatments. In Capsicum: The Genus Capsicum, experts provide information on all aspects of this plant, including its ethnobotany, chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, cultivation, tissue culture and commercial uses. Capsaicin, the pungent, principle component of capsicum, was used in the recent discovery of a hot receptor, or pain sensor, in the human heart. This and a variety of other therapeutic...