Morphine, extracted/isolated from the opium poppy, was the first plant-derived natural product, which was first reported in 1806 and marked as the beginning of plant metabolites research. In the following 200 years, many specific metabolites with significant bio-activity, such as quinine, artemisinin, and paclitaxel, were discovered in plant-derived medicines and have been used for treating human diseases. The extracts of plants or their metabolites have contributed significantly to human health, particularly in the treatment of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. Nowadays, medicinal plants and their metabolites are increasingly favored by researchers and pharmaceutical companies to be developed as new dietary supplements and pharmaceuticals. Therefore, screening and identification of novel active metabolites or lead compounds from plant-derived medicines for human disease treatment have become a popular research area.

Plant Metabolites and Regulation Under Environmental Stress presents the latest research on both primary and secondary metabolites. The book sheds light on the metabolic pathways of primary and secondary metabolites, the role of these metabolites in plants, and the environmental impact on the regulation of these metabolites. Users will find a comprehensive, practical reference that aids researchers in their understanding of the role of plant metabolites in stress tolerance. - Highlights new advances in the understanding of plant metabolism - Features 17 protocols and methods for analysis of important plant secondary metabolites - Includes sections on environmental adaptations and plant metabolites, plant metabolites and breeding, plant microbiome and metabolites, and plant metabolism under non-stress conditions

With over 1000 original drawings and 500 photographs, this work offers complete coverage of cell biology, plant physiology and molecular biology.

This book is devoted to the fascinating superfamily of plant ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and their variety of transported substrates. It highlights their exciting biological functions, covering aspects ranging from cellular detoxification, through development, to symbiosis and defense. Moreover, it also includes a number of chapters that center on ABC transporters from non-Arabidopsis species. ABC proteins are ubiquitous, membrane-intrinsic transporters that catalyze the primary (ATP-dependent) movement of their substrates through biological membranes. Initially identified as an essential aspect of a vacuolar detoxification process, genetic work in the last decade has revealed an unexpectedly diverse variety of ABC transporter substrates, which include not only xenobiotic conjugates, but also heavy metals, lipids, terpenoids, lignols, alkaloids and organic acids. The discovery that members of the ABCB and ABCG family are involved in the movement of phytohormones has further sparked their exploration and provided a new understanding of the whole family. Accordingly, the trafficking, regulation and structure-function of ABCB-type auxin transporters are especially emphasized in this book.

Plants produce a huge array of natural products (secondary metabolites). These compounds have important ecological functions, providing protection against attack by herbivores and microbes and serving as attractants for pollinators and seed-dispersing agents. They may also contribute to competition and invasiveness by suppressing the growth of neighboring plant species (a phenomenon known as allelopathy). Humans exploit natural products as sources of drugs, flavoring agents, fragrances and for a wide range of other applications. Rapid progress has been made in recent years in understanding natural product synthesis, regulation and function and the evolution of metabolic diversity. It is timely to bring this information together with contemporary advances in chemistry, plant biology, ecology, agronomy and human health to provide a comprehensive guide to plant-derived natural products. Plant-derived natural products: synthesis, function and application provides an informative and accessible overview of the different facets of the field, ranging from an introduction to the different classes of natural products through developments in natural product chemistry and biology to ecological interactions and the significance of plant-derived natural products for humans. In the final section of the book a series of chapters on new trends covers metabolic engineering, genome-wide approaches, the metabolic consequences of genetic modification, developments in traditional medicines and nutraceuticals, natural products as leads for drug discovery and novel non-food crops.

This book consists of an introductory overview of secondary metabolites, which are classified into four main sections: microbial secondary metabolites, plant secondary metabolites, secondary metabolites through tissue culture technique, and regulation of secondary metabolite production. This book provides a comprehensive account on the secondary metabolites of microorganisms, plants, and the production of secondary metabolites through biotechnological approach like the plant tissue culture method. The regulatory mechanisms of secondary metabolite production in plants and the pharmaceutical and other applications of various secondary metabolites are also highlighted. This book is considered as necessary reading for microbiologists, biotechnologists, biochemists, pharmacologists, and botanists who are doing research in secondary metabolites. It should also be useful to MSc students, MPhil and PhD scholars, scientists, and faculty members of various science disciplines.

