CONTENTS Preface vii Contributors xiv 1. Germplasm Introduction, Exchange, Collection/Evaluation and Conservation of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants-Their Export Potential 1 -B. P. Singh 2. Intellectual Property Rights, Growth and Competitiveness of Indian Pharmaceutical Industries 27 -C. P. Malik 3. Enhancing the Export Potential of Medicinal Plants Through Biodiversity Conservation and Development Under Multi-Adversity Environment 36 -M. L. Jakhar, B. L Kakralya, S. J. Singh and Karan Singh 4. Medicinal Plants : Biodiversity Conservation, Export Potential and Intellectual Property Rights 79 -M. M. Bhandari 5. Evaluation of Cultivation and Extraction Practices of Guggulu [Commiphora wightii (Arn) (Bhand)] at Guggul Herbal Farm, Mangliawas 88 -K. C. Audichya 6. 'Green Healers' : A Review 95 -Padma Kumar 7. Rajasthan Bhils Conserve Biodiversity Especially Medicinal Plants 104 -V. S. Saxena 8. Psyllium (P/antago ovata F), its Conservation and Utilisation 120 -R. K. Lal, S. P. S. Khamtja and A. K. Agnihotri 9. Conservation and Cultivation of Ethno-Medicinal Plants in Jharkhand 130 -Narsinha Day a I 10. Observation on Medicinal Plant Richness and Associated Conservation Issues in District Kachchh, Gujarat 137 -C. S. Silori, A. M. Dixil, Leena Ciipta and Nix ha Mistry 11.Medicinal Plants : A Probe in the Forests of Rajasthan 181 -Satish Kumar Sharnia 12.Important Diseases of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants and Their Management Practices 217 -Anand Singh, Rakesh Pandey and H. B. Singh 13. Plants of Potential Medicinal Value From Thar Desert, India 254 -Pawan K. Kasera, Sher Mohammed and Jitendra K. Shuk/a 14.Medicinal Pteridophytes-An Overview 269 -R. D. Dixie and Shweta Singh 15. Propagation of Important Medicinal Plants with Special Reference to Aravallian Eco-Region 298 -(/ R. Siyol andS.K. Sharma 16. Conservation and Production of Medicinal Plants by Cultivation I. Chlorophytum borivi/iamim Sant. et Fernand 303 -Vinita Sharma and Sandhya Tyagi 17. Current Advances in Herbal Based Contraceptive Research : A Worldwide Scenario 319 -A. S. Ansari and S. C. .loshi 18. Plants With Antioxidative Properties in Radioprotection with Reference to Amaranthus and Spinacia 342 -A. L. Bhalia and Manlsh Jain 19. Medicinal Plants : Need for Protection 391 -Tapan Mukherjee 20. Potential Medicinal Plants: Botany, Medicinal Uses and Chemical Constitutents 405 -P. C. Trivedi and Sanipat Nehra 21.Medicinal Plant Solutions to Asthmatic Problems 425 -Gayatri K. Vaidya and Vincent J. Braganza s.j. 22.Biotechnological Advances in some Ethnomedicinal Plant Species 453 -Kirti D 'Souza 23. Catharanthus roseus (Periwinckle): A Potential Drug Source for Cancer Chemotherapy and Biotechnological I nterventions 475 -C C, Giri, Archana Giri and M. Lakshmi Narasu 24. Role of Secondary Metabolites in Defence Mechanism of Plants 505 -Renu Sarin and Mala Agarwal Index 531