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Medicinal plants continue to be an important therapeutic aid for alleviating ailments of humankind. Search for eternal health and longevity and to seek remedy to relieve pain and discomfort prompted the early man to explore his immediate natural surrounding and tried many plants, animal products and minerals and developed a variety of therapeutic agents. This book assessed the genetic variability among the populations of Shorea tumbaggia, Syzygium alternifolium, Terminalia pallida and Tephrosia calophylla using RAPD markers. It also detected the amount of polymorphism using DNA of the rare and endangered species which are the risks to biodiversity and analysed the different physico-chemical parameters of the different soil samples.

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Dr.T.P. SASIKALA, M.Sc, Ph.D. is working as Junior Lecturer in the Department of Botany, Model School in Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh. She has 5 years teaching experience. Dr.J. KAMAKSHAMMA, M.Sc, Ph.D. is working as Assistant Professor in the Department of Botany, S.V. University, Tirupati for the past 10 years. She guided 7Ph.Ds, 2 M.Phils.

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