Bücher der Reihe SpringerBriefs in Plant Science

The book uncovers major concepts of apocarotenoids biosynthesis and provides deeper and more complete understanding about their biotechnological and pharmacological applications. The book is divided into three sections -The first section provides a general introduction of C.

Molecular farming is a biotechnological approach that includes the genetic adjustment of agricultural products to create proteins and chemicals for profitable and pharmaceutical purposes. Plant molecular farming describes the manufacture of recombinant proteins and other biologically active product in plants. This approach depends on a genetic transformation of plants that can be accomplished by the methods of stable gene transfer, such as gene transfer to nuclei and chloroplasts, and unstable transfer methods like viral vectors. The requirement for recombinant proteins in terms of quality, quantity, and diversity is increasing exponentially This demand is traditionally met by recombinant protein construction technologies and the engineering of orthodox expression systems based on bacteria or mammalian cell cultures. However, majority of developing countries cannot afford the high costs of medicine derived from such existing methods. Hence, we need to produce not only the new drugs but also the cheaper versions of those already present in the market. Plant molecular farming is considered as a cost-effective technology that has grown and advanced tremendously over the past two decades.This book summarizes the advances and challenges of plant molecular farming for all those who are working on or have an interest in this rapidly emerging area of research.

Calcium plays pivotal role in regulating the physiological as well as developmental processes in plants. Till now, several calcium sensors have been discovered, which regulate the diverse signaling pathways involved in plant growth and development. One of the major calcium sensors CBL (calcineurin B-like) is decoding the calcium signal during various environmental stresses in plants. Calcium mediated signal is transduced downstream by CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs), which generally phosphorylate the target proteins such as transcription factors or transporters/channel leading to a response. Mutant based approach has provided valuable information in the functional analysis of individual members of CBL and CIPK gene family in Arabidopsis. Both CBL and CIPK gene families have previously been identified and characterized in Arabidopsis and rice. Identification and characterization of CBLs and CIPKs in other plant species such as Oryza sativa, Pisum sativum, Cicer arietinum, Zea mays, Populus euphratica, Vitis vinifera, Malus domestica, Gossypium hirsutum, Sorghum bicolor, Brassica napus, Vicia faba, Phaseolus vulgaris, Ammopiptanthus mongolicus and Triticum aestivum are still in juvenile stage.Overall, Global Comparative Analysis of CBL-CIPK Gene Families in Plants is a comprehensive study focused on the diverse role of CBL-CIPK module in different stress signaling and also to identify a newly emerging role of this calcium-signaling module in plant growth and development across different plant species. In addition, beside Arabidopsis, it will provide backbone of knowledge to perform a detail molecular investigation in crop plant species and could possibly enable in designing strategies to tame abiotic stress tolerance and development in important agronomical crop plants. This book will act as handy and informative source in this field for students as well as advanced researchers.

¿The Q'eqchi' Maya of Belize have an extensive pharmacopoeia of medicinal plants used traditionally for reproductive health and fertility, utilizing more than 60 plant species for these health treatments. Ten species were selected for investigation of their estrogenic activity using a reporter gene assay. Nine of the species were estrogenic, four of the species were also antiestrogenic, and two of the extracts were cytotoxic to the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. Women's healing traditions are being lost in the Q'eqchi' communities of Belize at an accelerated rate, due to a combination of factors including: migration from Guatemala disrupting traditional lines of knowledge transmission; perceived disapproval by biomedical authorities; women's limited mobility due to domestic obligations; and lack of confidence stemming from the devaluation of women's knowledge. Q'eqchi' medicinal plant knowledge is highly gendered with women and men using different species in traditional health treatments. Revitalizing women's healing practices is vital for maintaining the traditional knowledge needed to provide comprehensive healthcare for Belize's indigenous communities.

