Ativisha: Aconitum heterophyllum. Cultivation, Processing, Utilization and Applications. 2018. (Herbal and Aromatic Plants), illus. 234 p. Paper bd.

Aconitum or blue rocket, is a genus of over 250 species of flowering plants belonging to the family Ranunculaceae. These herbaceous perennial plants are chiefly native to the mountainous parts of the northern hemisphere growing in the moisture-retentive but well-draining soils of mountain meadows. Most species are extremely poisonous and must be dealt with carefully.

Aconitum species were used as the major component in the Chinese and Bhutanese herbal medicines. The species posses many phytochemical compounds which possess many of the pharmacological activities. Diterpene alkaloids were the main compound with the pharmacological activities such as analgesic and against inflammation. This alkaloid possesses certain toxic hydrolyzed bases which could be detoxified by the intervention of recent technologies. Apart from this, the plant possess many alkaloids, amide alkaloids, flavonoids, flavonol glycosides, diterpenoid and norditerpenoid compounds which possess medicinal values.

This book encompasses the total phytochemical compounds that have been isolated from various species of the plant genus Aconitum and its commercial uses.