Lists of species used against a particular disease state were compiled from different source as detailed separately. These are often very long lists; for example, the antibacterial list consists of 772 species and the gastrointestinal disorder list consists of 946 species. While some of the species are widely recognised and used more frequently in the formulations and/or as individual drugs, the rest are relatively less known. Species are selected from the master lists for further treatment, based on criteria detailed later on.

DATABASE STRUCTURE

The databases contain detailed information on individual species on the following items:

1. Current scientific names and other nomenclatural aspects;

2. Vernacular names in English, Kannada, Malayalam, Samskrit, Tamil, Telugu and other Indian languages, so far as available;

3. Habitat and distribution;

4. Ethnopharmaceutical and ethnotherapeutic and other information from Ayurveda, Siddha,Unani, Homoeopathy and Allopathy; medicinal uses in Africa and China;

5. Phytochemistry;

6. Pharmacology;

7. Agronomy;

8. Chemotaxonomy;

9. Non-medical uses;

10. Marketing aspects;

11. Information on specimens, samples of drugs, photographs, etc.;

12. Comments, if any; and

13. References to literature cited and other sources of information.

A glossary of the terms used in the database is provided.

This format which also conforms to that of NAPRALERT, (a natural product database, Chicago, USA), is not always complete due to lack of information; highlighting such lacunae is one of the aims of this work.

ENCYCLOPAEDIC PROFILES

In a database containing profiles of a large number of species, the amount and kinds of information that can be incorporated becomes limited, for various reasons. A number of species have attracted attention of a wide variety of workers, due to their broad therapeutic potential, and so there is extensive literature on them. Some other species become important for other reasons. Such species were selected for the compilation of very detailed encyclopaedic profiles containing as much information as we can find on them. The following completed profiles are some examples:

a) by C Kameswara Rao and Assumpta Sharon:

Cassia fistula L.

Cyperus rotundus L.

Holarrhena antidysenterica (Roth) DC.

Moringa oleifera Lam.

Picrorrhiza kurrooa Royle ex Benth.

Punica granatum L.

b) by C Kameswara Rao and Sangeetaa malhotra:

Anagallis arvensis L.

Asclepias curassavica L.

Carica papaya L.

Momordica charantia L., and other species

Scoparia dulcis L.

Trigonella foenum-graecum L.

c) by C Kameswara Rao:

Acalypha wilkesiana Muell.-Arg.

Ageratum conyzoides L.

Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth.

Passiflora edulis L., and other species

Psidium guava L.