Search

Defense-related Proteins in Plants presents detailed information on the identification, characterization, mechanism of action, and application in crop improvement programs of these mechanisms in a single, cohesive volume. It includes foundational information to enable the understanding of these proteins and their applications in crop improvement programs.Defense-related proteins have drawn the attention of various plant and agricultural scientists and industries because they provide generalized direct stress tolerance in crop plants. These proteins, including lectins, chitinases, thaumatin, and osmotin among others, have been used for the development of transgenic plants to provide protection against various abiotic and biotic stresses. While there is a breadth of research and application information available, it has not previously been compiled into a single volume for the ease of comparison and translational work. This book is a complete guide to defense-related proteins in plants for various categories of readers. Also, it will inspire future research into the unexplored areas of the molecular aspects of these proteins to understand their role and action mechanism in plants and living organisms as a whole. Additionally agricultural scientists and industry professionals will find the application part of this book helpful in future crop design strategies. - Presents comprehensive information on defense-related proteins in plants - Highlights practical application of defense-related proteins in crops - Structured for ease of comparison and translational work

A great deal of interest has been generated recently in the isolation, characterization, and biological activity of phytochemicals. Phytochemicals have the potential to enhance pharmaceuticals and drug discovery. As such, there is an urgent need for current research in the global scope of phytochemicals including the chemical and physical characteristics, analytical procedures, biological activity, safety, and industrial applications. The Handbook of Research on Advanced Phytochemicals and Plant-Based Drug Discovery examines the applications of bioactive molecules from a health perspective, examining the pharmacological aspects of medicinal plants, the phytochemical and biological activities of different natural products, and ethnobotany and medicinal properties. Moreover, it presents a novel dietary approach for human disease management. Covering topics such as computer-aided drug design, government regulation, and medicinal plant taxonomy, this major reference work is beneficial to pharmacists, medical practitioners, phytologists, hospital administrators, government officials, faculty and students of higher education, librarians, researchers, and academicians.

Transcriptome Profiling: Progress and Prospects assists readers in assessing and interpreting a large number of genes, up to and including an entire genome. It provides key insights into the latest tools and techniques used in transcriptomics and its relevant topics which can reveal a global snapshot of the complete RNA component of a cell at a given time. This snapshot, in turn, enables the distinction between different cell types, different disease states, and different time points during development. Transcriptome analysis has been a key area of biological inquiry for decades. The next-generation sequencing technologies have revolutionized transcriptomics by providing opportunities for multidimensional examinations of cellular transcriptomes in which high-throughput expression data are obtained at a single-base resolution. Transcriptome analysis has evolved from the detection of single RNA molecules to large-scale gene expression profiling and genome annotation initiatives. Written by a team of global experts, key topics in Transcriptome Profiling include transcriptome characterization, expression analysis of transcripts, transcriptome and gene regulation, transcriptome profiling and human health, medicinal plants transcriptomics, transcriptomics and genetic engineering, transcriptomics in agriculture, and phylotranscriptomics. - Presents recent development in the tools and techniques in transcriptomic characterization - Integrates expression analysis of transcripts and gene regulation - Includes the application of transcriptomics in human health, genetic engineering and agriculture

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is an ancient fruit estimated to be introduced to human cultures around the world about 4000 years ago. It is native to Central Asia, from Iran and Turkmenistan to northern India regions, and is widely cultivated in Mediterranean, tropical and subtropical regions. The highest-quality pomegranate is grown in arid zones because it is tolerant to drought conditions. It is well known to humans for its nutritional, curative, and ornamental values. About 75% of individuals from developed countries use pomegranate in traditional medicine. Punica granatum: Cultivation, Properties and Health Benefits is an attempt to bring together important research work, literature, and scientific findings regarding Punica granatum L. This book aims to feature the medicinal importance of this plant and its journey from folk medicine to modern medicine. This book compiles various medical studies of pomegranate for treatment of cancer, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, bacterial infections, ischemia, male infertility, arthritis, obesity, and skin diseases. It is reported to have antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. The use of pomegranate as a natural source of medicine has steadily increased around the world in recent years.

