Michael Wink

Ben-Erik Van Wyk

Written by respected professors of botany and pharmaceutical biology, this is the definitive account of plants and mushrooms used for poison darts, traditional medicine, ceremonial and spiritual purposes, and recreational drugs. Hazardous plants are commonly used as garden ornamentals, potted plants, or florist flowers, yet many people are unaware of the dangers posed by the toxins derived from them. In addition to exploring plants that are ingested, the authors also treat plants that cause irritation and inflammation of the skin and mucous membranes. A special focus is given to psychoactive plants, which can have stimulant, sedative, hypnotic, narcotic, or hallucinogenic properties. These include coca, opium, cannabis, and scopolamine. Mind-Altering and Poisonous Plants of the World is a must for gardeners, farmers, veterinarians, botanists, pharmacists, chemists, doctors, and poison control centers.

Mind-altering and Poisonous Plants of the World

This important volume commences with an overview of the modes of action of defensive secondary metabolites, followed by detailed surveys of chemical defense in marine ecosystems, the biochemistry of induced defense, plant-microbe interactions and medical applications. A chapter is also included covering biotechnological aspects of producing valuable secondary metabolites in plant cell and organ cultures. This is a comprehensive and fully updated new edition, edited by Professor Michael Wink and including contributions from many internationally acknowledged experts in the field.

Annual Plant Reviews, Functions and Biotechnology of Plant Secondary Metabolites

Joachim Funke

Rainer M. Holm-Hadulla

Intelligence allows people to understand events and to shape their surrounding environment. This book delves deeper into the theories and applications of intelligence, showing it is a multifaceted concept —defined and explained differently by prestigious experts of various disciplines in their own research. The book provides interdisciplinary connections of intelligence as it relates to a variety of clearly outlined subject areas, and should lead to a deep understanding of the phenomenon as it pertains to practical applications in different domains. Contributors in this volume present results from evolutionary biology, mathematics, artificial intelligence, medicine, psychology, cultural studies, economy, political sciences and philosophy. Individual scientific models are integrated in an interdisciplinary concept of wisdom. This volume will help enhance the common understanding of intelligence for fellow researchers and scientists alike.

Intelligence - Theories and Applications

The secondary metabolites of plants were once considered to be waste products - today, their true value is understood. New methods of separation and structural elucidation, and advances in the investigation of biochemical activities, have increased our understanding of secondary metabolites. Their function as a defense mechanisms offers a great potential for technological gain. Secondary metabolites can be utilized in agriculture to breed stronger crops and in the manufacture of biorational pesticides. They can also be exploited by medicine as theraputic agents. And these are just two of the likely uses. This landmark volume presents articles by an impressive team of experts from leading laboratories. Each chapter considers a current understanding of secondary metabolites in nature and the potential exploitation of those qualities by the biotechnology industry.

Biochemistry of Plant Secondary Metabolism

Medicinal Plants of the World is a fully illustrated, comprehensive and scientifically accurate guide to the best-known and most important medicinal plants, and their uses, It includes plants of special commercial as well as historical interest. Features: More than 320 medicinal plants and their close relatives are described. Each entry gives a short description of the plant, the geographical origin, therapeutic category, uses and properties, preparation and dosage, active ingredients and pharmacological effects. More than 800 excellent full-colour photographs assist in the identification of the plants and related or similar plants. Introductory chapters explain the 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 checklist of 900 of the most important and well-known medicinal plants of the world acts as a quick reference to each plant, listed alphabetically according to scientific name with the common names, family name, region of origin, therapeutic category and plant parts used. Also included is a glossary of medical and related terms.

