Bücher der Reihe Reference Series in Phytochemistry

This Reference Work is devoted to plant secondary metabolites and their evolutionary adaptation to different hosts and pests. Secondary metabolites play an important biological role in plants¿ defence against herbivores, abiotic stresses and pathogens, and they also attract beneficial organisms such as pollinators. In this work, readers will find a comprehensive review of the phytochemical diversity, modification and adaptation of secondary metabolites, and the consequences of their co-evolution with plant parasites, pollinators, and herbivores. Chapters from expert contributors are organised into twelve sections that collate the current knowledge in intra-/inter-specific diversity in plant secondary metabolites, changes in secondary metabolites during plants¿ adaptation to different environmental conditions, and co-evolution of host-parasite metabolites. Among the twelve themed parts, readers will also discover expert analysis on the genetics and chemical ecology evolution ofsecondary metabolites, and particular attention is also given to allelochemicals, bioactive molecules in plant defence and the evolution of sensory perception in vertebrates. This reference work will appeal to students, researchers and professionals interested in the field of plant pathology, plant breeding, biotechnology, agriculture and phytochemistry.

This handbook compiles authoritative information about fungal metabolites and their chemistry and biotechnology.

This handbook is written by leading experts and structured in different sections addressing the natural occurrence of glucosinolates, their (bio-)synthesis, bioactivity, food processing of glucosinolate-containing vegetables, health and disease-related aspects, biotechnology, and methods applied in glucosinolate-research.

The book introduces various substance classes of sweeteners, which are mainly plant-derived, including glycosidic and terpenoid sweeteners, peptidic sweeteners, sweet-tasting proteins and protein-derived sweeteners (e.g.

This handbook provides comprehensive reference information on the efficient production of secondary metabolites from plants by transgenesis and other genetic manipulation strategies. It reviews and summarizes selected important case studies in genetic methods applied to enhance the production of a given metabolite or a group of related or derived compounds. Readers will find reference information on a multitude of techniques and methods, including traditional breeding and screening; over-expression of genes encoding key enzymes; functional genomics approaches; metabolic engineering of the relevant biosynthetic pathways; indirect genetic approaches to improve metabolite production, including Agrobacterium mediated transformations. Furthermore, combinatorial biochemistry approaches to engineer secondary metabolic pathways are summarized, which can offer access to new structures or to the design of novel compounds. Since many commercially valuablesubstances are still extracted from plants, being largely inaccessible to efficient modern laboratory synthesis methods, this book provides a valuable resource of information for biotechnological approaches that can help to find alternative and more efficient methods for the production of natural secondary metabolites. Thus adjusted production methods, with the help of tailored plant systems, can potentially help to release the stress on plants, which are currently suffering from extensive human harvesting, and to conserve global biodiversity. Readers will find comprehensive reference information on plant genetic manipulation toward more efficient synthesis, accumulation and production of target secondary metabolites. The handbook will appeal to researchers and professionals, but also graduate students and scholars working in the fields of biotechnology, genetic engineering, medicinal plant research, pharmacy, and phytochemistry.

This handbook presents how plant in vitro technologies can overcome current limitations in the production of important plant-derived substances.

This reference work provides comprehensive information about the bioactive molecules presented in our daily food and their effect on the physical and mental state of our body.

This reference work presents an authoritative review of endophytes and their applications to human welfare. Endophytes have become a class of interesting and curious microorganisms due to their intimate intra- and intercellular association with plants for competence, survival and reproduction. They can be bacteria or fungi, and they are usually non-pathogenic to their host. Endophytes have important applications in agriculture and industry, namely, they can help with plant growth, act as biocontrol agents and biosurfactant and secondary metabolite producers, and they are also rich sources of bioactive natural products. Novel and beneficial effects of endophytes are constantly emerging, and this book, divided into four sections, provides readers with the latest developments in this fast expanding field. In the first section, readers will discover the biology of the major groups of endophytes, followed by a summary of conventional and molecular tools for endophytes¿ identification in Section II. The production of high-value metabolites by endophytes will be explored in the third section of this book, and in the final section, readers will find several case studies, examples and prospects for endophytes¿ application in agriculture and industry. Written by leading international authors, this reference work will appeal to a wide readership, from students and researchers in the field of botany, biotechnology and agriculture to professionals interested in the production and applications of endophytic metabolites.

