AAP Focus on Medicinal Plants In this comprehensive desk reference, a variety of bioactives and therapeutics from the legume family (Fabaceae or Leguminosae) are thoroughly detailed. For each species included in the volume, a brief introduction is given, and the plant's bioactive compounds are listed and their chemical structures shown, followed by their pharmacological activities.

Many of these plants have medicinal activities that include antiviral, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, cardioprotective, and more activities. The biochemical characteristics of the 37 plants included, such as the type of starch, protein, and fibers, can be exploited as binders, excipients, thickeners, and dispersants in the formulation of various products in the pharmaceutical industry. The published literature on the pharmacological activities on each species is reviewed and presented in a concise and clear manner.

Bioactives and Pharmacology of Legumes will be an important source book for pharmaceutical researchers, scientists, and others in development of new drugs.

T. Pullaiah, PhD, is a former Professor at the Department of Botany at Sri Krishnadevaraya University in Andhra Pradesh, India, where he has taught for more than 35 years. He has held several positions at the university, including Dean, Faculty of Biosciences, Head of the Department of Botany, Head of the Department of Biotechnology, and Member of Academic Senate. He was President of the Indian Botanical Society (2014), President of the Indian Association for Angiosperm Taxonomy (2013), and Fellow of Andhra Pradesh Akademi of Sciences. He was awarded the Panchanan Maheshwari Gold Medal, the Dr. G. Panigrahi Memorial Lecture Award of the Indian Botanical Society and the Prof. Y.D. Tyagi Gold Medal of the Indian Association for Angiosperm Taxonomy, and a best teacher award from the Government of Andhra Pradesh. Under his guidance, 54 students obtained their doctoral degrees. He has authored over 50 books, edited 20 books, and published over 330 research papers, including reviews and book chapters. His books include Advances in Cell and Molecular Diagnostics, Ethnobotany of India (5 volumes), Red Sanders: Silviculture and Conservation, Monograph on Brachystelma and Ceropegia in India, Flora of Andhra Pradesh (5 volumes), Flora of Eastern Ghats (7 volumes), Flora of Telangana (3 volumes), Encyclopaedia of World Medicinal Plants (7 volumes, 2nd edition), Encyclopaedia of Herbal Antioxidants (3 volumes), Global Biodiversity (4 volumes), and Handbook of Research on Herbal Liver Protection. He also has several books in preparation now. Dr. Pullaiah was also a member of the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). He received his PhD from Andhra University, India, attended Moscow State University, Russia, and worked as postdoctoral fellow during 1976-1978.