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This book delves into the vital role of plants and their bioactive compounds in human health, emphasizing their medicinal and nutritional significance. It highlights the growing concern of drug resistance in anticancer and antimicrobial medications, compelling clinicians, and researchers worldwide to seek alternative solutions. Plants offer a diverse array of compounds, serving as a promising resource for novel and safe drug candidates and potentially enhancing drug efficacy while being easily metabolized in the human body. Their cost-effectiveness, safety profile, and minimal side effects make them an ideal source for developing new drug regimens. The book aims to attract students, teachers, and researchers across various disciplines, covering topics such as biochemistry, pharmacology, botany, medicinal chemistry, virology, nutrition, clinical biochemistry, and biomedicine. The book will explore the medicinal and nutritional importance of plants and their products, showcasing their applications in medicine, industries, cosmetics, therapeutics, and preventive measures.

This open access book provides the first comprehensive coverage of the wheat genome sequence since the publication of the draft and reference sequences for bread wheat and durum wheat. It presents an overview and all aspects of the gold standard sequence of the bread wheat genome, IWGSC RefSeq v1.0 and its subsequent improvements through 2022 (IWGSC RefSeq v2.1), as well as the sequencing of multiple elite wheat varieties, durum wheat, and ancient wheat. The book provides a broad and extensive review of the resources, tools, and methodologies available for exploiting the wheat genome sequence for crop improvement and studying fundamental questions related to the structure, function, and evolution of the wheat genome. Wheat (Tritcum aestivum L.) is the most widely grown crop in the world, contributing approximately 20 percent of total calories and more protein in human diets than any other single source. This book is useful to students, teachers, and scientists in academia and industry interested in gaining an understanding of the wheat genome and its application as well as plant scientists generally interested in polyploid plant species.

This book offers a comprehensive and authoritative review of bioactive substances found in plant underground stems, roots, rhizomes, corms, and tubers from all around the world. Tubers and starchy roots are plants that store edible starch content in underground stems, roots, rhizomes, corms, and tubers. They are a key source for both human and animal consumption and are rich in carbohydrates. They are widely used as industrial crops as well. Phytochemicals found in tubers and roots, such as phenolics, terpenoids, and alkaloids, have anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, hypoglycemic, hypocholesterolemic, and antibacterial properties. Except for common potatoes, sweet potatoes, and cassava, the nutritional and health benefits of many tuberous crops have not yet been adequately investigated. This book sheds new insights into these topics by addressing several plant metabolites found in storage organs, which can be seen as scientifically neglected even though they have a high economic relevance as food and pharmaceutical sources. Divided into 6 parts, this book discusses how bioactive chemicals found in plant storage organs are synthesized and how their bioactive principles are specifically expressed in underground stems, roots, rhizomes, corms, and tubers. Additionally, each chapter includes background information on the plant, its parts, its nutritional makeup, chemical components, and biological functions. Given its breadth, the book appeals to a wide readership, from scholars through graduate and post-graduate students to professionals in the industry.

Metalloproteins and Motor Proteins, Volume 141 focuses on recent advances in studying metalloproteins and motor proteins, along with their roles in different pathologies and drug-resistance. Chapters include Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Zinc-Mediated Virulence and Pathogenicity in Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, The Mechanistic Insights into Different Aspects of Promiscuity in Metalloenzymes, Role of Metal ion in ion channel Mechanisms, A model of microtubule depolymerization by kinesin-8 motor proteins, Metalloproteins and metalloproteomics in health and disease, Decoding Genetic and Pathophysiological Mechanisms in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Primary Lateral Sclerosis: A Comparative Study of Differentially Expressed Genes and Implicated Pathways in Motor Neuron Disorders, and much more.Additional chapters cover Exploring the effect of disease causing mutations in metal binding sites of human ARSA in Metachromatic Leukodystrophy, Role of transmembrane proteins in regulating metalloproteins and motor proteins in human cancer, Role of transmembrane proteins in metalloproteins and motor proteinsin human neurogenesis, Role of transmembrane proteins in metalloproteins and motor proteins in human aging, Vesicle transport of metalloproteinases, Motor proteins and spermatogenesis, and much more. - Integrates experimental and computational methods for studying structure and function of metalloproteins and motor proteins and their implication in drug design - Presents timely chapters written by well-renowned authorities in their field - Contains a high number of high quality illustrations, figures, and tables and targets a very wide audience of specialists, researchers, and students

