Herbal medicines have been used as prophylactic measures and curative treatments throughout human history, and crude herbal extracts are commonly used in pharmaceutical research. Producing a variety of structurally novel bioactive compounds or secondary metabolites, freshwater plants provide a diverse and unique source of bioactive lead compounds for the discovery of modern drugs. These include antibiotics, mycotoxins, alkaloids, and phenolic compounds.

In an effort to bring together the disciplines of biology and pharmacy for the identification and large-scale collection of pharmaceutically important organisms, Freshwater Phytopharmaceutical Compounds presents key information on freshwater flora, including common names, classification, global distribution, habitats, and biology--all organized according to the activities of their bioactive compounds.

Pharmaceutical activities of the freshwater plants discussed include:

• Antimicrobial



• Antiprotozoal



• Antihelmentic



• Antiviral



• Anticancer



• Antioxidant



• Anti-inflammatory and analgesic



• Antidiabetic



• Antidiuretic



• Anticoagulant and antiplatelet



• Hypocholesterolemic



• Hypolipidemic



• Antiepileptic



• Antiparkinsonian

An important resource for progress in pharmaceutical freshwater plant research, this book provides a comprehensive volume on pharmaceutical compounds of freshwater flora, covering the biology and ecology of the plants and the structures and activities of the different classes of pharmaceutical compounds derived from them.

Dr. Santhanam Ramesh, professor, Department of Pharmaceutics, Nehru College of Pharmacy, Thiruvilwamala, Kerala, obtained his Ph.D. degree from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad, India, in 2011. His fields of specialization are biopharmaceutical products, pharmaceutical nanotechnology, and novel drug delivery systems. Dr. Ramesh has seven years of teaching/overseas experience. He has authored two books, Marine Pharmaceutical Compounds and A Text Book of Novel Drug Delivery Systems, and ten research papers published in nationally and internationally reputed journals. He is presently serving as an associate member of the Academy Pharmacy Group, Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Great Britain, and as a member of American Nano Society.

Dr. Rajabalaya Rajan, lecturer III, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kualalumpur, Malaysia, obtained his Ph.D. from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India, in 2009. His fields of specialization are biopharmaceutical products and transdermal and topical drug delivery. He has 13 years of teaching experience and has written 20 research papers. He is presently a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Pharmacy and is a member of the former Industrial Research and Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society.

Dr. Ramasamy Santhanam is the former Dean of the Fisheries College and Research Institute at the Tamilnadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Thoothukudi, India. His fields of specialization are Marine Biology and Fisheries Environment. Presently he is serving as a resource person for various universities in India. He has also served as an expert for the Environment Management Capacity Building, a World Bank-aided project of the Department of Ocean Development, India. He was a a member of the American Fisheries Society, the World Aquaculture Society, the Global Fisheries Ecosystem Management Network (GFEMN), and th