Shazia Sultana

Global Wild Edibles of Deserts: Food Security and Sustainability provides coverage of topics in food and health in desert rangelands, using an interdisciplinary approach that considers health not only in a functional and human sense, but also in terms of external factors including aridity. The plant diversity in desert ecosystems provide economic service benefits, such as sources of fodder, fuel wood, and traditional medicinal plants. This book documents wild edibles commonly grown in deserts that are hugely beneficial for the herbal industry for the socio-economic uplift of local communities. This book contains multiple field pictorial graphs of desert wild edible plants to help with their identification, and it gives detailed information on food security issues and sustainability measures in the world desert zones. It also focusses on the diversity of wild edibles in deserts across the globe, their nutraceutical importance, production-consumption trends, integration into food menus, and marketing and livelihood opportunities to the indigenous people. A volume in the Exploring Medicinal Plants series, this book creates opportunity for policymakers to develop plans for the successful entry of wild edibles into herbal industries, and attracts farmers owning infertile lands to cultivate wild edibles in desert rangeland. The book is a valuable resource for researchers, conservationists, and policymakers seeking solutions at the intersection of food security and environmental sustainability.

Melissopalynology: Bee Flora, Pollen and Honey presents a comprehensive guide to the floral biology of honeybee plants. Critical for developing optimal management techniques for honey bee habitats, as well as for the growth and sustainability of the honey economy, this information is key to addressing the problem of predicting resource availability. In addition, it enables successful apiarist planning for effective hive placements and capacity, and provides crucial baseline data to direct habitat and biodiversity management. The book is globally relevant, presenting updates on the characteristics, composition, health properties, contamination, authenticity, and adulteration of honey at the worldwide level, regardless of region. The 100+ bee flora and pollen field notes and photographic atlas sections examine species found in multiple regions throughout the world. Honey has become a highly demanded product for consumers worldwide due to its taste and rich nutritional and medicinal value. However, it remains challenging to identify honey’s origin as well as determine its authenticity. This book summarizes the research and practices carried out in the last decade toward discriminating honey by using characteristic markers.

Medicinal flora plays an important role in health care systems across the world. Out of the half million flowering plants, around 50.000 species are valued for their therapeutic properties. During the last few decades, 20% of the world’s population used plants and/or their derived products as a source of medicine. WHO stated that 80% population around the globe, specifically the rural communities, depend on medicinal plants for their basic healthcare needs. To this end, plant-based phytochemicals are known to have hepato-protective, anti-carcinogenic, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant actions. This book is a guide to ~280 plant species of medicinal flora that demonstrates global relevance. Our goal is to share local knowledge about phytomedicines to a worldwide audience. It is an illustrated reference that documents and preserves the existing knowledge on these plant taxa, with a social and cultural (ethnobotanical) emphasis. This book also provides comprehensive and useful information about traditional uses of medicinal plants by the local communities for the treatment of various prevalent diseases. It contains comprehensive descriptions of each species including family, synonyms, English name, distribution, altitude, habitat, morphological description, life form, part used, mode of utilization, diseases category, recipes, other medicinal uses, phytochemical activity and toxicity.

Due to their high nutritive value and the presence of secondary metabolites, wetland plants can be consumed by humans as food and utilized as medicinal drugs. Significant numbers of ethno-botanic resources have been reported to extract useful compounds, which can be used as pharmaceuticals. Wetland plants are also very valuable as an energy source, as fuel for fish smoking and for domestic energy. These plants can be harvested as wild stock, or cultivated in flooded paddies for aquaculture, food and for livestock fodder. All parts of plants can be utilized for foodstuff, compost, mulch, medicine, and for construction. Wetland Plants: A Source of Nutrition and Ethnomedicine aims to promote public understanding of this remarkable resource, exploring not only their role in the ecosystem but also their nutritional and medicinal purposes. Based on original research, the text focuses on species identification (with original pictures of wetland plants including morphological features), nutritive value and ethno-medicinal uses. This book serves as an important and basic reference material for further research into the basic biological as well as the applied medicinal aspects of traditional medicinal wetland plants.

Medicinal flora plays an important role in health care systems across the world. Out of the half million flowering plants, around 50.000 species are valued for their therapeutic properties. During the last few decades, 20% of the world’s population used plants and/or their derived products as a source of medicine. WHO stated that 80% population around the globe, specifically the rural communities, depend on medicinal plants for their basic healthcare needs. To this end, plant-based phytochemicals are known to have hepato-protective, anti-carcinogenic, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant actions. This book is a guide to ~280 plant species of medicinal flora that demonstrates global relevance. Our goal is to share local knowledge about phytomedicines to a worldwide audience. It is an illustrated reference that documents and preserves the existing knowledge on these plant taxa, with a social and cultural (ethnobotanical) emphasis. This book also provides comprehensive and useful information about traditional uses of medicinal plants by the local communities for the treatment of various prevalent diseases. It contains comprehensive descriptions of each species including family, synonyms, English name, distribution, altitude, habitat, morphological description, life form, part used, mode of utilization, diseases category, recipes, other medicinal uses, phytochemical activity and toxicity.

Due to their high nutritive value and the presence of secondary metabolites, wetland plants can be consumed by humans as food and utilized as medicinal drugs. Significant numbers of ethno-botanic resources have been reported to extract useful compounds, which can be used as pharmaceuticals. Wetland plants are also very valuable as an energy source, as fuel for fish smoking and for domestic energy. These plants can be harvested as wild stock, or cultivated in flooded paddies for aquaculture, food and for livestock fodder. All parts of plants can be utilized for foodstuff, compost, mulch, medicine, and for construction. Wetland Plants: A Source of Nutrition and Ethnomedicine aims to promote public understanding of this remarkable resource, exploring not only their role in the ecosystem but also their nutritional and medicinal purposes. Based on original research, the text focuses on species identification (with original pictures of wetland plants including morphological features), nutritive value and ethno-medicinal uses. This book serves as an important and basic reference material for further research into the basic biological as well as the applied medicinal aspects of traditional medicinal wetland plants.

Biodiesel a fuel substitute produced from vegetable oils, animal fats, or algae is one of the most important renewable natural resources for agrarian countries. The justification for developing biodiesel as an alternate fuel is manifold, and rising crude oil prices and the vulnerability of energy security have made biodiesel necessary and inevitable. The Practical Handbook on Biodiesel Production and Properties has assembled and analyzed the recent trends of biodiesel research, production, and implementation. It includes practical guidance on the identification of plant resources and their distribution, botanical description, palynology, oil extraction, production process, and biodiesel yield. The production and usage of biodiesel will strengthen the agricultural sector, provide energy to remote areas without access to conventional energy, contribute towards economic development, and increase industrial activity. Drawing on both scientific and participatory processes, this book enables the successful utilization and commercialization of biofuel technology.

Biodiesel—a fuel substitute produced from vegetable oils, animal fats, or algae—is one of the most important renewable natural resources for agrarian countries. The justification for developing biodiesel as an alternate fuel is manifold, and rising crude oil prices and the vulnerability of energy security have made biodiesel necessary and inevitable. The Practical Handbook on Biodiesel Production and Properties has assembled and analyzed the recent trends of biodiesel research, production, and implementation. It includes practical guidance on the identification of plant resources and their distribution, botanical description, palynology, oil extraction, production process, and biodiesel yield. The production and usage of biodiesel will strengthen the agricultural sector, provide energy to remote areas without access to conventional energy, contribute towards economic development, and increase industrial activity. Drawing on both scientific and participatory processes, this book enables the successful utilization and commercialization of biofuel technology.