Zinc in Plants: Current Knowledge and Recent Advances addresses zinc hunger, the transport of zinc in the soil-plant interphase, zinc and abiotic stress in plants, and zinc and plant disease. Written by experts in the field, this title is an essential resource to all scientists and students interested in plant physiology, biochemistry and agriculture. During their life, plants encounter various challenges, including their normal development under changing environmental conditions. Zinc (Zn) is an essential component of thousands of proteins in plants, although it is toxic in excess, and is essential for many processes throughout the plant lifecycle. - Provides an overview on the origin, chemistry and behavior of zinc in soil - Discusses zinc deficiency and toxicity along with causes and remediation - Presents the latest advances in zinc signaling, regulation and genotypic variation

The book provides currently available information on the changing climate and its impact on functional and adaptive features of plants. The book also cover cutting edge research on key determinants of plant growththat provides a direction towards execution of programs and practices that will assist resilience of crop production systems to the changing climate. This book will represent the updated scientific information regarding soil and plant productivity under changing climate which will be beneficial to academics and researchers working on climate change, agronomy, stress physiology, biotechnology. It provides an in-depth discussion on the latest techniques to enhance plant responses to new environmental conditions that can be directly applied on field.

This edited book presents recent developments in the field of plant biotechnology involving highly efficient micropropagation for the commercial exploitation of nanomaterials (such as silver, cobalt, copper, zinc, magnesium, silicon, iron, nickel, manganese, and selenium nanoparticles, etc.). The book covers the concept, preparation, and synthesis of metallic and non-metallic nanoparticles, as well as their application in plant cell, tissue, and organ culture. Metal nanoparticles have gained significant attention in various fields, including plant cell, tissue, and organ culture. Their unique physical, chemical, and biological properties make them attractive candidates for applications in plant science. Nanomaterials are applied as plant growth regulators to improve plantlet quality by enhancing the quality of in vitro shoots, their growth, and development at both in vitro and ex vitro stages. Since then, the application of nanomaterials in micropropagation has paved the way for replacing previous culture mediums with new nanoparticle mediums, bringing better efficiency and simplicity to plant propagation operations. The book discusses mechanisms, explant surface disinfection, media sterilization, abnormal phenomena, morphogenesis, physiological-biochemical processes, and the accumulation of economically valuable crop compounds in culture mediums supplemented or replaced by metal ions with metal nanoparticles. This book will interest teachers, researchers, scientists, capacity builders, and policymakers. Additionally, it serves as additional reading for undergraduate and graduate students in agriculture, forestry, ecology, soil science, and environmental science.

This edited book is a comprehensive compilation of applications of plant molecular farming in various fields including agriculture, industry and medicine, using different plant/crop systems as bioreactors for the bulk production of products of interest. The book places special emphasis on plant molecular farming being utilized for the bulk production of biologics, industrial enzymes, vaccines, drugs and recombinant pharmaceutical proteins.Plant molecular farming (PMF) is an upcoming promising interdisciplinary subject, and therefore the book contains contributions from experts across the disciplines. The utilization of plant viral vectors to produce biologics, virus-like particles and antimicrobial peptides via PMF have been highlighted. Molecular farming for the bulk production of recombinant pharmaceutical proteins and various types of human and veterinary vaccines in different crops/plants and genetically modified seeds has been included. The process of scaling up to manufacturing capacity, product formation by bioprocessing of plant cell suspension culture, and bioreactor engineering have been incorporated. Lastly, the book provides special coverage on utilizing PMF made products to control neglected tropical diseases and plant-made antigens as immunotherapies for allergic and autoimmune diseases.The book has chapters from leading experts on the subject, making it equally beneficial for researchers, policy planners, industrialists, medical professionals, entrepreneurs, and students of various related disciplines.

