Dr. Sadanand A. Dhekney, associate professor of genetics and plant breeding, UMES Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences, is a co-author on a Springer published book, “Medicinal Plants: From Farm to Pharmacy.”
The book includes 17 chapters written by experts in the field of medicinal plants cultivation, chemistry and biomedical research and edited by Dhekney along with colleagues Nirmal Joshee of Fort Valley State University’s Agricultural Research Station and Prahlad Parajuli of Wayne State University’s Department of Neurosurgery. It has been called, “an important treatise that covers topics providing an excellent, in-depth review of the pipeline starting from the production, mechanistic studies and efficacy testing up to the time a plant-based product reaches the market.”
The idea for the book, Dhekney said, came as an extension of an idea that was presented as a workshop “From Farm to Pharmacy” during the American Society for Horticultural Sciences annual meeting, August 8-11, 2016 in Atlanta, Ga. He and his co-editors have extensive experience in working with several medicinal plant species including some from the Indian and Nepal Himalayas, where a majority of the world’s medicinal herbs are found. The editors have worked with authors across the globe to compile information on the usages of various plants in alternative and complementary medicinal practices. Their goal is to generate awareness and dissipate knowledge about the agricultural/harvesting practice and current research on biological activities and medical usages of some popular and some relatively unknown traditional herbs from around the world.
“The book highlights the vast plant wealth around us and their tremendous benefit to both humans and animals,” Dhekney said.
It is suitable for people with a limited scientific background interested in knowing more about the effects of plants on human health, Dhekney said, along with students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels who wish to pursue a career in the field of medicinal plant chemistry and cultivation and researchers.
“There has been an increasing trend in the commercial cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants, large-scale extraction of the active compounds, along with their processing and marketing as dietary supplements,” Dhekney said. “Chemical compounds with specific mode of action in the human body have also been discovered, tested and produced as drugs. This trend has sparked the sharing of information across the world, providing impetus to research towards discovering potential life-saving drugs.”
The book, he said, provides timely information on the techniques for cultivation of plants with medicinal properties, in vitro studies detailing the effect of bioactive molecules from various plant species using human/animal cell culture system as well as in vivo disease models and the processing of various plant parts for formulation into medicines.
“My fellow editors and I hope this book will instigate some level of consciousness, enthusiasm, and gratitude towards the tremendous health benefits that are hidden in the flora surrounding us,” Dhekney said.
Dhekney has a PhD in horticultural sciences with specialization in plant breeding and biotechnology from the University of Florida. His research interests include using precision breeding technology for genetic improvement of specialty crops.
The e-version of the book as well as hard copies are available for purchase on Springer.com.
