Preface

Our country has a very rich plant kingdom. Plants are perhaps one of the most interesting and mysterious things of the universe. Plants play a pivotal role in the existence of mankind. They are elixir of life. Naturally the Indian system of medicine Ayurveda makes use of the plant kingdom very effectively and has stood the test of time. With the modern analytical facilities it is possible to study the plant ingredients in depth. Consequently many active principles in plants have been isolated, identified and put to use in varying fields like medicine and agriculture. Plant derived compounds can act as excellent lead to useful and more effective compounds. Records dating from around 2600 BCE document the uses of approximately 1000 plant derived substances in Mesopotamia. These included oils of Cedrus species (cedar) and Cupressus sempervirens (Cypress) Glycyrriza glabra (Licorice) Commiphora species (Myrrh) Papaver somniferum (poppy juice) all of which continue to be used today for the treatment of ailments ranging from coughs and colds to parasitic infections and inflammation. The documentation of Indian Ayurvedic system dates from before 1000 BCE (Charaka,Sushrutha and Samhitas with 341 and 516 drugs ) Synthetic drugs in the form of drugs, pesticides have been successful in combating diseases of man, his domestic animals and plant corps. However, their side effects are of major concern in the modern world. Besides many of the microbes and insects have become resistant to most of the chemicals. Hence we hopefully turn to nature as a resort and resource in finding new strategies to fight diseases. In this respect plants serve as a reservoir of biodegradable chemicals, many of which may have evolved in the defense of predators.