With advances in experimental methods and new scientific tools, notably in the past three decades, numerous active principles from medicinal herbs have been isolated in pure form and these principles along with the synthetic compounds, are the drugs of present day now almost exclusively used in the management of many of the diseases and conditions. Consequently we have many new drugs of choice including hypolipidaemic, hepatic protective and anti-inflammatory and for cardiac remedies. This has led to generating considerable research data globally, particularly in the area of discovery of new drugs from natural resources. In order to carry forward such investigations, there is a need for an effective exchange of information amongst scientists and researchers to take on vigorous focused work in this direction. Based on this rationale, the present volume Biopharmaceuticals of the series Recent Progress in Medicinal Plants has been conceived and presents some 30 research and review papers by eminent scientists of India and abroad. These studies provide recent research data on medicinal properties and action of a large number of herbs investigated as antimicrobials, anticarcinogenics, ant rheumatics, antiulcerogenics, anti malarial, ant diabetics, antimutagenics, hypoglycemic, immunomodulatory, anti tumorogenics, artifeedant etc. The information could serve as basic material for further work in the direction of developing new phototherapeutics.