Molluscs : From Chemo-ecological Study to Biotechnological Application
Marine molluscs are very promising candidates for a wide range of biotechnological applications. For example, they possess analgesic drugs more potent than morphine and very effective anticancer agents. The present book gives an up-to-date overview of the main classes of bioactive compounds from molluscs, moving from ecological observations, to chemical characterization, to biosynthesis, to large-scale synthesis, and to pharmacological applications. A truly outstanding international panel of experts from all continents provides complete coverage of the most stimulating topics related to molluscs. This knowledge of their history and current studies provides an open door to the future.
Ibuprofen : Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Side Effects
Ibuprofen is one of the most successful drugs used worldwide for the treatment of mild to moderate pain and various inflammatory conditions. Over the past 40 years, ibuprofen has been proven to be as safe or even safer and also as effective as the established non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and the coxibs. This well-written book reviews the pharmacology, clinical uses and the various adverse effects of Ibuprofen, the disposition and unique modes of action in relation to clinical effects of the drug as well as various formulations. The use of combinations with other drugs (e.g. paracetamol, codeine, caffeine) are critically assessed and the impact of natural products and Chinese Medicines on the safety of ibuprofen.
Future approaches for safe and effective pain management
Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience that is associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage. It is subjective and considered an important physiological mechanism by which humans prevent themselves from developing tissue injury. However, pain patients do not respond to treatment in the same way, which makes it challenging to issue a consistent treatment for all pain conditions. Excessive pain can markedly increase psychological health problems and decrease health‐related quality of life; therefore, pain should be managed appropriately by analgesics. Analgesics act in various ways on the peripheral and central pain pathways and are regarded as one of the most valuable but equally dangerous groups of medications. Individual variability in pain perception and differences in the efficacy of analgesic drugs are complex phenomena and are partly genetically predetermined. Pain severities as well as responses to analgesics, can also be very variable among sufferer.


