Eicosanoids are a diverse group of biologically active molecules derived from polyunsaturated fatty acid precursors. This volume draws together for the first time a series of overviews on the biosynthesis and functional significance of these and related compounds in a wide range of animals, plants, and micro-organisms. All chapters are written by recognized experts in their fields, and many make use of significant amounts of unpublished materials. This volume is aimed at advanced undergraduates and at researchers interested in lipid biochemistry and general plant and animal biology. Originally published in 1999. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

This comprehensive reference work, updated from the first edition, brings together the knowledge and expertise of contributors from around the world. It includes new topics such as prostaglandin synthetase enzyme, new synthetic eicosanoids, innovative analytical methods, the influence of cytokines in the regulation of synthesis and actions, newer eicosanoids that influence the cardiovascular system, and newly discovered roles in reproduction and interactions with nitric oxide. This book satisfies a surge of interest in prostaglandins—NSAIDS (e.g. aspirin) are the biggest selling drugs of all time, and the field has been refreshed by the advent of new types (selective COX-2 inhibitors, anti-leukotiene drugs).

Polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential for human cell metabolism. As precursors of a very large and extremely versatile family of signaling compounds they play a key role in intracellular communication. Eicosanoids constitute one of the most abundant and prominent subfamilies of these fatty acid derivatives which are formed primarily along oxidative pathways. Prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and related eicosanoids have a modulatory function in mammalian cells and are responsible for tissue responses such as inflammation or wound repair. Increasing activity in eicosanoid research sheds new light on today's most common diseases including atherosclerosis, cancer, Alzheimer's, allergies, and rheumatic diseases. The recent advances already have far-reaching implications in medicine. This detailed account, written by leading experts, covers the ground-breaking developments in recent eicosanoid research. The topics span eicosanoid biogenesis, new aspects of their pathophysiology, for example their influence on the cardiovascular system, as well as the clinical application of synthetic eicosanoids and their antagonists. Researchers and students working in biochemistry or in pharmaceutical, physiological, medicinal and neurochemistry will value this informative introduction to one of the most rapidly developing fields in cell biology.

This book presents an overview of lipid peroxidation: inhibition, effects and mechanisms. The topics analyzed, cover a broad spectrum of functions played by lipid peroxidation and presents new information in this area of research. The topics analyzed include: progress in the knowledge of lipid peroxidation, from the first evidences issued by Nicolas Theodore de Saussure in Paris 1804; fighting against lipid peroxidation: the unique story of docosahexaenoic acid in the brain; protective effects of melatonin and structurally-related molecules in reducing membrane rigidity due to lipid peroxidation; synergistic effects of antioxidant compositions during inhibited lipid autoxidation; lipid peroxidation and animal longevity; free radicals in health and disease; lipid peroxidation in autoimmune diseases; aldehydes derived from lipid peroxidation in cancer and autoimmunity; the role of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation in the neurodegenerative process after spinal cord injury; kinetics and mechanisms of inhibited lipid autoxidation in presence of 4-substituted-coumarins; hypoxia and oxidative stress: cell signaling mechanisms and protective role of vitamin C and cilnidipine; characterization of oxidative stress and antioxidant potency; paying attention to time and location; lipid peroxidation in aquatic organisms: ontogenetic, phylogenetic and ecological aspects; chemistry of lipid oxidation in edible oils; and menopause progression and oxidative stress: associated mechanisms and the importance of physical exercise.

Diet and Health examines the many complex issues concerning diet and its role in increasing or decreasing the risk of chronic disease. It proposes dietary recommendations for reducing the risk of the major diseases and causes of death today: atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (including heart attack and stroke), cancer, high blood pressure, obesity, osteoporosis, diabetes mellitus, liver disease, and dental caries.

Edited by renowned protein scientist and bestselling author Roger L. Lundblad, with the assistance of Fiona M. Macdonald of CRC Press, this fifth edition of the Handbook of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology gathers a wealth of information not easily obtained, including information not found on the web. Presented in an organized, concise, and simple-to-use format, this popular reference allows quick access to the most frequently used data. Covering a wide range of topics, from classical biochemistry to proteomics and genomics, it also details the properties of commonly used biochemicals, laboratory solvents, and reagents. An entirely new section on Chemical Biology and Drug Design gathers data on amino acid antagonists, click chemistry, plus glossaries for computational drug design and medicinal chemistry. Each table is exhaustively referenced, giving the user a quick entry point into the primary literature. New tables for this edition: Chromatographic methods and solvents Protein spectroscopy Partial volumes of amino acids Matrix Metalloproteinases Gene Editing Click Chemistry

The emerging field of lipidomics has been made possible because of advances in mass spectrometry, and in particular tandem mass spectrometry of lipid ions generated by electrospray ionization. The ability to carry out basic biochemical studies of lipids using electrospray ionization is predicated upon understanding the behaviour of lipid derived ions following collision induced decomposition and mechanisms of product ion formation. During the past 20 years, a wealth of information has been generated about lipid molecules that are now analysed by mass spectrometry, however there is no central source where one can obtain basic information about how these very diverse biomolecules behave following collisional activation. This book brings together, in one volume, this information so that investigators considering using tandem mass spectrometry to structurally characterize lipids or to quantitate their occurrence in a biological matrix, will have a convenient source to review mechanism of decomposition reactions related to the diversity of lipid structures. A separate chapter is devoted to each of seven major lipid classes including fatty acids, eicosanoids and bioactive lipid mediators, fatty acyl esters and amides, glycerol esters, glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, and steroids. Mechanistic details are provided for understanding the pathways of formation of major product ions and ions used for structural characterization. In most cases specific ancillary information has been critical to understand the pathways, including isotope labeling and high resolution analysis of precursor and product ions. For a few specific examples such data is missing and pathways are proposed as a means to initiate further mass spectral experiments to prove or disprove pathway hypotheses. While this work largely centres on the lipid biochemistry of animal (mammalian) systems, general principles can be taken from the specific examples and applied to lipid biochemistry found in plants, fungi, prokaryotes and archeal organisms.