Plants & Secondary Metabolites, Volume 11

Plants have long stood at the intersection of nature and medicine, offering a
silent yet powerful chemistry that continues to shape human survival and
scientific curiosity. From ancient healing systems to modern
pharmacological innovations, their secondary metabolites have emerged as
key players in defense, communication and natural product research. This
book, “Plants & Secondary Metabolites, Volume 11” is a compilation of
research articles based on study of the phytochemicals and their
pharmacology with relevance in a world facing mounting challenges of
microbial resistance and ecological imbalance. This volume brings together
eleven carefully curated chapters that explore a rich diversity of plant taxa
from forest fruits and climbers to desert cacti and hemi-parasitic herbs, each
contributing a unique profile of phytochemicals and bioactive potential. The
studied species are wild and traditionally valued such as Smilax zeylanica,
Carissa spinarum, Diospyros sylvatica, Gouania leptostachya, and Striga
densiflora, to name a few. Included chapters revisit folk therapeutics and
traditional knowledge systems, biochemical and antibacterial profiling
while addressing the rising wave of antimicrobial resistance and reminding
readers that plant based solutions may offer hope where conventional
methods falter. This book serves as an invitation to observe more closely, to
question more deeply, and to respect the intelligence embedded within plant
systems. It is intended for researchers, students, conservationists, and
scientists who seek interdisciplinary exploration between biodiversity and
biotechnology, phytochemistry and pharmacology, curiosity and
conservation