Medicinal Plant Biotechnology

Plant biochemistry is the study of the chemistry of plants. Plant biochemists study the structure and function of cellular components and chemical reactions that taking place in plants. The tools and techniques of new biology have opened several new and exciting avenues in plant biochemistry. However, these have not been sufficiently tapped by plant scientists, in their rush for cloning, sequencing, tissue culture and transformation. Biochemistry is the study of chemical reactions taking place in living organisms, notably reactions of degradation of food substances which provide the energy required by organisms, and transformation of biosynthesis reactions leading to the formation of compounds needed by the cells. In recent years, biochemistry has made gigantic strides and the results of major discoveries largely surpassed the expectations of specialists. Medicinal plants are nature’s hidden and to a large extent unexplored treasure. Although they have been used as a source of safe and effective medicine since time immemorial, this potential resource has hardly been commercially tapped. India is endowed with about 8000 species of medicinal plants. According to a recent estimate of the Planning Commission, Government of India, the potential for plant-based crude drugs is about Rs. 400 billion. Globally, the demand for medicinal plants and their derivatives is growing at a rate of 7-15%. This book provides students and researchers in the plant sciences with a concise, up-to-date account of the bio-chemical basis of the major metabolic processes in plants. This is a comprehensive, exclusive and exhaustive work on the subject. It is an asset for all researchers and scholars.