This book discusses the scope and limitations of the antimicrobial and
antioxidant properties of foods as medicines or medicinal coadjuvants in
traditional Indian herbal therapies.
The first chapter introduces readers to the relevance of the Ayurveda
system, its holistic classification approach, applications of selected
herbs and the demonstrable efficacy of herbal extracts in terms of
antimicrobial susceptibility. In turn, the second chapter discusses the
antimicrobial properties and kinetic mechanisms of inhibition ascribed
to selected vegetable extracts. The third chapter addresses the
antioxidant power of phenolic compounds from vegetable products and
herbal extracts. The book closes with a review of natural antioxidant
agents' role in the treatment of metabolic disorders.
Written from an Indian perspective, this book unravels the chemistry of
the traditional Indian diet and its impact on health. Further, it can
serve as a reference for other traditional products with similar health
claims.