An Illustrated Scientific Guide to Important Medicinal Plants and Their Uses

Medicinal Plants of the World

Gunter Frank

Léa Linster

Was gutes Kochhandwerk mit gesundem Genuss zu tun hat Die meisten von uns können kaum noch genießen. Selbst Gäste in Léa Linsters Sterne-Restaurant bringen inzwischen eine Portion schlechtes Gewissen mit zum festlichen Dinner. Muss das wirklich ein Widerspruch sein – Gesundheit und Genuss? In diesem außergewöhnlichen Text-Bildband trifft Kochkunst auf Ärztewissen und Ernährungsforschung. Die Spitzenköchin Léa Linster, der Arzt Gunter Frank und der Evolutionsbiologe Michael Wink haben einen mehrtägigen Selbstversuch unternommen. Sie haben eingekauft, gekocht, gegessen, diskutiert: Welche Art von Essen bereitet Genuss und ist trotzdem gesund? Oder gerade deswegen? Zwischen Wochenmarkt, Herd und gedeckter Tafel erfährt der Leser, warum uralte Kochtraditionen viel mit modernem Forschungswissen zu tun haben und echter Genuss immer auch gesund ist.

Eine Sterneköchin, ein Arzt und ein Wissenschaftler über traditionelles Kochwissen und gesunden Genuss

Karotten lieben Butter

Designed primarily for professional people treating cases of misuse. More than 200 of the major plants are treated in depth. Accompanied by 550 excellent photos for ID.

An Illustrated Scientific Guide

Ben-Erik van Wyk

Medicinal plants and plant-derived medicine are widely used in traditional cultures all over the world and they are becoming increasingly popular in modern society as natural alternatives to synthetic chemicals. As more and more natural remedies are being commercialised, there is a need for a user-friendly reference guide to the plants and their products. The book gives the reader a bird's eye view of more than 350 of the best known medicinal plants of the world and their uses, in a compact, colourful and scientifically accurate reference text. It provides quick answers to the most obvious questions: Where does this plant originate? What does it look like? In which culture is it traditionally used? What is it used for? Which chemical compounds does it contain? How safe is it? What is known about its pharmacological activity? What evidence is there that it is effective? The authors also provide short overviews of the various health conditions for which medicinal plants are used and the active compounds (secondary metabolites) found in the plants and their modes of actions. This new edition has an additional 30 plant species, many new and improved photographs and the text has been fully updated to reflect the latest regulatory status of each plant.

Markus Hilgert

International renommierte Autoren zeichnen in Band 54 der Heidelberger Jahrbücher „Menschen-Bilder“ und stellen damit das „Humane in der Wissenschaft“ dar. Dabei legen sie innovative Fragestellungen zugrunde und betrachten diese Menschen-Bilder je nach wissenschaftlicher Disziplin aus ganz unterschiedlichen Blickwinkeln.

Darstellungen des Humanen in der Wissenschaft

Menschen-Bilder

Plants have been used to treat disease throughout human history. On a clay slab that dates back approximately five thousand years, the Sumerians recorded medicinal recipes that made use of hundreds of plants, including poppy, henbane, and mandrake. During the Middle Ages, monks commonly grew and prescribed plants such as sage, anise, and mint in their monasteries. And as the market for herbal remedies and natural medicine grows, we continue to search the globe for plants and plant compounds to combat our various ailments. In Phytomedicines, Herbal Drugs, and Poisons, Ben-Erik van Wyk offers a richly illustrated, scientific guide to medicinal and poisonous plants, including those used for their mind-altering effects. Van Wyk covers approximately 350 species—from Aloe vera and Ephedra sinica to Cannabis sativa and Coffea arabica—detailing their botanical, geographical, pharmacological, and toxicological data as well as the chemical structures of the active compounds in each. Readers learn, for example, that Acacia senegal, or gum acacia, is used primarily in Sudan and Ethiopia as a topical ointment to protect the skin and mucosa from bacterial and fungal infections, and that Aconitum napellus, more commonly known as aconite, is used in cough syrups but can be psychedelic when smoked or absorbed through the skin. With 350 full-color photographs featuring the plants and some of their derivative products, Phytomedicines, Herbal Drugs, and Poisons will be an invaluable reference not only for those in the health care field but also for those growing their own medicinal herb gardens, as well as anyone who needs a quick answer to whether a plant is a panacea or a poison.

Michael Wink

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