Gideon (La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia) Polya 
Biochemical Targets of Plant Bioactive Compounds [PDF ebook] 
A Pharmacological Reference Guide to Sites of Action and Biological Effects

When introduced to the human body, bioactive metabolites produced by plants for self defense bind to particular biochemical targets, most notably to proteins involved in signaling by hormones and neurotransmitters. This, essentially, is the basis for the effects of herbal medicine. While herbal medicine preparations may act by complex synergistic i