A classic in the literature of herbal medicine, this book explains in simple terms the commonly occurring chemical constituents of medicinal plants, and how these react with the human body. The major classes of plant constituents, such as phenols, terpenes and polysaccharides, are described both in terms of their chemical structures and their pharmacological activities. The last 20 years has seen huge growth in research output in phytochemistry, and this edition has been thoroughly revised to incorporate up-to-date research. It contains a new chapter on resins and cannabinoids, and additional content on macrocarpals, essential oil chemotypes, mushroom polysaccharides, phytochemical synergy, and toxicology of phytochemicals.
The Constituents of Medicinal Plants. 3rd Edition. By Andrew Pengelly. CABI. 2021. 231 pages. The Constituents of Medicinal Plants is a textbook of the chemistry of organic substances for those interested in traditional medicines from plants. Pengelly’s text provides an overview of the organic chemistry of phytochemicals with inclusion of subject matter for non-chemists. This book has many references to plants and phytochemical pharmaceuticals, but descriptions of biomolecular modes of action are often not provided or cursory. While this book may be read by some non-students, the format is pedagogical, hence it would appeal primarily to people who already have an interest in the subject matter.