2nd Edition

Herbal Medicine Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects, Second Edition

Edited By Iris F. F. Benzie, Sissi Wachtel-Galor Copyright 2011
    500 Pages 8 Color & 48 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    The global popularity of herbal supplements and the promise they hold in treating various disease states has caused an unprecedented interest in understanding the molecular basis of the biological activity of traditional remedies. Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects focuses on presenting current scientific evidence of biomolecular effects of selected herbs and their relation to clinical outcome and promotion of human health. It includes experimental approaches for looking at the bioactive components in herbs. This book also addresses the ethical challenges of using herbal medicine and its integration into modern, evidence-based medicine.

    Drawing from the work of leading international researchers in different fields, this volume contains an in-depth scientific examination of effects of individual herbs, as well as their use in the treatment of important diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, dermatologic disorders, neurodegenerative disease, and diabetes. Due to the strong associations between oxidative stress, ageing, and disease, the powerful antioxidant properties of herbs and spices are also examined. The herbs featured are some of the most widely used remedies and cover a wide range, including flowering herbs, fruits and berries, roots and rhizomes, and fungi.

    The fact that composition of natural products can vary greatly and contamination and misidentification can occur are important issues in the use of herbal medicines. To help bring a new level of quality control to the production of herbal extracts, the use of mass spectrometry and chemometric fingerprinting technology is presented as a means for improved identification and authentication of herbs.

    As the need for effective, affordable health promotion and treatment increases, especially in the growing ageing population, there is a need for rigorous scientific examination of herbal medicines. This timely and comprehensive volume addresses this need and is an important text for medical professionals and researchers, as well as those interested in herbal or complementary medicine.

    Herbal Medicine: An Introduction to its History, Usage, Regulation, Current Trends, and Research Needs, Sissi Wachtel-Galor and Iris F. F. Benzie

    Antioxidants in Herbs and Spices: Roles in Oxidative Stress and Redox Signaling,
    Ingvild Paur, Monica H. Carlsen, Bente Lise Halvorsen, and Rune Blomhoff

    Evaluation of Nutritional and Metabolic Effects of Aloe vera,
    Meika Foster, Duncan Hunter, and Samir Samman

    Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.),
    Wing-kwan Chu, Sabrina C. M. Cheung, Roxanna A. W. Lau, and Iris F. F. Benzie

    Cordyceps as an Herbal Drug,
    Bao-qin Lin and Shao-ping Li

    Cranberry,
    Catherine C. Neto and Joe A. Vinson

    The Amazing and Mighty Ginger,
    Ann M. Bode and Zigang Dong

    Biological Activities of Ginseng and Its Application to Human Health,
    J. J. Wee, K. Park, and A. S. Chung

    Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi or Reishi): A Medicinal Mushroom,
    Sissi Wachtel-Galor, John Yuen, John A. Buswell, and Iris F. F. Benzie

    Pomegranate Ellagitannins,
    David Heber

    Medical Attributes of St. John’s Wort—Hypericum perforatum,
    Kenneth M. Klemow, Andrew Bartlow, Justin Crawford, Neil Kocher, Jay Shah, and Michael Ritsick

    Tea,
    Mauro Serafini, Daniele Del Rio, Yao Denis N’Dri, Saverio Bettuzzi, and Ilaria Peluso

    Turmeric, the Golden Spice: From Traditional Medicine to Modern Medicine,
    Sahdeo Prasad and Bharat B. Aggarwal

    Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects of Chinese Wolfberry,
    Peter Bucheli, Qiutao Gao, Robert Redgwell, Karine Vidal, Junkuan Wang, and Weiguo Zhang

    Botanical Phenolics and Neurodegeneration,
    Albert Y. Sun, Qun Wang, Agnes Simonyi, and Grace Y. Sun

    Cardiovascular Disease,
    Richard Walden and Brian Tomlinson

    Herbs and Spices in Cancer Prevention and Treatment,
    C. M. Kaefer and J. A. Milner

    Herbal Treatment for Dermatologic Disorders,
    Philip D. Shenefelt

    Diabetes and Herbal (Botanical) Medicine,
    William T. Cefalu, Jaqueline M. Stephens, and David M. Ribnicky

    Bioactive Components in Herbal Medicine: Experimental Approaches,
    Foo-tim Chau, Kwok-pui Fung, Chi-man Koon, Kit-man Lau, Shun-yin Wei, and Ping-chung Leung

    Ethics of Using Herbal Medicine as Primary or Adjunct Treatment and Issues of Drug–Herb Interactionl,
    Lauren Girard and Sunita Vohra

    Integration of Herbal Medicine into Evidence-Based Clinical Practice: Current Status and Issues,
    Anthony Lin Zhang, Charlie Changli Xue, and Harry H. S. Fong

    Index

    Biography

    Iris F. F. Benzie, Sissi Wachtel-Galor

    "This book is wonderful. Like on a treasure hunt, you can find answers to most questions that you might have on the topic of herbal and traditional research."
    Free Radical Research

    "Should be in any library of hospitals and medical schools."
    -Pediatric Endocrinology Reviews, Vol. 3, No. 1, Sept. 2005
    Promo Copy