The Theme on “Phytochemistry and Pharmacognosy” is a component of Encyclopedia of Chemical Sciences, Engineering and Technology Resources in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. This section deals, in two volumes, with the study of natural products and their application in the improvement of health. Pharmacognosy is the study of plants of medicinal importance while phytochemistry is the study of the chemical components in the plants, their chemical tests, specific pathways that something is made by plants. It is the combination of such activities that can be broadly categorized with respect to the associated disciplines of natural product chemistry and pharmacognosy. The scope of pharmacognosy has expanded from the traditional morphological description of plants and other organisms, to encompass the most modern aspects of molecular science relating to the exploration of naturally occurring bioactive compounds, their mode of action and, ultimately, their application in all economic and social activities. This theme is organized into several different topics: Phytochemistry And Pharmacognosy; Ethnobotany Of Natural Products; Occurrence And Function Of Natural Products in Plants Alkaloids And Their Biosynthesis; Plant Terpenes; Natural Products From Marine Microorganisms ;Natural Products From Bacteria And Fungi; Natural Products With Antimalarial Activity; Cancer Chemoprevention; Natural Products As Sources Of Antitumor Agents; Microbial Transformations Of Natural Products; Natural Products From Plants As Insecticides; The Origin Of Pharmaceuticals; Natural Products As Sources Of Spices, Dyes And Cosmetics; Medicinal Plants And Phytomedicines. The two volumes on the subject are aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College students Educators, Professional practitioners, Research personnel and Policy analysts, managers, and decision makers and NGOs.

Massuo J. Kato is a Professor in the Institute of Chemistry at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. He majored in chemistry at the State University of São Paulo (Araraquara) in 1981 and obtained his PhD degree working with natural products from Amazonian plants. He served for two years at the National Research Institute in Manaus (INPA) and six months at the Research Center of Rhone Poulenc (Paulinia). He was as post-doctoral fellow at the Institute of Biological Chemistry at Pullman (Washington State University) during 1992-1993.

John M. Pezzuto is Professor and Founding Dean of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. He received his PhD at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and performed postdoctoral work a MIT and the University of Virginia. He served on the faculty at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Dean of the College of Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Sciences at Purdue University.