Preface

Of recent, medicinal plants researches have received renewed attention of scientists in India and abroad and there are spurt of publications bringing out recent updates, particularly in validating the therapeutical potential of herbs. Based on this rationale, a series titled “Recent Progress in Medicinal Plants” comprising 25 volumes on different aspects viz., phytomedicines, phytochemistry and pharmacology, ethnobotany, drug standardization, clinical research etc. has been brought out between 2002-2009.

The publication ‘Cumulative Index to Abstracts, Volumes 1-25’ of the series Recent Progress in Medicinal Plants provides information on 1282 abstracts of original & review papers published in the aforesaid volumes. The abstracts are broadly classified into 11 subjects viz. Physiology & Biochemistry (QI), Pharmacognosy (02), Clinical studies (03), Pharmacology & Toxicology (04), Insecticidal & Piscicidal activity (05), Phytochemistry (06), Ethnomedicine (07), Analytical & Processing Techniques (08), Biodiversity & Pharmaceutical Botany (09), Genetics & Biotechnology (10), Cultivation & Agronomy (11), to facilitate easy access.

Adverting shortly to the presentation of data, the abstracts have been serially numbered from Volume 1 onwards of the series, providing information on: subject classification (bb) (given above), year of publication (bbbb) volume number (bb), chapter of volume (bb) abstract number (bbbb) in the sequence. This is followed by the name of author(s), institutional affiliation of the author(s), title of paper, bibliographical details, number of references and the abstract.

In this endeavour, we thank our valued contributors for their contributions in their, area of speciality which have been received well by scientific community in India and abroad. Most sincere thanks are due to Ms. Shailaja Chandra, formerly Secretary to Government of India, Dept, of ISM & Homoeopathy, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare; Sh. Sompal, Formerly, Minister of State for Agriculture, Member, Planning Commission, Govt, of India and 12^th Finance Commission; and Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, Chairman, National Commission on Farmers, Ministry of Agriculture & Cooperation, who have greatly encouraged us and given the ‘Forewords to Series’ for the first phase published vols. 1-8, 2^nd phase of vols. 9-12 and third phase of vols. 13-25, respectively.

We are equally grateful to eminent scientists, research administrators and academicians from far and wide who have constantly encouraged us by giving ‘Forewords’ to the volumes over the years namely, Dr M.K. Siddiqui, Director-General, CCRUM, New Delhi; Prof. A. Kar, Chairman, Deptt. of Pharm. Sciences, G.J. University, Hisar; Ms. Shahnaz Husain, Chairman & Managing Director, Herbal Products, New Delhi; Prof. R.B. Singh, Assistant Director-General, FAO, Rome, Itlay; Dr. Panjab Singh, Director General, ICAR and Secretary, DARE, New Delhi; Prof. S.P. Raychaudhuri, Chairman Virus and Mycoplasma Diseases, IUFRRO, LARI, INSA, New Delhi; Dr. P.L. Gautam, Vice-Chancellor, Agriculture & Technology Pantnagar, Uttaranchal; Dr. S.V. Gangal, Former Director, CBT, Emeritus Scientist CSIR, New Delhi; Dr. P. Pushpangadan, Director, NBRI, CSIR, Lucknow; Dr. K.K. Sharma, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, AIMIL, Pharmaceuticals, India (P) Ltd. New Delhi; Prof. S. Nagarajan, Director, IARI, New Delhi; Dr. G.S. Lavekar, Director-General, CCRAS, Deptt. of Ayush, New Delhi; Mr. B.S. Sajwan IFS, Chief Executive Officer, National Medicinal Plants Board, New Delhi; Dr. S. Ahmad, Vice Chancellor, Hamdard University, New Delhi; Prof. S. Thorat, Chairman, University Grant Commission, New Delhi; Dr. G. Kalloo, Deputy Director General, H & CS, New Delhi; Dr. R.R. Sinha, Advisor, Deptt of Science & Technology, New Delhi; Dr. S.A. Patil, Director, IARI, New Delhi; Ms. Anita Das, Secretary Govt, of India, Department of AYUSH, New Delhi; Dr. D.C. Katoch, National Consultant on Traditional Medicine & Homoepathy, WHO-India, New Delhi; Dr. Syed Akheel Ahmed, Vice Chancellor, Yenepoya University, Mangalore.

We also thank our publishers M/s Studium Press LLC, USA, and their staff for a timely and expeditious job, rendering the publication of Vols. 1-25 of this series in time-bound manner.

The volume is aimed at wide audience of researchers and scientists, plant-based industrialists, R&D personnels, S&T consultants, policy planners, patent attorney’s who are engaged in the researches on natural products, particularly in the area of discovering new drugs candidates of plant origin.

Editors