The description and analysis of the Mexican and other countries desertic plants from the point of view of their use in traditional medicine and their potential use in integrative medicine is the overall theme of this book. Aromatic and Medicinal Plants of Drylands and Deserts: Ecology, Ethnobiology and Potential Uses describes the historic use of drylands plants, botanical and geological classification, also describes the endemic plants used in traditional medicine, going through the most relevant aspects of biomedicine and integrative medicine. The chemical and bioactive compounds from desertic medicinal and aromatic plants and the analytic techniques to determine chemical and bioactive compounds from the medicinal and aromatic plants are reviewed. Ethnobiology is detailed in the present book as well as the importance of the integrative medicine for the ancient and actual cultures. The book represents an effort to keep the ethnobiological knowledge of communities for the use of traditional desertic plants with the actual analytical techniques to unveil the chemical molecules responsible of the biological or biomedical applications.
Features:
- Describes the endemic plants used in traditional medicine
- Includes the chemical and bioactive compounds from desertic medicinal plants
- Addresses the analytic techniques to determine chemical and bioactive compounds
- Represents an effort to keep the ethnobiological knowledge of communities
To execute this book, there are collaborations by authors from different institutions in northern Mexico, which is where the arid and semi-arid ecosystems of the country are found. Although the subject of medicinal plants has been treated from different angles, this book offers a holistic and comprehensive vision of these important organisms of the Mexican desert, thus resulting in an updated work for specialized readers and for those who are beginning in this exciting theme.
David Ramiro Aguillón-Gutiérrez, PhD, graduated from Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon, Mexico, in 2003. He earnedhis Specialist degree in Occupational Health from the Autonomous University of Noreste (Mexico), MSc degree in Biological Sciences (Specialist in Embryology) from Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia, in 2009, and his PhD in Biological Sciences (Specialist in Embryology and Zoology) also from the same University in 2012. From 2013 to 2014 he was a Postdoctoral Researcher in Biodiversity and Conservation at the Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo, Mexico. Currently he is a full-time research-professor at the Autonomous University of Coahuila, Mexico and a member of the National System of Researches (Mexico). He has published 25 peer-reviewed papers, five book chapters and three books (two as author and one as editor).
Cristian Torres-León, PhD, is Professor, Research Center and Ethnobiological Garden, Autonomous University of Coahuila, Mexico. Cristian Torres-León completed a degree in Agroindustrial Engineering (2013) from the National University of Colombia before earning his Master's (2016) and PhD (2019) in Food Science and Technology, both from the Autonomous University of Coahuila in Mexico. In addition, he completed a PhD (2019) in Biotechnology at the Federal University of Pernambuco in Brazil. Dr. Torres-León worked as a Young Researcher at the Colombian Ministry of Science between 2013 and 2014 and has undertaken a research stay at the University of Minho in Portugal (2016). Dr. Torres-León has evaluated projects for government organizations, and his activities and accomplishments include conferences, seminars, workshops, and the publication of 26 scientific papers in indexed journals and 16 book chapters. He is now a full professor at the Autonomous University of Coahuila, Mexico, and mainly works in the Food Science and Technology area with an emphasis on biodegradable packaging, phenolic compounds, use of agro-industrial waste, fermentation technologies, ethnopharmacology, and food security.
Jorge Aguirre-Joya, PhD, is full-time Professor at the Autonomous University of Coahuila, Mexico. He is a chemical pharmacologist with a degree from the Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila (2011). He earned a Master's degree in Food Science and Technology by the Autonomous University of Coahuila in Mexico (2014) and earned his PhD in Food Science and Technology in 2018 from the same university. Currently, he is Dean of the Research Center and Ethnobiological Garden from the Semidesert of Coahuila. He has published 12 peer-reviewed papers, 15 book chapters and one book as an editor. Also, he has participated in and coordinated 10 technology transfer projects. Professor Aguirre-Joya is member of the National System of Reserches (Mexico) and serves as reviewer for several notable journals.
