Kava: From Ethnology to Pharmacology

176pp  ISBN 0415323274      £68.00

• Provides an overview of kava's history, cultivation, chemical and biological properties, and current and traditional uses
• Presents clinical and medical studies that supply evidence for the herb's therapeutic benefits
• Reviews pharmacological and toxicological issues
• Discusses aspects of production, marketing, and quality assurance

Kava is an herb that has been used for ceremonial, ritual, religious, social, political, and medicinal purposes for centuries. In the past few decades, kava has been widely marketed as an over-the-counter treatment for anxiety, stress, restlessness, and sleep disorders.

Kava: From Ethnology to Pharmacology describes the history, botanical origins, production, economic aspects, and chemical and biological properties of this medicinal herb. A major part of the book focuses on the chemical and pharmacological properties of kavalactones, the psychoactive constituents of kava that reportedly have sedative, anxiolytic, analgesic, local anesthetic, anticonvulsant, and neuroprotective properties. Clinical and medical studies that provide evidence of kava's therapeutic benefits are balanced with an assessment of the known adverse effects and interactions in which kava has been implicated.

With contributions from experts in the field, this volume presents a comprehensive view of the traditional aspects of kava and the latest applications for the herb. It is a valuable reference for botanists, phytochemists, toxicologists, physicians, pharmacists, herbalists, and alternative medicine practitioners.

Contents

An Introduction to Kava Piper methysticum, Yadhu N. Singh
History, Folklore, Traditional, and Current Uses of Kava, Lamont Lindstrom
Kava: Production, Marketing and Quality Assurance, Yadhu N. Singh
Botany and Ethnobotany of Kava, Yadhu N. Singh
Chemistry of Kava and Kavalactones, Iqbal Ramzan and Van Hoan Tran
Pharmacology and Toxicology of Kava and Kavalactones, Yadhu N. Singh
Kava: Clinical Studies and Therapeutic Implications, Nirbhay N. Singh, Subhashni D. Singh, and Yadhu N. Singh