Natural Products Recent Advances is a compilation of scholarly articles covering multidisciplinary aspects in the study of naturally occurring substances. The Chapters in this book cover a wide spectrum of scientific disciplines such as phytochemistry, phtyopharmacology, pharrnacognosy, ethnomedicine, ethnopharmacology. ethnobotany. primary health care etc. Through this Volume GA Cordell introduces a new term ‘ecopharmacognosy’ to explain the concept of sustainability in to all pharrnacognosy research, Yoshinori Asakawa describes a large number of secondary metabolites and bioactive molecules isolated from liverworts (Marchantiophyta). Srini V Kaveri and his group have contributed a chapter on anti-tumoral mechanism underlying immuno-modulatory effects of Viscum album preparations. Glowniak and Sieniawska have contributed a chapter on applications of coumarins in phytotherapy. The history of the growth and development of ethnopharmacology research in India is reviewed by Pushpangadan, George and linu. Abdul Sami Shawl has reviewed the quality and chemical composition of industrially important essential oils from temperate regions of India. Rupika Delgoda has reviewed the application of science and technology for the safe use of drugs in the Caribbean Island ofJarnaica. Peter and Peter have reviewed the biology, chemistry and medicinal properties of the wonder drug ‘Noni’. Monika Thakur gives an account of the medicinal and nutraceutical properties of wild mushrooms and emphasizes the need for further research. Sharma, Llniyal and Slowik write about the conservation of Taxus buccaic in Himachal Pradesh. Rao and Rawat give a brief review of botanicals used in healthcare. Kharat, Kaur and Pai in their contribution write about the effect of Aerva sanguinolenta on Leishmanio donovani the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis. Srivastava et al write about chemotypic variation among different accessions of Centella asiatsco in the chapter contributed by them. Gupta and Prakash review natural products from microbes. Ramesh Das in his contribution gives an account of traditional medicine used by the people inhabiting around the Manas National Park of Assam. Joshi, Panthari and Kharkwal review the phytochemistry, pharmacology, traditional utility and value addition of Rhododendron arboretum flowers. Kaushal and Shaveta give an accout of their work on the mycorrhizal association of some horticultural plants of Himachal Pradesh. Thus the book is certainly useful to researchers, teachers, students and laymen engaged in natural product study and research.

Dr. Ashok K. Chauhan, Ph.D., Polymer Chemistry (Germany) is the Chairman, AKC Group of Companies, Founder President of Ritnand Balved Education Foundation - The Foundation of Amity Institutions and the Sponsoring Body of Amity Universities. He is a renowned Educationist, Industrialist and Philanthropist. Under his leadership Amity Education Group has grown in to India’s leading Global Education Group comprising of 5 Universities, 150 institutions, 6 Global Campuses, 17 Schools and Play schools with 95,000 students and 6,000 faculty, researchers and scientists. As Patron of the 7th International Society for Development of Natural Products (ISDNP) Symposium he has played a key role in bringing together renowned scientists from different parts of the world to Amity University Uttar Pradesh (AUUP), Noida and in organizing a very successful Symposium. Dr. Palpu Pushpangadan, Ph.D., FBRS, FES, FIAT, FNRS, FNSE, FNESA, FNAASc, FNASc, FRSC (UK), Padma Shri Awardee, UN Equator Initiative Laureate and Borlaug Awardee, is the Director General of Amity Institute for Herbal and Biotech Products Development, Thiruvananthapuram and Sr. Vice President, RBEF. Formerly he had been the Director of CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow and prior to this he had been the Director of KSCSTE-Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI), Thiruvananthapuram. Before joining JNTBGRI he had been Senior Scientist with CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu. He had been the Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 7th International Society for Development of Natural Products (ISDNP) Symposium held at AUUP, Noida. His major areas of research are Ethnobotany, Ethnomedicne, Ethnopharmacology, Plant Breeding and Cytogenetics. Dr. Varughese George, Ph.D., FNSE, FABMS, FRSC (UK), is the Director of Amity Institute of Phytochemistry & Phytomedicine, Thiruvananthapuram. Formerly he had been Scientist G (Director Grade) and Head, Phytochemistry and Phytopharmacology Division of KSCSTE-Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI), hiruvananthapuram. Prior to this he had been Senior Scientist with CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu/Srinagar. He had been the Organizing Secretary of the 7th International Society for Development of Natural Products (ISDNP) Symposium held at AUUP, Noida. His major areas of research are Phytochemistry, Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Ethnomedicine and Ethnopharmacology.