Preface
In the present day, there are tough arguments and huge significance in terms of the
safety concerns of naturally derived materials for their potential uses in various
pharmaceutical applications. In this perspective, the exploitation of various bioactive natural products possessing a variety of biological and pharmacological
activities has been discussed and these bioactive natural products are also considered to have beneficial effects in nutrition and health. Thus, bioactive natural
products are a rich source of novel therapeutics. Natural materials are also currently
utilized in different pharmaceutical preparations mainly as functional additives.
Therefore, the exploration of bioactive molecules from the natural resources continues to play a significant role in fashioning new pharmaceutical uses. In this
context, bioactive natural products and their utility in pharmaceutical fields need to
be thoroughly understood.
The book entitled Bioactive Natural Products for Pharmaceutical Applications
contains 25 important chapters, which present the latest research updates on the
recent innovations relating to various bioactive natural products (such as alkaloids,
glycosides, flavonoids, anthraquinones, steroids, polysaccharides, tannins and
polyphenolic compounds, volatile oils, fixed oils, fats and waxes, proteins and
peptides, vitamins, marine products, camptothecin, piperines, carvacrol, gedunin,
GABA, ginsenosides, etc.) and their applications in various pharmaceutical fields.
Chapter 1 gives a brief account of secondary metabolites isolated from plant
sources. This is followed by a discussion of bioactive natural products and their
general applications in Chap. 2. Chapter 3 presents various pharmaceutical applications of polysaccharides derived from plant resources. The role of phytochemicals in cancer prevention and cure has been discussed in Chap. 4. Further, the role
of stress and defense in plant secondary metabolites production is also important,
which has been discussed in Chap. 5. Chapter 6 presents a brief discussion of
various natural compounds extracted from medicinal plants and their
immunomodulatory activities. Biological activities of marine products and nutritional importance are accounted in Chap. 7. Chapter 8 presents a comprehensive
review on the capillary electrophoresis as a new evolutionary platform of plant
secondary metabolites. The occurrence, chemistry, and mode of action of
vii
In the present day, there are tough arguments and huge significance in terms of the
safety concerns of naturally derived materials for their potential uses in various
pharmaceutical applications. In this perspective, the exploitation of various bioactive natural products possessing a variety of biological and pharmacological
activities has been discussed and these bioactive natural products are also considered to have beneficial effects in nutrition and health. Thus, bioactive natural
products are a rich source of novel therapeutics. Natural materials are also currently
utilized in different pharmaceutical preparations mainly as functional additives.
Therefore, the exploration of bioactive molecules from the natural resources continues to play a significant role in fashioning new pharmaceutical uses. In this
context, bioactive natural products and their utility in pharmaceutical fields need to
be thoroughly understood.
The book entitled Bioactive Natural Products for Pharmaceutical Applications
contains 25 important chapters, which present the latest research updates on the
recent innovations relating to various bioactive natural products (such as alkaloids,
glycosides, flavonoids, anthraquinones, steroids, polysaccharides, tannins and
polyphenolic compounds, volatile oils, fixed oils, fats and waxes, proteins and
peptides, vitamins, marine products, camptothecin, piperines, carvacrol, gedunin,
GABA, ginsenosides, etc.) and their applications in various pharmaceutical fields.
Chapter 1 gives a brief account of secondary metabolites isolated from plant
sources. This is followed by a discussion of bioactive natural products and their
general applications in Chap. 2. Chapter 3 presents various pharmaceutical applications of polysaccharides derived from plant resources. The role of phytochemicals in cancer prevention and cure has been discussed in Chap. 4. Further, the role
of stress and defense in plant secondary metabolites production is also important,
which has been discussed in Chap. 5. Chapter 6 presents a brief discussion of
various natural compounds extracted from medicinal plants and their
immunomodulatory activities. Biological activities of marine products and nutritional importance are accounted in Chap. 7. Chapter 8 presents a comprehensive
review on the capillary electrophoresis as a new evolutionary platform of plant
secondary metabolites. The occurrence, chemistry, and mode of action of
vii