Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of the Middle-East

Plants have been known and cultivated for their therapeutic properties in the Middle-East throughout recorded history and most likely - beyond that. With the progress of science, they continue to be cultivated and collected for both traditional and innovative purposes.

This volume: "Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of the Middle-East" offers the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on medicinal plants and their increasing importance as cultivated crops, or as plants with significant potential to become crops in this important region.

In 17 chapters of meticulous research, this unique volume explores history, taxonomy, ecology and biodiversity, cultivation and breeding, agronomy and medicinal properties.

Written by leading scientists, this volume includes:

The history of medicinal plants used by our ancestors during the early periods of civilization, especially in the Near-East;

The use of plants for producing health products (pomegranate, pine), pharmaceutical drugs (khat for natural amphetamines, opium poppy, Myrtle); nutrition and food products: (Eruca sativa, citron,) herbs and spices (oregano, sages,) cosmeceutical products and perfumes (rose oil, apharsemon, myrrh and olibanum), liqueurs (Myrtus communis) and many more; Traditional plants used by Bedouin tribes in the Middle-East;

The use of edible wild plants in tradition and as future health foods

The use of Pistacia in veterinary as well as in human medicine;The presentation of a native plant from Jordan: Juniperus, with its traditional and promising modern studies;

Some important traditional medicinal plants with great potential (Capparis spinosa, sacropoterium spinosum)

From poppy and rose-oil to khat and citron this volume highlights issues relevant to the collection, conservation, cultivation, production and utilization of a selection of unique medicinal and aromatic plants, with demonstrated promise for the benefit of society-especially in the 21st century.

Auteur
Zohara Yaniv, is Prof. Emeritus at the Agricultural Research Organization. She Received her PhD from Columbia University in New York (1967) and worked for several years as a researcher at the Institute for Plant Research Boyce Thompson Center at Yonkers, NY, on topics related to biochemical control of parasite relations -host. Dr. Yaniv is an international expert on medicinal plants. Particularly interested in folk medicine related, conventional and renewable ancient cultures in the modern world. Her research work focused on ethnic botanical research of the Middle East and Israel. It also dealt with the study of vegetable oil health value crops, such as a rich source of vegetable oil omega-3 fatty acids. Her works are documented in numerous international publications. Dr. Yaniv is also the co-editor of few books: - Medicinal plants of Israel (1991 - in Hebrew, 2000 - English) - Herbs - Complete Guide to medicinal plants with drugs to disease incidence (1995). - Handbook of Medicinal Plants (2005).

Résumé

The current volume, "Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of the Middle-East" brings together chapters on selected, unique medicinal plants of this region, known to man since biblical times. Written by leading researchers and scientists, this volume covers both domesticated crops and wild plants with great potential for cultivation. Some of these plants are well-known medicinally, such as opium poppy and khat, while others such as apharsemon and citron have both ritual and medicinal uses. All have specific and valuable uses in modern society. As such, it is an important contribution to the growing field of medicinal and aromatic plants. This volume is intended to bring the latest research to the attention of the broad range of botanists, ethnopharmacists, biochemists, plant and animal physiologists and others who will benefit from the information gathered therein. Plants know no political boundaries, and bringing specific folklore to general medical awareness can only be for the benefit of all.

Contenu

Forward.- Chapter 1: Medicinal Plants in ancient traditions.- Chapter 2: Wild Edible Plants in Israel Tradition versus Cultivation.- Chapter 3: Ethnobotany among Bedouin tribes in the Middle-East.- Chapter 4: Selected Aromatic-Medicinal Plants, Endemic to the Middle-East.- Chapter 5: Capparis spinosa, The Plant on the Wall.- Chapter 6: Apharsemon, Myrrh and Olibanum: Ancient Medical Plants.- Chapter 7: Sarcopoterium spinosum.- Chapter 8: Traditional uses of Pistacia lentiscus in Veterinary and Human Medicine.- Chapter 9: Farming Amphetamines: Khat (Catha edulis Forsk) a Traditional Plant with Psychoactive and Medicinal Properties.- Chapter 10: Citron Cultivation, Production and Uses in the Mediterranean Region.- Chapter 11: Therapeutic Use of Aleppo Pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.).- Chapter 12: Pomegranate: Aspects Concerning Dynamics of Health Beneficial Phytochemicals and Therapeutic Properties.- Chapter 13: Juniperus phoenicea from Jordan.- Chapter 14: Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) A Native Mediterranean and Cultured Crop Species.- Chapter 15: Eruca sativa: A Tasty Herb Salad with Health Promoting Properties.- Chapter 16: Rose Oil (Rosa damascena).- Chapter 17: Opium Poppy (papaver somniferum).