About 1958, the late Professor R. E. ALSTON and Professor B. L. TURNER, both of the Department ofBotany, The University ofTexas at Austin, initiated a general systematic investigation ofthe legurne genus Baptisia. They found that flavonoid patterns, as revealed by two-dimensional paper chromatography, were valid criteria for the recognition of the Baptisia species and for the documentation of their numerous natural hybrids. Later, they showed that the flavonoid chemistry could be used for the analysis of gene flow among populations. At that time no attempt was made to even partially identify the flavonoids which were detected chromatographically. Neverthe1ess, it soon became apparent that the full value of the chemical data for systematic purposes required knowledge of the structures of the flavonoids. In 1962, one of us (T.J.M.) in collaboration with Drs. ALSTON and TURNER beg an the chemical analysis of the more than 60 flavonoids which had been chromatographi cally detected in the 16 Baptisia species. In the intervening years, a number of chemists and botanists, inc1uding Drs. K. BAETCKE, B. BREHM, M. CRANMER, D. HORNE, J. KAGAN, B. KROSCHEWSKY, J. MCCLURE, H. RÖSLER, and J. WALLACE, participated in the devel opment of techniques and procedures for the rapid identification of known flavonoids and in the structure determination of new flavonoids. In addition, the flavonoid chem istry of many plants other than Baptisia was investigated.

Metabolomics – which deals with all metabolites of an organism – is a rapidly-emerging sector of post-genome research fields. It plays significant roles in a variety of fields from medicine to agriculture and holds a fundamental position in functional genomics studies and their application in plant biotechnology. This volume comprehensively covers plant metabolomics for the first time. The chapters offer cutting-edge information on analytical technology, bioinformatics and applications. They were all written by leading researchers who have been directly involved in plant metabolomics research throughout the world. Up-to-date information and future developments are described, thereby producing a volume which is a landmark of plant metabolomics research and a beneficial guideline to graduate students and researchers in academia, industry, and technology transfer organizations in all plant science fields.

Current Developments in Biotechnology and Bioengineering: Current Advances in Solid-State Fermentation provides knowledge and information on solid-state fermentation involving the basics of microbiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics and principles of genetic engineering, metabolic engineering and biochemical engineering. This volume of the series is on Solid-State fermentation (SSF), which would cover the basic and applied aspects of SSF processes, including engineering aspects such as design of bioreactors in SSF. The book offers a pool of knowledge on biochemical and microbiological aspects as well as chemical and biological engineering aspects of SSF to provide an integrated knowledge and version to the readers. - Provides state-of-the-art information on basic and fundamental principles of solid-state fermentation - Includes key features for the education and understanding of biotechnology education and R&D, in particular on SSF - Lists fermentation methods for the production of a wide variety of enzymes and metabolites - Provides examples of the various industrial applications of enzymes in solid state fermentation

Filamentous fungi have long been known for their ability to produce an enormous range of unusual chemical compounds known as secondary metabolites, many of which have potentially useful antibiotic or pharmacological properties. Recent focus on fungal genomics coupled with advances in detection and molecular manipulation techniques has galvanized a revitalization of this field. Fungal Secondary Metabolism: Methods and Protocols is aimed at providing the key methodologies currently in use and necessary for accessing and exploiting the natural product information provided by the genomes of this large and varied kingdom. Written by active researchers in the field, the chapters deal with all the steps necessary, from optimization of fungal culture conditions for metabolite production, through rapid genome sequencing and bioinformatics, and genetic manipulations for functional analysis, to detection and testing of metabolites. In addition, chapters on basic science address approaches to the genetic regulation, protein biochemistry, and cellular localization of the biosynthetic pathways. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular BiologyTM series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Practical and hands-on, Fungal Secondary Metabolism: Methods and Protocols encourages new investigators to enter the field and expands upon the expertise and range of skills of those already researching fungal natural products.