Magnolia: The Genus Magnolia (Medicinal and Aromatic Plants - Industrial Profiles)

The genus Magnolia consists of several medicinally important species most of which come from Far East Asia. Many species of this genus have traditionally been used in China and Japan to treat various illnesses from simple headaches to complicated cancer, and because of their versatility have more recently been incorporated into commercially successful medicine preparations. And with the revival of interest in herbal and oriental traditional medicines, many of these Magnolia-containing preparations have captured a significant proportion of the drug market in the Western countries. 

Flax: The genus Linum (Medicinal and Aromatic Plants - Industrial Profiles)

Linum usitatissimum is a widely distributed plant that has a long history of traditional use as both an industrial oil and fiber crop. It is known as linseed in the United Kingdom, or flax in North America. For the last 15 years, there has been a steadily growing interest in the medicinal and nutraceutical value of flax, including experimental evidence for its use in the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular and kidney diseases. 

The First Humans - Origin and Early Evolution of the Genus Homo

This volume addresses the origin of the human genus Homo, a major transition in human evolution and associated with major changes in brain size, locomotion, and culture, but one with many unanswered questions. How many different species of Homo were there, and how were they interrelated? Are stone tools a characteristic of early Homo? What was their function? How does the use of stone tools relate to changes in the dentition and brain size? Did adaptations for long distance running first appear with the origin of this genus? How does this relate to its diet and cultural abilities.

Aloes: The genus Aloe

Aloes are a large genus of plants, about 450 species, from sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, and parts of Arabia. Many species are widespread in warm or tropical semi-arid regions, yet the distribution of others is limited to a few living in desert or wet mountainous regions. While some species have been adopted as medicinal plants since ancient times and others are used locally in folk medicine, scientists have yet to discover the full biological activity of the many aloe compounds. In order to realize the vast potential of the genus, it is essential to gather the knowledge acquired over the last fifty years into one comprehensive compilation.