Microbiome Stimulants for Crops: Mechanisms and Applications provides the latest developments in the real-world development and application of these crop management alternatives in a cost-effective, yield protective way. Sections address questions of research, development and application, with insights into recent legislative efforts in Europe and the United States. The book includes valuable information regarding mechanisms and the practical information needed to support the growing microbial inoculant and biostimulant industry, thus helping focus scientific research in new directions. - Provides methods for finding and testing endophytic and growth promotional microbes - Explains the mechanisms of microbes and other biostimulant function in promoting plant growth - Evaluates methods for treatments of plants with microbes and microbiome stimulants - Identifies areas for new research

Phytohormones are known to affect the growth and development of plant directly as well as indirectly. Salicylic acid (SA) is a phenolic phytohormone which induces systemic resistance in plants and also regulates defence responses. The derivatives of SA also play an important role in the regulation of various physiological and developmental processes in plants under normal and stressful environmental conditions. SA regulates seed germination, photosynthesis, ethylene biosynthesis, enzyme activities, nutrition, flowering, legume nodulation and overall growth and development of plant. Recently, advancement in elucidating the specific pathways of SA signal transduction has been noticed which helps in understanding the expression of specific genes associated with different developmental programs. The horizon of SA-mediated regulation of various physiological processes has also expanded, and various studies enumerating the efficacy of exogenously applied SA in practical agriculture have also been documented. Therefore, information regarding such recent developments needs to be compiled in the form of a book. This book aims to provide a collective information regarding SA which makes it a versatile plant growth regulator. The chapters included both theoretical and practical aspects that could be of immense use for researches and possible significant developments in future. It is intended that this book will be a help for students, teachers, and researchers, in understanding the relation between the phytohormone and agricultural sciences.

Mulberry (Morus spp.) is an important horticultural plant in the sericulture industry. It belongs to the family Moraceae. The leaf of mulberry is used to feed the silkworm Bombyx mori L. It is also used as a fodder. Due to its economic and agricultural importance, mulberry is cultivated in many parts of the world. An estimated 60% of the total cost of silk cocoon production is for production and maintenance of mulberry plants. Therefore, much attention is needed to improve the quality and quantity of mulberry leaves. It is vital to increase the production of superior quality mulberry leaves with high nutritive value for the sericulture industry. Although a lot of research is going on in mulberry, very little effort has been made to compile the results of this research in a single book. This book provides an update of recent research works going on in this plant. It describes the taxonomy, conservation of germplasm, genetic diversity of various mulberry species, application of breeding techniques to improve the quality of mulberry, in vitro conservation, application of tissue culture techniques to improve mulberry species, production of haploids and triploids in mulberry and improvement of abiotic stress adaptive traits in mulberry with relevance to adaptiveness to global warming.

Handbook of Essential Oils: Science, Technology, and Applications presents the development, use and marketing of essential oils. Exciting new topics include insecticidal applications, but there is a continued focus on the chemistry, pharmacology and biological activities of essential oils.The third edition unveils new chapters including the insect repellent and insecticidal activities of essential oils, the synergistic activity with antibiotics against resistant microorganisms, essential oil applications in agriculture, plant-insect interactions, and pheromones and contaminants in essential oils.Features Presents a wide range of topics including sources, production, analysis, storage, transport, chemistry, aromatherapy, pharmacology, toxicology, metabolism, technology, biotransformation, application, utilization, and trade Includes discussions of biological activity testing, results of antimicrobial and antioxidant tests, and penetration enhancing activities useful in drug delivery Covers up-to-date regulations and legislative procedures, together with the use of essential oils in perfumes, cosmetics, feed, food, beverages, and pharmaceutical industries Unveils new chapters including the insect repellent and insecticidal activities of essential oils, the synergistic activity with antibiotics against resistant microorganisms, essential oil applications in agriculture, plant-insect interactions, and pheromones and contaminants in essential oils The American Botanical Council (ABC) named the second edition as the recipient of the 2016 ABC James A. Duke Excellence in Botanical Literature Award and recognized that essential oils are one of the fastest growing segments of the herbal product market

