Extracting Current Trends from Natural Sources
Natural Marine Compounds
Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Potential The marine environment offers an abundant source of nutritionally as well as pharmacologically active agents with great chemical diversity and complexity, and the potential to produce valuable health or medicinal foods and therapeutic substances. The growing need for novel bioactives for the treatment of chronic conditions such as cancer, microbial infections, and inflammatory processes, combined with the recognition that marine organisms provide a rich potential source of such entities, presents continued demand in the search for new pharmaceutically active substances from marine organisms. Marine macro-algae, micro-algae, blue-green algae, invertebrates, vertebrates, and marine-derived microorganisms are rich sources of pharmaceutically active compounds and nutraceuticals and have been recognized in traditional Chinese medicine since ancient times. Secondary metabolites and other bioactive compounds, such as products from chitin and chitosan, are also recognized for their pharmaceutical benefits. Chitin and chitosan from crustacean shells are widely used for various biological and biomedical applications, owing to their unique properties.
The Safe Use of Herbal Products The use of herbal supplements has increased significantly in the last 15 years, with botanical products broadly used throughout the world. In the United States, most herbs are sold in loose form or as tablets, capsules, or tinctures, and regulated as dietary supplements. Many herbs are also commonly utilized as flavorings for foods or in teas. In addition, a handful of herbs provide active ingredients in non-prescription drugs. Given the widespread use of herbs, access to accurate, evidence-based, and clinically relevant safety information is essential to anyone who uses or recommends herbal products.
His upcoming title, Chitin and Chitosan Derivatives: Advances in Drug Discovery and Developments (CRC Press, December 2013) presents current trends in chitin and chitosan derivatives from crustacean shells, which are receiving a great deal of interest due to characteristics such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and non toxicity as well as analgesic and antioxidant properties. The book brings together a diverse range of research leading to clinical and industrial products. With major implications of modified chitin and chitosan derivatives for drug discovery and development, potential biological and biomedical applications range from antimicrobial and anticancer to tissue engineering and drug delivery.
Comprised of the finest growers, processors, manufacturers, and marketers of herbal products, the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) is the only national trade association devoted to herbal issues. Continuing the AHPA mission to promote the responsible commerce of herbal products, the second edition of the American Herbal Products Association’s Botanical Safety Handbook (CRC Press, March 2013) reviews both traditional knowledge and contemporary research on herbs to provide an authoritative resource on botanical safety. Covering more than 500 species of herbs, it provides a holistic understanding of safety through data compiled from clinical trials, pharmacological and toxicological studies, medical case reports, and historical texts.
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A senior professor of marine biochemistry in the Department of Chemistry and the director of the Marine Bioprocess Research Center (MBPRC) at Pukyong National University in the Republic of Korea, Se-Kwon Kim, Ph.D., is known for his research on bioactive substances derived from marine organisms and their application in oriental medicine, nutraceuticals, and cosmeceuticals. For his three latest books, Dr. Kim assembled teams of global experts to write about the potential of the marine environment as a productive source of essential novel pharmaceutical and nutraceutical compounds.
Summer 2013