Chemical Basis of Traditional Medicines and New Potential Applications
1College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China; Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
2Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, The City University of New York, NY, USA
Chemical Basis of Traditional Medicines and New Potential Applications
Description
Studies on traditional medicines, for example, Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, Unami, and many others, have become a popular research trend worldwide. In many rural areas of developing countries, traditional medicine is often the only accessible and affordable treatment available. Even in developed countries, the use of traditional medicine is gaining popularity, where Western medicine is generally available. An area of concern, however, is that most of the chemical components, especially those responsible for medicinal activity, of these traditional medicines are not well understood. It is urgent to understand. It is important to gain a better understanding of the chemical basis of these traditional medicines, demonstrate their activity, understand their mechanism of action, and develop new potential applications.
We invite investigators to contribute original research articles and review articles that will foster better understanding of the chemical constituents of traditional medicines, relate them to their ethnomedicinal uses and discuss new potential applications of established remedies. We are particularly interested in articles that report ethnobotanical studies of traditional medicine and new activities or new applications of these medicines. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
- Original research or reviews about the use of plants, fungi, animals, microorganisms, minerals, and their biological and pharmacological effects
- Anthropological and ethnobotanical studies on traditional medicines and their applications
- Natural products from traditional medicines and their new biological activities
- Phytochemical analysis and quality control of traditional medicines
- Pharmacological and toxicological studies of traditional medicine of past and present cultures
- Studies elucidating the mechanism of action of traditional medicine
- Western use of traditional medicine and their pharmacokinetic investigations or clinical studies
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