Sustainable Plant Nutrition: Molecular Interventions and Advancements for Crop Improvement explores the significant opportunities for sustainable, eco-friendly approaches in plant nutrition and agricultural crop production. The book highlights the various prospects involved in optimizing plant nutrient uptake agriculture and includes chapters representing diverse areas dealing with biotechnology, nanotechnology, molecular biology, proteomics, genomics and metabolomics. This book is an ideal resource for those seeking to ensure a sustainable plant production future. While plants have evolved a set of elaborate mechanisms to cope with nutrient limitations, the traditional supplementation by the application of fertilizers to plant productivity may then lead to overfertilization which can actually reduce plant growth and have adverse effects on the environment. To tackle these issues, a detailed understanding of the responses of plants to nutrients and nutrient deficiency at the physiological, metabolic, transcriptome and epigenetic level is essential. - Illustrates the central role of sustainable plant nutrition to address current and future challenges - Presents global insights and research ranging from signaling to sensing and translational research - Provides a forward-looking perspective for future plans of action

This book provides a comprehensive overview of medicinal plants and their interaction with abiotic stress in terms of morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular variations, and explains the adaptation and tolerance mechanisms involved. It presents various mechanisms that become operative in medicinal plants to combat stressful situations. The book discusses the secondary metabolites and/or bioactive compounds produced in medicinal plants under abiotic stress conditions, and the use of biostimulants and/or phytoprotectants to alleviate the adverse effects of abiotic stresses on medicinal plants. Additionally, it is likely to address opportunities and challenges in molecular and omics studies of medicinal plants under abiotic stress conditions. Overall, the chapters are developed by eminent subject experts with due care and clarity and cover an up-to-date literature review with relevant illustrations. The book would cater to the need of graduate and post-graduate students, researchers as well as scientists, and may attract the attention of pharmaceutical companies/industrialists and health policymakers.

Abiotic stressors, such as drought, extreme temperatures, heavy metals, or high salinity, are causing huge crop losses worldwide. These abiotic stressors are expected to become more extreme, less predictable, and more widespread in the near future. The harm of abiotic stresses includes the disruption of cellular redox homeostasis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and oxidative stress in the plant. Plants have different mechanisms to fight stress, and these mechanisms are responsible for maintaining the required homeostasis in plants. Research on gasotransmitters is rapidly expanding and knowledge regarding the potential of gasotransmitters in biology and medicine is accumulating. Over the past few decades, the roles of these signaling molecules, especially NO and H2S, have been extensively studied for their application in plants. Recently, the emissions of endogenous gasotransmitters in plants have been widely studied and analyzed, thereby providing information to facilitate our understanding of new gasotransmitters signaling pathways. Given the multidimensional role of these signaling molecules, research over the past decades in mitigating abiotic stresses in plant biology and from an agriculture point of view, we intend to bring forth a comprehensive volume “Gasotransmitters Signaling in Plants under Challenging Environment'. We are hopeful that this comprehensive volume will furnish the requisite of all those who are working or have an interest in the proposed topic

This reference book, which is the second volume of Targeting Oxidative Stress in Cancer, explores oxidative stress as the potential therapeutic target for cancer therapy. The initial chapters discuss the molecular mechanisms of oxidative stress and its effects on different signaling pathways. Subsequently, the sections examine the impact of redox signaling on tumor cell proliferation and consider the therapeutic potential of dietary phytochemicals and nutraceuticals in reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced cancer. In turn, it examines the evidence supporting the use of Vitamin C in cancer management, before presenting various synthetic and natural compounds that have therapeutic implications for oxidative stress-induced cancer. It also explores the correlation between non-coding RNA and oxidative stress. Furthermore, the book summarizes the role of stem cells in ROS-induced cancer therapy and reviews the therapeutic applications of nanoparticles to alter redox haemostasis in cancer cells. Lastly, it explores heat-shock proteins, ubiquitin ligases, and probiotics as potential therapeutic agents in ROS-mediated cancer. This book is a useful resource for basic and translational scientists as well as clinicians interested in the field of oxidative stress and cancer therapy. ​

