BDCP Books

Commercial Production of Indigenous
Plants as Phytomedicines and Cosmetics

Ed. by Maurice M. Iwu,
Elijah N. Sokomba, Chris O. Okunji,
Chioma Obijiofor and Iwe P. Akubue.

Softcover, 246 pp.
$20.00.
ISBN #0-9653292-0-8

Papers presented at the International Workshop on Commercial Production of Indigenous Plants from Africa as Phytomedicines and Cosmetics, held in Lagos, Nigeria June 24-25, 1996. The workshop was organized by Bioresources Development and Conservation Programme (BDCP). Topics covered include indigenous Plants: From Research to Production, Standardization of Phytomedicines, Marketing of Phytomedicines, Health Foods, Cosmetics and Nutraceuticals, Regulatory Requirements for Production, Marketing and Export Potentials of Phytomedicines and more. Eighty-six participants from seven countries participated in the workshop.

To order call 1-800-272-7737 or write to CRC Press inc., 2000 Corporate Blvd., N.W.
Boca Raton, Florida 33431-9868.

Handbook of African
Medicinal Plants

Maurice Iwu , 1990
Hardcover, 435pp
$125

This book provides a comprehensive review of over 1,000 species of plants employed in indigenous African medicine. It gives a concise description of the materi medica of an enormous and extensively varied continent, with well over 2,000 distinct tribes and several distinct floras. A detailed pharmacognostical profile of the major herbs is presented, including common names, synonyms, African names, habitat and distribution, medicinal uses, chemical constituents, and published pharmacological activity. This extensive catalogu of plants is presented both in alphabetical order and according to family. Referenced cited from over 600 publications and photographs and sketches illustrate many of the plants. The book also provides an introduction to African cosmology and beliefs as they relate to healing and the use of herbs.

Handbook of African Medicinal Plants is an invaluable, practical desk reference that should be on the book shelf of every pharmacolognosist, ethnobiologist, botanist, ecologist, phytochemist, pharmacologist and scientist interested in tropical plant utilization as a tool for the conservation of biodiversity and as a source of drug leads.

African Ethnomedicine

Maurice M. lwu
Softcover, 210 pp
$20

African Ethnomedicine includes notes from the author's lectures on Introduction to Traditional Medical Practice, presented at Harvard University in 1983 and his seminar entitled African integration in Health Care Delivery presented to research fellows at the National institute for Medical Research (Lagos, Nigeria). This book presents a unique discussion of traditional medicine and healing in African culture. Iwu has the gift of being able to straddle both the worlds of traditional medicine and western science. His brilliant discussion of traditional medicine encompasses the depth that is often lacking in the discourse on traditional practices of African people. The books topics range from the mundane -- discussions of types of healers, diagnosis and herbal treatment of diseases -- to the spiritual -- discussion of cultural spiritual beliefs. In weaving in the spiritual aspect of traditional medicine, he is able to take the two dimensional analogies of plants and medicine and make it dynamic.

Medicinal Plants and Herbal Medicine
in Africa: Policy Issues On Ownership, Access and Conservation

Report and Recommendations of the
1st OAU/STRC/DEPA/KIPO Workshop

This book contains the reports of the working groups and recommendations of the Workshop on Medicinal Plants and Herbal Medicine in Africa: Policy issues on Ownership, Access and Conservation held in Nairobi, Kenya on 14-17 April, 1997. This workshop was organized by Scientific, Technical and Research Commission of the Organization of African Unity (OAU/STRC), Kenya Industrial Property Office (KIPO) and Development Partners (DEPA). The workshop consisted of presentations and group discussion on intellectual property rights, traditional practices and beliefs concerning ethnobiology and biodiversity in Africa, legal framework for ownership, access and utilization of African biodiversity, drug development and country reports on existing national policies.

Iwu, Maurice, "Resources Utilization and Conservation of Biodiversity in Africa", Medicinal Resources of the Tropical Forest: Biodiversity and its Importance to Human Health, edited by Michael Ballick, Elaine Elizabetsky and Sarah Laird.

Iwu, Maurice & Sarah Laird, "Health, Conservation, and Economic Development: The International Cooperative Biodiversity Group Drug Development and Biodiversity Conservation in Africa - A Benefit Sharing Plan", In: Rainforest Alliance's Natural Resources and Rights Program, edited by Charles Zerner, 1997 in press.

Iwu, Maurice, "Biodiversity prospecting in Nigeria: seeking equity
and reciprocity in intellectual property rights through partnership arrangements and capacity building" Journal of Ethnopharmacy 51 (1996) 209-219.

Iwu, M.M., "Implementing the Biodiversity Treaty: how to make international co-operative agreements work; Trends in Biotechnolgy, Vol. 14, pp. 78-83, 1996.

Iwu, M.M., "Bioprospecting Using African Genetic Resources", In: K.E. Hoagland and A.Y. Rossman (eds). Global Genetic Resources: Access, Ownership and Intellectual Property Rights. Association.

Links to other books on tropical plants, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development include:

http://www.crcpress.com
http://www.outer.net/herbalgram/catalog/africa