The conservation of crop genetic resources is one of the important elements in efforts to sustainably increase agricultural production in low-income countries, and to guarantee long-term food security, especially for the low-income population groups in these countries. Horticultural crops, as high-value crops, have an important role to play in revitalizing rural economies and can add significantly to national economies. Moreover, horticulture provides more than twice the number of jobs compared to traditional cereal crop production, and the shifting of conventional agriculture towards high-value horticulture has increased employment opportunities in developing countries. To exploit this potential, researchers need a vast array of horticultural genetic resources and information on new traits. Horticultural crops, which are only a part of PGRFA (Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture), are characterized by a wide and varied range of species. In fact, there are five major horticultural crop groups: fruit and nut crops, vegetables, food legumes, roots and tubers, and lastly the ornamental and medicinal group. In this context, the present book provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of conservation and utilization of horticultural genetic resources, addressing contemporary approaches to conservation in connection with different technologies, including biotechnological approaches as practised in India and in some cases, globally. It includes a brief chapter on the unique nature of horticultural genetic resources, providing a rationale for viewing them as being distinct from field crop genetic resources. Subsequent chapters share insights on protocols for the conservation of selected horticultural crops ex situ, and focus on the increased need to complement these efforts with in situ conservation approaches. Geospatial tools are also briefly described, emphasizing their utility with regard to mapping and managing resources. The book also explores the wild gene pool in horticulture crops; discusses legal aspects related to horticultural genetic resources and biotechnological aspects; and describes the key aspects of sustainable management and replenishment. Given its scope, the book offers a valuable resource for all horticulturists, graduate students, researchers, policymakers, conservationists, and NGOs engaged in horticulture in particular and biodiversity in general.

This book provides comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge relating to the morphological, structural, and functional characteristics of tuber starches, particularly in relation to their applications in food and industry. In recent years there has been significant progress and extensive research conducted on tropical root starches and especially on some of the lesser known tuber crop starches. There has also been a shift towards using biomaterials in place of synthetic materials in various applications. As researchers investigate the availability of natural products with similar properties, starch has been identified as a reliable alternative to these synthetic materials. Reflecting the growing body of research, Tropical Tuber Starches: - Explores the structure, properties and applications of tropical root and tuber starches (cassava, sweet potato, aroids, yams and other minor tuber crops) - Includes a chapter on the methodology for starch characterisation - Covers patents on starch-based products and the commercial potential of tropical root starches A valuable resource for researchers and students, plant breeders, and commercial producers working with, or considering working with, tropical tuber starches.

Plant viruses are significant as they affect our food supply and are capable of rapidly spreading to new plant species, so a comprehensive study of plant viruses is important in understanding their pathogenesis and prevention. This book focuses on the plant virus evolution, their molecular classification, epidemics and management. The key features in the book includes genome organization, translation and replication, virus-coded proteinases, structure of virus particles, cell receptors and host range, the RNA polymerase, quasispecies dynamics and virus evolution, and its natural habitats.

This book describes the latest advances in Allium genome research. Allium includes plant species known for their huge nuclear genome size, which makes them ideal for somatic chromosome observations in high school experiments. In order to advance the genome analysis of A. cepa and its functional study, scientists in international research collaborations have developed several types of artificially manipulated genetic stocks and analyzed them using modern technologies. The Allium vegetable crop includes garlic, shallot, wakegi onion, Japanese bunching onion, and rakkyo. Bulb onion is one of the world's most important Allium commercial crops, with an estimated annual production of 85.8 million tons in 2013, and ranking third after tomato and watermelon in terms of global vegetable crops.

The application of enzymes or whole cells (fermentatively active or resting; microbial, plant, or animal) to carry out selective transformations of commercial importance is the central theme of industrial biocatalysis. Traditionally, biocatalysis has been in the domain of the life scientist or biochemical engineer. However, recent advances in this field have enabled biocatalytic processes to compete head on with, and in some cases out­ perform, conventional chemical processing. Chemo-biocatalytic systems are being developed thereby combining the most attractive features of bio­ catalysts, namely high specificity, with those of chemical catalysts, such as high reactivities and wide substrate specificities. Hence, synthetic chemists and chemical engineers are now beginning to use biocatalysts as highly selective reagents in chemical synthesis and processing. This book is about biocatalysts and their past, present, and potential applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. The con­ cept of the book did not emanate from a meeting. Rather, it is a compila­ tion of selected examples where biocatalysis either has already made a significant impact in the aforementioned industries, or has the potential to make a substantial contribution. I have been fortunate to have assembled contributions from world-class researchers in the field of biocatalysis. Their timely contributions are sincerely appreciated.