Plant hormones have pivotal roles in the regulation of plant growth, development, and reproduction. Their signaling pathways are interconnected in a complex network, which provides plants with an enormous regulatory potential to rapidly adapt to their environment and to utilize their limited resources for growth and survival in a cost-efficient manner. Auxin is a hormone molecule whose activity levels are most important for its regulatory roles during plant cell, organ, and tissue development. Therefore, the precise regulation of auxin levels is an essential mechanism to fine-tune the activity of this powerful hormone during plant growth and development. Likewise, cytokinins exhibit a wide range of physiological functions, including regulation of shoot and root apical meristems, stimulation of branching, vascular development, chloroplast differentiation, stabilization of the structure and function of the photosynthetic machinery, delay of senescence, stomata opening, and elevation of the sink strength and nutritional signaling. Moreover, gibberellins also regulate many aspects of plant growth and development including seed germination, stem elongation, leaf expansion, and flower and fruit development. The broad implication of gibberellins in plant development is strictly associated with tight regulation of their metabolism by multiple environmental and endogenous factors, ranging from light and temperature to other hormones including feedback control. Understanding the significant roles of these phytohormones in plant biology, the current subject has attracted the attention of scientists from across the globe. This comprehensive volume “Auxins, Cytokinins and Gibberellins Signaling in Plants” highlights the various prospects involved in the current scenario. The book comprises the chapters from diverse areas dealing with biotechnology, molecular biology, proteomics, genomics, metabolomics, etc.

Traditional Mediterranean fruits (i.e., be grapes, oranges, apples, pears, peaches, cherries, plums, figs, melons, watermelon and dates) are of major commercial and nutritional value to the region. Processing of such fruits, however, results in large amounts of bio-waste material. Efficient, inexpensive and environmentally friendly use of fruit industry waste is thus highly cost-effective and minimizes environmental impact. The natural antioxidants and bioactive compounds found in Mediterranean fruit bio-wastes could play a major role in the alleged health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, and could be used in pharmaceuticals as well as novel food applications. This book presents a multidisciplinary forum of discussion on the chemistry, functional properties and health-promoting effects of bioactive compounds in Mediterranean fruit bio-wastes, as well as novel food and non-food applications. The text provides the scientific fundamentals of the health-promoting benefitsand applications of Mediterranean fruit bio-wastes, reviews the relevant recovery issues and explores different techniques to develop new applications. With a diversity of perspectives, from food science to environmental chemistry and horticultural research, this volume provides comprehensive, up-to-date knowledge to researchers and industry professionals working in the areas of food waste valorization.

This book describes current understandings and recent progress in four areas: in the first one, the cytochalasans, a group of fungal derived natural products characterized by a perhydro-isoindolone core fused with a macrocyclic ring are shown to exhibit high structural diversity and a broad spectrum of bioactivities. The second one is dedicated to a description of bioactive compounds from the medicinal plants of Myanmar, the third one is dedicated to new structure elucidation techniques in the field of sesquiterpenes. The last one discusses the endogenous natural products that are produced by human cells including endogenous amines, steroids, and fatty acid derived natural products. The co-metabolism and natural product production of the human microbiome is also described including tryptophan, bile acids, choline, and cysteine.

This book caters to the need of researchers working in the ever-evolving field of agricultural biotechnology. It discusses and provides in-depth information about latest advancements happening in this field. The book discusses evolution of plant tissue culture techniques, development of doubled haploids technology, role of recombinant-DNA technology in crop improvement. It also provides an insight into the global status of genetically modified crops, use of RNAi technology and mi-RNAs in plant improvement. Chapters are also dedicated for different branches of ‘omics'science including genomics, bioinformatics, proteomics, metabolomics and phenomics along with the use of molecular markers in tagging and mapping of various genes/QTLs of agronomic importance. This book also covers the role of enzymes and microbes in agriculture in productivity enhancement. It is of interest to teachers, researchers of biotechnology and agriculture scientists. Also the book serves as additional readingmaterial for undergraduate and postgraduate students of biotechnology, agriculture, horticulture, forestry, ecology, soil science, and environmental sciences. National and international biotechnologists and agricultural scientists will also find this to be a useful read.

