Publisher's Synopsis
The varied character of natural plant products, and indeed their very existence, pose fundamental questions for scientists. Many books have been published concerning the chemical aspects of these products; however, it is exceptional to find discussed within a single volume most aspects of particular genera or of particular pharmacological classes of natural substances, all having economic potential. Thus the intent of this book series is to identify areas of research in natural plant products that are of immediate or projected importance from a practical point of view and to review these areas in a concise and critical manner. Subjects discussed in this volume include the use of plant extracts as sources of anti-HIV agents, antiplatelet activity, immune regulators and renewable energy. We feel that these topics will be of great interest to graduate students, research workers, and others interested in the discovery of natural products and in their further utilization as drugs, pharmacological tools, models for synthetic efforts, or other economic purposes.;We hope that decision makers in industry, government agencies, philanthropic foundations, and elsewhere will benefit from these timely reviews, and consider these and related projects as worthwhile endeavors for further research.