The Twenty-Second Jerusalem Symposium reflected the high standards of these distinguished scientific meetings, which convene once a year at the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Jerusalem to discuss a specific topic in the broad area of quantum chemistry and'biochemistry. The topic at this year's Jerusalem Symposium was Perspectives in Photosynthesis, which constitutes a truly interdisciplinary subject of central interest to biophysicists, and biologists. chemists The main theme of the Symposium was built around a conceptual framework for the acquisition, storage and useful disposal of energy in photosynthetic reaction centres. Emphasis was placed on the elucidation of primary charge separation processes in photosynthesis and their exploration within the framework of the electron transfer theory, on the interrelationship between structural data, inter­ actions and electron transfer kinetics, and on the role of protein dynamics in primary processes in photosynthesis. The interdisciplinary nature of these research areas was deliberated by intensive and extensive interactions between scientists from different disciplines and between theory and experiment. This volume provides a record of the invited lectures at the Symposium.

The NATO Advanced Research Workshop entitled'The Photosynthetic Bacterial Reaction Center: Structure, Spectroscopy, and Dynamics'was held May 10-15, 1992, in the Maison d'H6tes of the Centre d'Etudes Nuc1eaires de Cadarache near Aix-en-Provence in the south of France. This workshop is the most recent of a string of meetings which started in Feldafing (Germany) in March 1985, soon after the three-dimensional structure of the bacterial reaction center had been elucidated by X-ray crystallography. This was followed, in September 1987, by a workshop in Cadarache and, in March 1990, by a second meeting in Feldafing. Although one of the most important processes on Earth, photosynthesis is still poorly understood. Stimulated by the breakthrough of solving the bacterial reaction center structure at atomic resolution, the field of relating this structure to the function of the reaction center, i. e. the remarkably efficient conversion and storage of solar energy, has been developing vigorously. Once the general organization of the cofactors and some details of the protein-cofactor interactions were known, it became possible to combine a variety of spectroscopic techniques with the powerful tool of site-directed mutagenesis in order to address increasingly incisive questions about the specific role of some amino acid residues in the electron transfer process. Still another promising tool is being developed, namely the exchange of a number of the native bacteriochlorophyll and bacteriopheophytin cofactors by chemically modified pigments.

Reaction Centers of Photosynthetic Bacteria is an updated record on the most recent insight into the struc- ture/function relationship of reaction centers from photosynthetic bacteria. It addresses in particular, interactions and dynamics which determine the ultra-high quantum yield of photoinduced charge separation in these energy-transforming molecular machines. Of particular interest is the still controversial issue of the primary charge separation mechanism as well as the effects of well-defined modifications, introduced either by mutagenic replacements in the protein matrix or by chemical exchange of reaction center pigments. Also described are the methods used for the characterization of interactions and dynamics important for electron transfer processes in the reaction center.

This volume of Advances in Virus Research focuses on mycoviruses. The authors and reviews represent the most current and cutting-edge research in the field. A broad range of research is presented from research experts. - Contributions from leading authorities - Informs and updates on all the latest developments in the field

Results of this third Feldafing Meeting can be considered as the harvest of novel techniques in spectroscopy, biochemistry and molecular biology to the bacterial photosynthetic reaction center. New information pertains to the crystallographic and electronic structure as well as to the dynamics of primary events and the role of the protein. The answer to one long-standing problem, the mechanism of primary charge separation, converges towards a sequential scheme, supported by femtosecond spectroscopy on reaction centers with selectively modified energetics.

This volume forms part of a two-volume set and is not available for individual purchase. Please view the complete pack (ISBN: 978-0-85404-364-4) for purchase options.