Spice of Life : Magical Healing Power of Turmeric

Contents: Foreword. Preface. I. Introduction: i. Folkloric background. ii. Historical background. iii. Traditional uses. iv. Current status. II. Cultivation: i. Occurrence and distribution. ii. Cultivation of turmeric. iii. Varieties. iv. Plant tissue culture. v. Protection of plants from diseases and pests. vi. Processing of the Rhizomes. vii. Polishing of commercial variety. viii. Turmeric (Curcuma) of commerce. ix. Storage. III. Identification: i. Vernacular names. ii. Description. iii. Pharmacognostic characteristics. iv. Properties. v. General tests for identification. vi. Purity tests. vii. Microchemical tests. viii. Authentication of curcuma plants. ix. Adulterants. IV. Medicinal uses: i. Parts used. ii. Medicinal uses. iii. General uses claimed. iv. Confirmed effects. v. Dosage forms of turmeric. vi. Recommended dosages. vii. Toxicity. viii. Precautions. ix. Uses in other systems of medicine. x. Ayurvedic system. xi. Ayurvedic properties. xii. Ayurvedic uses. xiii. Ayurvedic formulations. xiv. Unani uses. xv. Homeopathic uses. xvi. Tribal uses. xvii. Veterinary uses. V. Home remedies and other uses: i. Home remedies. ii. Other uses. VI. Pharmacological actions: i. Anti-alzheimer effect of curcuminoids. ii. Anti-angiogenic effect of curcumin and its derivatives. iii. Anti-asthmatic effect of curcumin. iv. Antibacterial effect of turmeric. v. Anti carcinogenic effect. vi. Antidiabetic effects of turmeric and curcumin. vii. Anti-inflammatory effect. viii. Anti-oxidative effect. ix. Antispasmodic activity. x. Cardiovascular effects. xi. Effect on cataract. xii. Gastrointestinal effects. xiii. Hepatoprotective effects. xiv. Effect of curcumin on liver diseases. xv. Protective effect of curcumin on liver toxicity. xvi. Effect of curcumin on lung disorders. xvii. Protective effect of curcumin against pulmonary fibrosis. xviii. Effect on wound healing. VII. Immunopharmacology. VIII. Microbiology. IX. Biochemistry: i. Insecticidal activity of essential oil. ii. Nematocidal activity. iii. Bioactivities of turmeric constituents. iv. Isolation of peptides and proteins. v. Miscellaneous. X. Phytochemistry: i. The volatile essential oil. ii. Carbohydrates. iii. The curcuminoids. iv. Other phenolic compounds. v. Isolation procedures. vi. The chemistry of curcumin. vii. Biosynthesis of curcumin. viii. The structure-activity relationships. XI. Bibliography. XII. Appendix. Glossary of medical terms. General Index. Index for patents.

"Turmeric belongs to the elite group of spices of Indian origin. Its proven efficacy as a digestive aid, against gastric and peptic ulcers, inflammation, rheumatoid-and osteo-and arthritis attracted special attention of the western world in recent years. Clinical trials also corroborated the anti-atherosclerotic, ant-carcinogenic (specially related to colon and prostrate) and anti-mutagenic effect of its active constituent, curcumin.

The book fulfills a timely need of a comprehensive account of all aspects of turmeric, namely cultivation, identification, uses in modern medicine, specially established by clinical trials, as well as in other systems of traditional medicines, Ayurvedic formulations and home remedies. It covers the up-to-date researches on the pharmacological, microbiological, immunopharmacological and biochemical actions as also the detailed phytochemisty of turmeric and curcumin, syntheses and biosynthesis and structure-activity relationships of the curcuminoids with 532 references. It also includes glossary of medical terms, selected classified patents (-170) and a classified list of (-200) US and world-wide patents.

The book is thus expected to be well received by specialists, students and entrepreneurs like its predecessor, "Ginger--A versatile Healing Herb." (jacket)