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A Handbook of Aromatic and Essential Oil Plants
Author: Dr. Sheela Bedi, Dr. Tanuja & Dr. S. P. Vyas
Publisher: Agrobios (India)
ISBN (10): 8177543415
ISBN (13): 9788177543414
Price (INR): 1595
Price (USD): 36
Year: 2008 - First Edition
Pages: 598
Size: 19 X 25 X 3.5 cm.
Binding: Hard
Language: English
About the Book: The diffusing fragrance and flavour of plants have been utilized world over for herbal medicines, pharmaceuticals, perfumery, aromatherapy and culinary purposes. The demand for plant based therapeutics has increased immensely in both developing and developed countries due to growing recognition that they are natural products, being nonnarcotic, having no side-effects and easily available at affordable prices since some of the aromatic plant species have the unique capability to grow under low tility, rainfed conditions and salinity effected soils with low inputs, therefore scientific cultivation of aromatic plants can became an important tool for socioeconomic development of rural masses and it can also provide green health alternatives in the form of eco-friendly products.
Plants produce a range of bioactive compounds and are sources of large number of useful chemicals like alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, hormones, phenols, tennins and many other compounds. Essential oils obtained from aromatic plants by distillation expression or extraction with suitable organic solvents represents a complex mixture of several compounds. A vast majority of essential oils, however are constituted by mixtures of volatile monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes.
Among the four lakh plant species in the world, essential oils are found in a small number of only about 2000 species belonging to 60 families. Depending upon the botanical species, the volatile oils in these plants are stored and preserved in roots, leaves, seeds, bark, fruits, flowers and stem which may be emitting characteristic odour in their surroundings. The odour associated with the plant parts, has given rise to the age old perfumery traditions and over the years, the essential oils extracted from these plants have become precious and indispensable ingredients of fragrance, pharmaceuticals and flavour. These plant products are greatly utilized in confectionary, food, condiments, dental creams, mouth washes, soaps etc.
The arrangement of the chapters is aimed to describe the fundamental and basic issues of aromatic and essential plants. The book provides information on various aspects of Aromatic and Essential plants, aromatherapy, evaluation of new aromatic plants, chemistry and phytochemistry of essential oils and aroma, essential oils, various preparations from medicinal aromatic plants, extraction technologies for medicinal aromatic plants in First Section. The Second Section of the book includes the complete description of individual plant with its botanical status, uses, chemistry, cultivation, extraction methods, etc. The Third Section of the book presents the short description of about 307 plants in the form of Directory.
About the Authors:
1. Dr. Sheila Bedi received a Bachelor's degree in Botany and Education from Patna University and MS degree from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. She has thirty years of teaching experience to her credit and is presently the Head of the Department of Botany and Industrial Microbiology, Patna Women's College (P.U.), Patna. Her area of research interests are aromatic and medicinal plants, plant diseases and environmental microbiology. She has co-edited a book on 'The Cultivation of Aromatic Plants in Bihar' and contributes regularly to the professional literature of National and International status. She teaches courses in Introductory Microbiology, Agriculture Microbiology, Botany and Plant Pathology.
2. Dr. Tanuja received her Bachelor's degree in Botany from Miranda House (D.U.), Masters degree in Botany from Delhi University, North Campus, specializing in Microbiology and Ph. D from Magadh University. She has 16 years of teaching experience and is presently working in the Department of Botany, B.M.D. College, Dayalpur, Vaishali, a constituent unit of B. R. Ambedkar Bihar University, Bihar. She has been the Convener of UGC sponsored National Seminar on Cultivation of Aromatic plants in Bihar and is actively engaged in the UGC funded projects. Her area of research interests are fermentation technology, aromatic and medicinal plants and environmental science. She contributes regularly to the professional literature of National/International status and has co-edited a book on 'The Cultivation of Aromatic Plants in Bihar'.
3. Dr. S. P. Vyas (b. 1947) obtained his M. Sc. (Botany) and Ph. D. Degree from Jodhpur University, Jodhpur. He is associated with CAZRI, Jodhpur since 1976 after working as lecturer in Department of Botany, University of Jodhpur for five years and has been actively perusing research in the areas of assessment and utilization production and quality improvement of various crops and plants of economic importance. He is engaged in the research areas of wasteland development and alternate land use system under varied agro ecological situations. His scientific achievements are amply reflected in more then 100 research papers in journals of National and International reputed and books authored by him. Presently, he is working as Principal Scientist (Plant Physiology), CAZRI, Regional Research Station Marwar-Pali.