4 research outputs found
Medicinal Plants of India
Crude extracts of fruits, herbs, vegetables, cereals and other plant materials rich in
phenolics and antioxidant activity are of prime interest to the food industry because
of their ability to retard oxidative degradation of lipids and hence improve the quality
and nutritional value of functional food. Concomitantly, the importance of antioxidant
constituents of plant materials in the maintenance of health and protection from coronary
heart disease and cancer is also raising interest among scientists, food manufacturers
and consumers as part of the current trend towards the use of herbal medicine. In
addition, the use of complementary alternative medicine (CAM) by patients suffering
from chronic disorders, such as cancers, heart, stroke and immune disorders has been
well documented. CAMs are either used on their own (alternative treatments) or in
addition to conventional medicine (complementary treatments). CAMs can be grouped
into herbal medicines derived from medicinal plants, food supplements that include
vitamin preparations, trace elements and other substances such as omega-3 fatty acid