This reference work provides an authoritative and comprehensive review of the latest developments in orchids' biology, biotechnology and phytochemistry, and it also explores the applications of orchids in medicinal chemistry, nutrition and cosmetics industry. Chapters from expert contributors are organised into six sections and cover the entire gamut of orchid research and uses. In this work, readers will learn about topics such as biogeography and diversity of orchids, their biology and environmental factors, their horticulture and phytochemistry, and their use in agri-food, medicinal and perfumery industries. This book will appeal to graduate students, scholars, researchers interested in botany, agriculture, pharmacy, biotechnology and phytochemistry. Industrial scientists and those involved in marketing flowers and phytochemicals, plants and their extracts will also understand the importance of this reference work.

This book provides a comprehensive reference guide to plant-derived antioxidants, their beneficial effects, mechanisms of action, and role in disease prevention and improving general health (anti-ageing effect). The content is divided into three main parts, the first of which covers various antioxidants (such as polyphenols, carotenoids, tocopherols, tocotrienols, glutathione, ascorbic acid), their origins, plant biochemistry and industrial utilization. In turn, the book's second, main part focuses on antioxidants' beneficial health effects, explains biochemical fundamentals such as the free radical theory and oxidative stress, and discusses antioxidants' role in e.g. cancer, cardiovascular diseases, inflammation, degenerative diseases and ageing. The third part reviews general laboratory methods for antioxidant screening, preservation and determination.   Written by an international team of experts, this highly interdisciplinary book will benefit a broad range of health professionals and researchers working in biochemistry, biotechnology, nutrition, plant science and food chemistry. It offers an indispensable, up-to-date guide for anyone interested in antioxidants and the role of a plant-based diet in disease prevention and control

This book comprehensively reviews the phytochemistry, functional properties, and health-promoting effects of bioactive compounds found in oil processing by-products, and it also explores the food and non-food applications of these by-products. Several oilseeds, vegetables, and fruits are cultivated for their oils and fats, wherein the oil extraction industry generates a huge amount of waste (meal or cake). The valorisation of this waste would be very beneficial not only from the economic and environmental perspectives, but also for the potential applications in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries, in which phytochemicals derived from vegetable oil and oilseed processing by-products play an important role in, for instance, extending the shelf life of several products and providing added-value properties with their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.In this work, expert contributors discuss about the added-value of biowaste from common and non-traditional vegetable oils and oilseeds processing, as well as fruit oils processing, and offer an extensive overview of the different bioactive compounds found in extracts from oil processing by-products and their chemical composition. The book also collects several examples in which oil processing by-products are integrated into industrial activities such as food production, livestock production and in pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. Professionals and scholars alike interested in the recycling of agro-industrial wastes derived from vegetable oil and oilseed processing by-products will find this book a handy reference tool.

This reference work provides a comprehensive overview of bioactive compounds investigated in bryophytes and pteridophytes and explores their nutritional, biological, pharmacological and ecological effects. Bryophytes are cosmopolitan lower plants that are rich in phytochemicals including fatty acids, tocopherols, phenolics, terpenoids. Additionally, these plants contain bibenzyls, bis-benzyls, and polyketides which have been demonstrated to have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic activities. Pteridophytes are another group of lower vascular plants which were reported to have useful secondary compounds such as flavonoids, steroids, phenolics, terpenoids, and these plants impart medicinal values including antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and anti-HIV activities.This book contains comprehensive contributions compiled by expert scientists and researchers in this field.The book offers a useful resource for plant biotechnologists, plant biologists, pharmacologists, pharmacists, food technologists, nutritionists, research investigators of the healthcare industry, academia, faculty, and students of biology and biomedical sciences. It also provides a strategic framework for further research and development activities of bryophytes and pteridophytes of the world.