This book provides a comprehensive reference for various plant bioactive compounds for research and pharmacological significance across the entire spectrum of phytochemical genomics. The book opens with general information on diversity, analysis and genomic basis of phytochemicals, computational approaches, databases for responsible genes, and biosynthetic pathways, and it delves very much into the details behind phytochemical diversity and diverse roles of plant metabolites. The later parts of the book also explore the direct drug discovery and omics approaches including metabolomics, transcriptomics, as well as gene editing technology experiments to further inspire readers into its unlimited potentials. Each chapter includes detailed analysis and relevant experiments for better and deeper understanding of the concepts. The book will be an invaluable aid for medicinal plant researchers and a rich source of information and advice for advanced undergraduates and graduates in the fields of medicine, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, flavor, and fragrance studies.

Applications of Genome Engineering in Plants Understand the keys to creating the food of the future Genome engineering in plants is a field that has made enormous strides in recent years. In particular, the CRISPR-Cas system has been used in a number of crop species to make significant leaps forward in nutritional improvement, stress tolerance, crop yield, and more. As scientists work to meet global food needs and foster sustainable agriculture in a changing world, genome engineering promises only to become more important. Applications of Genome Engineering in Plants details the history of, and recent developments in, this essential area of biotechnology. It describes advances enabling nutritional improvement, nutraceuticals improvement, flavonoid enrichment, and many more crop enhancements, as well as subjects such as biosafety and regulatory mechanisms. The result is a thorough and essential overview for researchers and biotech professionals. Applications of Genome Engineering in Plants readers will also find: Chapters on trans-gene free editing or non-transgenic approaches to plant genomes Detailed discussion of topics including nanotechnology-facilitated genome editing, engineering for virus resistance in plants, and more Applications of genome editing in oil seed crops, vegetables, ornamental plants, and many others Applications of Genome Engineering in Plants is ideal for academics, scientists, and industry professionals working in biotechnology, agriculture, food science, and related subjects.

Rapidly increasing aging population and environmental stressors are the two main global concerns of increasing incidence of a variety of pathologies in the modern society. The complex etiologies and pathologies cause major challenges to disease treatment. On the other hand, several herbs are known for their health-caring and disease-curing activities. Ashwagandha, a popular herb in Indian traditional home medicine, Ayurveda, has gathered increasing recognition in recent years when the chemically synthesized drugs for single target therapies showed limited success and adverse toxic effects. Ashwagandha is known as a powerful adaptogen and trusted to enhance function of the brain, reproductive system, cell-mediated immunity and increase the body's defense against disease, and possess anti-inflammatory, anticancer and anti-arthritic activities. In this book, for the first time, we provide a complete portrait on scientific understanding of the effects of Ashwagandha and its active principles for a variety of preventive and therapeutic activities.

This book starts with a general introduction to phytochemistry, followed by chapters on plant constituents, their origins and chemistry, but also discussing animal-, microorganism- and mineral-based drugs. Further chapters cover vitamins, food additives and excipients as well as xenobiotics and poisons. The book also explores the herbal approach to disease management and molecular pharmacognosy and introduces methods of qualitative and quantitative analysis of plant constituents. Phytochemicals are classified as primary (e.g. carbohydrates, lipids, amino acid derivations, etc.) or secondary (e.g. alkaloids, terpenes and terpenoids, phenolic compounds, glycosides, etc.) metabolites according to their metabolic route of origin, chemical structure and function. A wide variety of primary and secondary phytochemicals are present in medicinal plants, some of which are active phytomedicines and some of which are pharmaceutical excipients.

This book is a comprehensive collection of information on essential oils and their industrial application. It provides reader with a systematic and advanced knowledge of the role of essential oils as natural preservatives and therapeutic agents. Food and pharmaceuticals are two important pillars of human civilization. Plant essential oils and their volatile compounds have been used for preservation as well as for the treatment of human illness for long as traditional practices in biodiversity-rich countries. This book deals with the potential uses of essential oils against insect pests and spoilage microbes of agri-food commodities such as pulses, cereal, fruits, and their shelved products. It also highlights the molecular-assisted engineering of plant essential oils, the pharma-kinetic facet, and their potential in pharmaceutical and aromatherapy. In addition, the book covers recent advances in science and technology such as extraction methods, metabolomics, phytochemical genomics, bioinformatics, conformational dynamics, mathematical modeling, and nanotechnology application. This book is of interest to teachers, researchers, food scientists, capacity builders, and policymakers. Also, it serves as an additional reading material for undergraduate and postgraduate students of agriculture, food, and pharmaceutical sciences.

For the majority of the world’s population, medicinal and aromatic plants are the most important source of life-saving drugs. Biotechnological tools represent important resources for selecting, multiplying and conserving the critical genotypes of medicinal plants. In this regard, in-vitro regeneration holds tremendous potential for the production of high-quality plant-based medicines, while cryopreservation – a long-term conservation method using liquid nitrogen – provides an opportunity to conserve endangered medicinal and aromatic plants. In-vitro production of secondary metabolites in plant cell suspension cultures has been reported for various medicinal plants, and bioreactors represent a key step toward the commercial production of secondary metabolites by means of plant biotechnology. Addressing these key aspects, the book contains 29 chapters, divided into three sections. Section 1: In-vitro production of secondary metabolites Section 2: In-vitro propagation, genetic transformation and germplasm conservation Section 3: Conventional and molecular approaches