The International Conference on Phytochemistry, Textile, & Renewable Energy Technologies for Sustainable Development (ICPTRE 2020) was hosted by the World bank funded Africa Centre of Excellence in Phytochemicals, Textile and Renewable Energy (ACEII-PTRE) based at Moi University in conjunction with Donghua University, China and the Sino–Africa International Symposium on Textiles and Apparel (SAISTA). The theme of the conference was Advancing Science, Technology and Innovation for Industrial Growth. The research relationships between universities and industry have enabled the two entities to flourish and, in the past, have been credited for accelerated sustainable development and uplifting of millions out poverty. ICPTRE 2020 therefore provided a platform for academic researchers drawn from across the world to meet key industry professionals and actively share knowledge while advancing the role of research in industrial development, particularly, in the developing nations. The conference also provided exhibitors with an opportunity to interact with professionals and showcase their business, products, technologies and equipment. During the course of the conference, industrial exhibitions, research papers and presentations in the fields of phytochemistry, textiles, renewable energy, industry, science, technology, innovations and much more were presented.

This new volume of Methods in Enzymology continues the legacy of this premier serial with quality chapters authored by leaders in the field. - Provides the authority and expertise of leading contributors from an international board of authors - Presents the latest release in the Methods in Enzymology series

This book is about the chemical properties of starch. The book is a rich compendium driven by the desire to address the unmet needs of biomedical scientists to respond adequately to the controversy on the chemical properties and attendant reactivity of starch. It is a collective endeavor by a group of editors and authors with a wealth of experience and expertise on starch to aggregate the influence of qualitative and quantitative morphological, chemical, and genetic properties of starch on its functionalities, use, applications, and health benefits. The chemical properties of starch are conferred by the presence, amount and/or quality of amylose and amylopectin molecules, granule structure, and the nature and amounts of the lipid and protein molecules. The implication of this is comprehensively dealt with in this book.

The 3-volume set, Phytochemistry, covers a wide selection of topics in phytochemistry and provides a wealth of information on the fundamentals, new applications, methods and modern analytical techniques, state-of-the-art approaches, and computational techniques. With chapters from professional specialists in their fields from around the world, the volumes deliver a comprehensive coverage of phytochemistry. Phytochemistry is a multidisciplinary field, so this book will appeal to students in both upper-level students, faculty, researchers, and industry professionals in a number of fields, including biological science, biochemistry, pharmacy, food and medicinal chemistry, systematic botany and taxonomy, ethnobotany, conservation biology, plant genetic and metabolomics, evolutionary sciences, and plant pathology.

This first book in this three-volume set provides comprehensive coverage of a wide range of topics in phytochemistry. With chapters from professional specialists from key institutions around the world, the volume starts with an introduction to phytochemistry and details the fundamentals. Part II discusses the state-of-the-art modern methods and techniques in phytochemical research, while Part III provides an informative overview of computational phytochemistry and its applications. Part IV presents novel research findings in the discovery of drugs that will be effective in the treatment of diseases. The chapters are drawn carefully and integrated sequentially to aid flow, consistency, and continuity.

Natural bioactive compounds have become an integral part of plant-microbe interactions geared toward adaptation to environmental changes. They regulate symbiosis, induce seed germination, and manifest allelopathic effects, i.e., they inhibit the growth of competing plant species in their vicinity. In addition, the use of natural bioactive compounds and their products is considered to be suitable and safe in e.g. alternative medicine. Thus, there is an unprecedented need to meet the increasing demand for plant secondary metabolites in the flavor and fragrance, food, and pharmaceutical industries. However, it is difficult to obtain a constant quantity of compounds from the cultivated plants, as their yield fluctuates due to several factors including genotypic variations, the geography, edaphic conditions, harvesting and processing methods. Yet familiarity with these substances and the exploration of various approaches could open new avenues in their production. This book describes the basis of bioactive plant compounds, their mechanisms and molecular actions with regard to various human diseases, and their applications in the drug, cosmetic and herbal industries. Accordingly, it offers a valuable resource for students, educators, researchers, and healthcare experts involved in agronomy, ecology, crop science, molecular biology, stress physiology, and natural products.

