Freshwater Phytopharmaceutical Compounds

Herbal medicines have been used as prophylactic measures and curative treatments throughout human history, and crude herbal extracts are commonly used in pharmaceutical research. Producing a variety of structurally novel bioactive compounds or secondary metabolites, freshwater plants provide a diverse and unique source of bioactive lead compounds for the discovery of modern drugs. These include antibiotics, mycotoxins, alkaloids, and phenolic compounds.

In an effort to bring together the disciplines of biology and pharmacy for the identification and large-scale collection of pharmaceutically important organisms, Freshwater Phytopharmaceutical Compounds presents key information on freshwater flora, including common names, classification, global distribution, habitats, and biology--all organized according to the activities of their bioactive compounds.

Pharmaceutical activities of the freshwater plants discussed include:

• Antimicrobial
• Antiprotozoal
• Antihelmentic
• Antiviral
• Anticancer
• Antioxidant
• Anti-inflammatory and analgesic
• Antidiabetic
• Antidiuretic
• Anticoagulant and antiplatelet
• Hypocholesterolemic
• Hypolipidemic
• Antiepileptic
• Antiparkinsonian

An important resource for progress in pharmaceutical freshwater plant research, this book provides a comprehensive volume on pharmaceutical compounds of freshwater flora, covering the biology and ecology of the plants and the structures and activities of the different classes of pharmaceutical compounds derived from them.