Ashwani Kumar

Pharmacognostical Studies and Bioprospecting of Calotropis Procera: an Hydrocarbon Yielding Plant with Potential for Pharmaceutical and Industrial Biofuel Production Ashwani Kumar

Calotropis grows wild in semi-arid and arid regions of the world. It has great economic value as a plant yielding medicines, bio-fuels. Its medicinal and insecticidal properties are well documented and there are several reports on the use of this plant as anti-cancer and anti HIV agent also. Besides Ayurveda, Homeopathy also makes use of Calotropis spp. as medicine. Hydrocarbons from Calotropis procera are potential source of biofuels as the biocrude obtained from hexane extraction when subjected to hydrocracking yields same level of hydrocarbons as from nature crude. The book is highly recommended for undergraduate and post graduate students , researchers and industry dealing with pharmaceutical plants and biofuels.