Temperate Fruit Crop Breeding : Germplasm to Genomics
This book fully integrates the conventional and biotechnological approaches to fruit crop breeding. Individual chapters are written on a wide variety of species including apple, apricot, blackberry, blueberry, cranberry, cherry, currant, gooseberry, grape, kiwifruit, peach, pear, plum, raspberry and strawberry. For each crop, there is a discussion of their taxonomy and evolution, history of improvement, crossing techniques, evaluation methods, heritability of major traits and germplasm resources, along with the most recent advances in genetic mapping and QTL (quantitative trait loci) analysis, marker assisted breeding, gene cloning, gene expression analysis, regeneration and transformation. Patenting and licensing issues are also covered. This book will be useful in fruit breeding classes and should provide as a springboard for all fruit breeders desiring an update on the latest technologies, horticulturalists who wonder what is being done in fruit breeding and genomicists searching for a way to contribute to fruit breeding efforts.
Scorpion Venom Toxin
Neurotoxins are the main components of scorpion venom that are known to be responsible for the pathological manifestations of envenoming. These venoms are associated with high morbidity and mortality, especially among children. Besides neurotoxins, a wide range of other bioactive molecules can be found in scorpion venoms. Advances in separation, characterization, and biotechnological approaches have enabled not only the development of more effective treatments against scorpion envenomings, but have also led to the discovery of several scorpion venom peptides with interesting therapeutic properties. Thus, scorpion venom may not only be a medical threat to human health, but could prove to be a valuable source of bioactive molecules that may serve as leads for the development of new therapies against current and emerging diseases. The detrimental and beneficial properties of scorpion venom toxins and the newest advances within the development of novel therapies against scorpion envenoming and the therapeutic perspectives for scorpion toxins in drug discovery will be discussed.
Nutrition and diet in health: Principles and applications
Food provides us with essential nutrients involved in many physiological activities and biological processes in the body including growth and development, metabolism, immune function, and overall well-being. Nutrition and Diet in Health: Principles and Applications reviews and discusses the issues related to the roles of nutrition and diets in human health and diseases. The book contains two sections - one section features principles, the other, covers applications. Part One provides information on sustainable use of nutrition and diets in health and diseases; advanced biotechnological approaches to improve nutritional content of food; trace elements in nutrition; drug and nutrient interactions; functional foods and nutraceuticals in health maintenance; and Bio markers of functional foods and nutraceuticals in health maintenance. Part Two discusses the significance of nutrition in selected human diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, infection, neurodegenerative diseases, and metabolic co-morbidities. It also discusses optimal nutrition for wellness, fitness, pregnancy, mental health, aging, and longevity.
Herbal pharmacopeia : Nanotechnology and advancing drug
Explores the intersection between traditional herbal medicine and cutting-edge nanotechnology. The chapters introduce modern techniques used in herbal extraction and analysis. The principles of drug discovery from plants are discussed, with a focus on the identification and development of bioactive compounds that have therapeutic potential. It discusses the pharmacological properties, biotechnological approaches in drug development, and challenges in the formulation and standardization of herbal medicines. Emerging trends and applications of nanotechnology in herbal pharmacotherapy, such as nanoparticle synthesis, enhanced bioavailability using nanocarriers, safety assessments, novel and targeted delivery systems, and regulatory considerations, are thoroughly discussed. Additionally, it includes a comparative analysis of traditional and nano-formulated approaches and their implementation in clinical settings. Towards the end, the book reviews the regulatory considerations for herbal products and future perspectives in herbal pharmacopeia. This book is intended for researchers, clinicians, and professionals in herbal medicine, pharmacology, and nanotechnology.
Flavours and Fragrances : Chemistry, Bioprocessing and Sustainability
This book is an introduction to the fascinating world of aroma chemicals, essential oils, fragrances and flavour compositions for the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry. The present state-of-the-art technology, the future use of resources and biotechnological approaches for the production of the respective chemical compounds are described. A large section is devoted to the description of the renewable resources of flavours: spice plants, fruits from moderate to tropical climates, vegetables, fermented and heated plants. Analytical methods, such as gas chromatography coupled to human or electronic noses or to a mass spectrometer, are outlined and consumer trends, legal and safety aspects are described. Novel renewable resources come from biotechnology.