G proteins are the key regulators for a wide range of cellular processes in animals and plants. In comparison to animals and yeast, plants have a single Rho-GTPase subfamily called Rho-like GTPases (ROPs). The ROP family of monomeric GTPases has emerged as a versatile and key regulator in plant signal transduction processes. During the past few years' studies on plant RHO-type (ROP) GTPase have generated new insights into their role in diverse processes ranging from cytoskeletal organization, polar growth, development to stress and hormonal responses.  Studies have shown that plants have evolved specific regulators and effector molecules. ROP GTPases possess the ability to interact with these multiple regulator and effector molecules that ultimately determines their signaling specificity. Recently, genome wide studies in plants have shown that the Arabidopsis genome encodes 93, and rice has nearly 85 small GTPase homologs. And we have been able to identify four new homologs in the rice genome. Here, we focus on the complete phylogenetic, domain, structural and expression analysis during stress and various developmental processes of small GTPases in plants. The comparison of gene expression patterns of the individual members of the GTPase family may help to reveal potential plant specific signaling mechanisms and their relevance. Also, we are summarizing the role of currently known ROP GTPases and their interacting proteins with brief description, simultaneously, comparing their expression pattern based on microarray data. Overall, we will be discussing the functional genomic perspective of plant Rho like GTPases and their role in regulating several physiological processes such as stress, hormonal, pollen tube, root hair-growth and other developmental responses.¿

Ascorbate acid (AsA) is an important antioxidant in plants, playing important roles in various physiological processes. Humans have lost the ability to synthesize AsA because of the lack of L-gulono-1,4-lactone oxidoreductase, and thus have to absorb ascorbate from diet including fresh fruits and vegetables, as they are the major sources of ascorbate. Several pathways for AsA biosynthesis and metabolism have been identified in plants since 1998. More attention has been paid to improving ascorbate content in plants especially in fruits and vegetables. Significant progresses have been made on key enzymes and genes involved in the AsA biosynthesis and metabolism. Recently, more interests have arised in the regulation of AsA biosynthesis, as it is constantly regulated by the plant development and the environmental factors, e.g. light. Ascorbic acid is also frequently reported to affect plant growth and development e.g. flowering time and fruit ripening. The scope of the book is to cover the biological role, biosynthesis and metabolism, regulation, and metabolic modification of ascorbate in plants.

This book focuses on the significance and implications of Calcium (Ca2+) transport machinery in the plant cell in generating alternating Ca2+ levels and impacting the cell's physiological, biochemical and developmental processes.

While existing literature does exist on this medicinal plant, it can be cumbersome to sort through for information relevant to academics, research, and practice. This work reframes and consolidates information on Adhatoda vasica so that it is easier to approach through academic, research, and practitioner perspectives.

This book provides the concepts, techniques, and recent developments with regard to use of mulches in agriculture, utility of mulches for non-chemical pest control, and sustainability of crop production systems.

Overall performance of the plant, and operation of metabolic machinery depends upon intracellular K+ homeostasis (K+ uptake and efflux) via K+ channels and transporters acting as mediators of cellular responses during plant development.

This brief describes various methods of chitosan nano-materials synthesis, with detailed discussion of various factors effecting its synthesis process, stability and physicochemical properties.

This book is a systematized overview of wild edible plants eaten in the territory of present Estonia, with a focus on the systematic changes within the field. More details on specific food-uses are provided in separate chapters analysing dynamics of changes of the importance of wild plants within the specific food category.

Stalking the Wild Sweetgrass: Domestication and Horticulture of the Grass Used in African-American Coiled Basketry is concerned with the historical domestication of sweetgrass, the main construction/structural grass used in the three century old African-American tradition of coiled basketry in South Carolina.

At the end of the 1960s the senior author initiated a study on the chickpea's wild relatives followed by similar attempts for broad bean, fenugreek, common vetch, bitter vetch, and lentil.

Some medicinal plants used by traditional Thai healers to treat cognitive decline and memory issues in the elderly are reviewed.Medicinal Plants of Northern Thailand for the Treatment of Cognitive Impairment in the Elderly provides readers with the detailed description of the in vitro screening of ten plants and those results.

At Middle Woodland sites in the eastern United States, excavations have uncovered naturalistic art worked on exotic materials from points as distant Wyoming, Ontario, and the Gulf Coast, revealing a network of ritual exchange referred to as the Hopewell phenomenon.

Molecular marker strategies will be of help in understanding some aspects of sucrose metabolism and its regulation in this crop, thus complementing the ongoing crop improvement programmes.

Global climate change is expected to produce increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, higher temperatures, aberrant precipitation patterns and a host of other climatic changes that would affect all life on this planet.

In traditional medicine licorice roots have been used against treating many ailments including lung diseases, arthritis, kidney diseases, eczema, heart diseases, gastric ulcer, low blood pressure, allergies, liver toxicity, and certain microbial infections.