Early anthropological evidence for plant use as medicine is 60,000 years old as reported from the Neanderthal grave in Iraq. The importance of plants as medicine is further supported by archeological evidence from Asia and the Middle East. Today, around 1.4 billion people in South Asia alone have no access to modern health care, and rely instead on traditional medicine to alleviate various symptoms. On a global basis, approximately 50 to 80 thousand plant species are used either natively or as pharmaceutical derivatives for life-threatening conditions that include diabetes, hypertension and cancers. As the demand for plant-based medicine rises, there is an unmet need to investigate the quality, safety and efficacy of these herbals by the “scientific methods”. Current research on drug discovery from medicinal plants involves a multifaceted approach combining botanical, phytochemical, analytical, and molecular techniques. For instance, high throughput robotic screens have been developed by industry; it is now possible to carry out 50,000 tests per day in the search for compounds which act on a key enzyme or a subset of receptors. This and other bioassays thus offer hope that one may eventually identify compounds for treating a variety of diseases or conditions. However, drug development from natural products is not without its problems. Frequent challenges encountered include the procurement of raw materials, the selection and implementation of appropriate high-throughput bioassays, and the scaling-up of preparative procedures. Research scientists should therefore arm themselves with the right tools and knowledge in order to harness the vast potentials of plant-based therapeutics. The main objective of Plant and Human Health is to serve as a comprehensive guide for this endeavor. Volume 1 highlights how humans from specific areas or cultures use indigenous plants. Despite technological developments, herbal drugs still occupy a preferential place in a majority of the population in the third world and have slowly taken roots as alternative medicine in the West. The integration of modern science with traditional uses of herbal drugs is important for our understanding of this ethnobotanical relationship. Volume 2 deals with the phytochemical and molecular characterization of herbal medicine. Specifically, It will focus on the secondary metabolic compounds which afford protection against diseases. Lastly, Volume 3 focuses on the physiological mechanisms by which the active ingredients of medicinal plants serve to improve human health. Together this three-volume collection intends to bridge the gap for herbalists, traditional and modern medical practitioners, and students and researchers in botany and horticulture.

Early anthropological evidence for plant use as medicine is 60,000 years old as reported from the Neanderthal grave in Iraq. The importance of plants as medicine is further supported by archeological evidence from Asia and the Middle East. Today, around 1.4 billion people in South Asia alone have no access to modern health care, and rely instead on traditional medicine to alleviate various symptoms. On a global basis, approximately 50 to 80 thousand plant species are used either natively or as pharmaceutical derivatives for life-threatening conditions that include diabetes, hypertension and cancers. As the demand for plant-based medicine rises, there is an unmet need to investigate the quality, safety and efficacy of these herbals by the “scientific methods”. Current research on drug discovery from medicinal plants involves a multifaceted approach combining botanical, phytochemical, analytical, and molecular techniques. For instance, high throughput robotic screens have been developed by industry; it is now possible to carry out 50,000 tests per day in the search for compounds, which act on a key enzyme or a subset of receptors. This and other bioassays thus offer hope that one may eventually identify compounds for treating a variety of diseases or conditions. However, drug development from natural products is not without its problems. Frequent challenges encountered include the procurement of raw materials, the selection and implementation of appropriate high-throughput bioassays, and the scaling-up of preparative procedures. Research scientists should therefore arm themselves with the right tools and knowledge in order to harness the vast potentials of plant-based therapeutics. The main objective of Plant and Human Health is to serve as a comprehensive guide for this endeavor. Volume 1 highlights how humans from specific areas or cultures use indigenous plants. Despite technological developments, herbal drugs still occupy a preferential place in a majority of the population in the third world and have slowly taken roots as alternative medicine in the West. The integration of modern science with traditional uses of herbal drugs is important for our understanding of this ethnobotanical relationship. Volume 2 deals with the phytochemical and molecular characterization of herbal medicine. Specifically, it focuess on the secondary metabolic compounds, which afford protection against diseases. Lastly, Volume 3 discusses the physiological mechanisms by which the active ingredients of medicinal plants serve to improve human health. Together this three-volume collection intends to bridge the gap for herbalists, traditional and modern medical practitioners, and students and researchers in botany and horticulture.

This book intends to provide an up-to-date introduction to the fascinating field of carbohydrate polymers and their development, properties and applications. The focus of the book is on the basic concepts and recent developments in the field, particularly in the areas of structure, synthesis and processing, characterizations, advanced-state properties, and applications. The book is written for a large readership including university students and researchers from diverse backgrounds such as chemistry, materials science, physics, biological science and engineering. It can be used not only as a text book for both undergraduate and graduate students, but also as a review and reference book for researchers in the polymers, bioengineering, pharmacy, biotechnology and nanotechnology.