Tamirat Bekele Beressa Department of Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Science, Ambo University, Ambo, Ethiopia Pharmbiotechnology and Traditional Medicine Center (PHARMBIOTRAC), Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
Senyo Botchie Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery Unit, WCAIR, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
Ibrahim Chikowe Department of Pharmacy, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
Michael K. Danquah Chemical Engineering Department, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, TN, USA
Chukwuebuka Egbuna Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli, Anambra State, Nigeria Nutritional Biochemistry and Toxicology Unit, World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence, Centre for Public Health and Toxicological Research (ACE‐PUTOR), University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
Shahira M. Ezzat Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, October University for Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA), 6th October, Egypt
Farhat Jabeen Department of Zoology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Jaison Jeevanandam Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Curtin University, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia
Félicien Mushagalusa Kasali Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Official University of Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo Pharmbiotechnology and Traditional Medicine Center (PHARMBIOTRAC), School of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
Prabir Kumar Kulabhusan Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Fanuel Lampiao Africa Centre of Excellency in Public Health and Herbal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
Roman Lysiuk Department of Pharmacognosy and Botany, Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University, Lviv, Ukraine
Reuben S. Maghembe Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Dar‐Es‐Salaam, Dar‐Es‐Salaam, Tanzania
William Peter Mitembo Biomedical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Zomba, Malawi Water Quality Pollution Control Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Lilongwe, Malawi
Andrew G. Mtewa Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, WCAIR, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK Chemistry Section, Malawi Institute of Technology, Malawi University of Science and Technology, Limbe, Malawi Pharmbiotechnology and Traditional Medicine Center (PHARMBIOTRAC), School of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
Thokozani Kachulu Mtewa Department of Water Resources, Ndata School of Climate and Earth Sciences, Malawi University of Science and Technology, Limbe, Malawi
Naveed Munir Department of Biochemistry, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Kennedy J. Ngwira Institute of Molecular Science, School of Chemistry, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Patrick Engeu Ogwang Department of Pharmacy, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda Pharmbiotechnology and Traditional Medicine Center (PHARMBIOTRAC), School of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
Oluwaseyi Olaniyan Nutritional and Toxicological Research Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Osun State University, Osogbo, Nigeria
Petro Oliynyk Department of Disaster Medicine and Military Medicine, Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University, Lviv, Ukraine
G.M. Narasimha Rao Department of Botany, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
Zarfishan Riaz Department of Eastern Medicine, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Itoan Roli Department of Anatomy, College of Basic Medical Science, Edo University Iyamho, Iyamho, Edo State, Nigeria
Mohamed A. Salem Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Menoufia University, Shibin Elkom, Egypt
Duncan C. Sesaazi Pharmbiotechnology and Traditional Medicine Center (PHARMBIOTRAC), School of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
Umang Shah Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Ramanbhai Patel College of Pharmacy, Charotar University of Science and Technology, Changa, Gujarat, India
Gaétan Tabakam Department of Chemistry and Natural Products, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
Casim Umba Tolo Pharmbiotechnology and Traditional Medicine Center (PHARMBIOTRAC), School of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda Department of Biology, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
Dmytro Voronenko Ukrainian Military Medical Academy, Kyiv, Ukraine
Tadele Mekuriya Yadesa Department of Pharmacy, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda Pharmbiotechnology and Traditional Medicine Center (PHARMBIOTRAC), School of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
Sadia Zafar Department of Botany, Division of Science and Technology, University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan
Rabia Zahid Department of Eastern Medicine, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Ahmed Zayed Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
Preface
Phytochemicals play a major role in the day‐to‐day management of diseases and health. There have been many reports of their effectiveness as community medicines and as alternatives to conventional drugs. However, there is one area that has been grossly underrepresented by researchers in phytochemistry. This is the area of poisonous plants and the role that phytochemicals play as toxins in society and how they could be harnessed for the betterment of mankind. There are many open‐source, non‐scholarly outlets and information that is not reviewed and that receives minimal scientific discussion.
Poisonous Plants and Phytochemicals in Drug Discovery seeks to address the roles that poisonous plants and phytotoxins play as friends and foes in society. It covers the mechanisms, benefits, risks, and management protocols of phytotoxins in scientific laboratories and their usefulness in drug discovery. This book contains insights that can help in the development of antidotes against some phytochemicals and other synthetic toxic chemical agents and raises awareness of which plants need to be categorized for protection and controls and those that can be helpful in assisting as emergency medicines. This book is carefully designed to show the contribution that phytochemicals play in safety and health management and how they could inform policies at national and international levels. Various industrial communities, researchers, and scholarly drug developers will be well guided on how best to create relevant measures to counter and/or manage toxins using phytochemicals or other means. The chapters in this book are presented