Medicinal plants of the world By Ben-Erik van Wyk and Michael Wink ISBN 0875093443, published in 2004 by Briza Publications, full colour, hardcover, 480 pages Price $A59.95 plus $A11 postage within Australia, overseas postage please ask for a quote

Medicinal plants of the world is a comprehensive and scientifically accurate guide to the best-known and most important medicinal plants, including those of special commercial or historical interest. The book aims to conceptualise this rapidly expanding field of study and includes:

• Descriptions of more than 320 medicinal plants and their close relatives. Each entry gives a short summary with the following information: a description of the plant, the geographical origin. therapeutic category, historical and modern uses, active ingredients and pharmacological effects.
• More than 800 excellent full-colour photographs that will assist in the identification of the plants and related or similar plants.
• Introductory chapters on various healing cultures of the world, general concepts, common ailments and their treatment with modern phytomedicines and with traditional remedies and the study of active compounds and their pharmacological effects.
• A quick guide and checklist of 900 of the most important and well known medicinal plants of the world, listed according to scientific name but giving the common names, family name, region of origin, therapeutic category, and plant parts used. Also included is a glossary of medical and related terms.

About the authors

Ben-Erik van Wyk is a professor of Botany at the Rand Afrikaans University, Johannesburg, South Africa. He has a research interest in systematic botany and plant utilisation.

Michael Wink is a professor of Pharmaceutical Biology and director of the Institute for Pharmaceutical Biology at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. He is an authority on secondary metabolites of plants and their pharmacological effects.

Table of contents

• Preface
• Introduction
• medicine systems of the world
• Plant parts used
• Dosage forms
• Use of medicinal plant products
• Active ingredients
• Quality control and safety
• Efficacy of medicinal plant products
• Regulation of herbal remedies and phytomedicines
• The plants in alphabetical order (pages 27-350)
• Health disorders and medicinal plants
• Overview of secondary metabolites and their effects
• Quick guide to commercialised medicinal plants
• Glossary
• Further reading
• General index
• Acknowledgements and photo credits