This volume is a compilation of plenary lectures presented at the IOCD/CYTED Symposium held in Panama City, Panama in 1997, and covers different aspects of research into plants from North, South and Central America. The topics treated all revolve around the chemistry, pharmacology, and biology of these plants. The importance of pharmaceuticals derived from plant sources is described, together with the potential of ethnomedicine for providing new leads in the search for bioactive constituen...

Plants and plant-derived compounds and drugs are becoming more and more popular with increasing numbers of scientists researching plant analysis. The quality control of herbal drugs is also becoming essential to avoid severe health problems, and in the future many more new drugs will be developed from plant sources.This three-volume Handbook, featuring 47 detailed review articles, is unique as it deals with chemical and biological methodologies for plant analysis. It presents the m...