Book excerpt: This book highlights the medical importance of and increasing global interest in herbal medicines, herbal health products, herbal pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, food supplements, herbal cosmetics, etc. It also addresses various issues that are hampering the advancement of Indian herbal medicine around the globe; these include quality concerns and quality control, pharmacovigilance, scientific investigation and validation, IPR and biopiracy, and the challenge that various indigenous systems of medicine are at risk of being lost. The book also explores the role of traditional medicine in providing new functional leads and modern approaches that can offer elegant strategies for facilitating the drug discovery process. The book also provides in-depth information on various traditional medicinal systems in India and discusses their medical importance. India has a very long history of safely using many herbal drugs. Folk medicine is also a key source of medical knowledge and plays a vital role in maintaining health in rural and remote areas. Despite its importance, this form of medicine largely remains under-investigated. Out of all the traditional medicinal systems used worldwide, Indian traditional medicine holds a unique position, as it has continued to deliver healthcare throughout the Asian subcontinent since ancient times. In addition, traditional medicine has been used to derive advanced techniques and investigate many modern drugs. Given the scope of its coverage, the book offers a valuable resource for scientists and researchers exploring traditional and herbal medicine, as well as graduate students in courses on traditional medicine, herbal medicine and pharmacy.