Springer Pigments in Fruits and Vegetables: Genomics and Dietetics

Product Description This comprehensive treatise provides a systemic and insightful overview of current advances in the biosynthetic genomics/genetics and preventive dietetics of carotenoids, flavonoids and betalains, from a general perspective, and in specific fruits and vegetables as well. Genomics/genetics focuses on what and how enzymatic and regulatory genes are involved in pigment biosynthesis. Dietetics emphasizes how these pigments contribute nutritional/medical benefits to health, prevent diseases, and act as potential nutraceuticals in the diet. The goal is to provide research scientists, nutrition specialists, healthy food advocates, students, and rainbow food (fruit and vegetable) lovers with an integrated resource on the biosynthetic and dietetic mechanisms of these pigments. From the Back Cover This comprehensive treatise provides insight into pigment biosynthesis and dietetics. The text includes current reviews on the genomics of carotenoid, flavonoid, and betalain biosynthesis in plants and the dietetics of these pigments in humans. Pigments biosynthesized in plants are a source of attractive colors in nature and essential nutrients in our daily fruit, vegetable, and grain diet.   Deciphered from general perspectives and specific fruits and vegetables, genomics focuses on enzymatic genes and regulatory molecular mechanisms in the biosynthesis pathways to produce these pigments in plants. Dietetics focuses on the nutritional and medical benefits to human health from these pigments as nutrients, nutraceuticals, and disease prevention agents when they are ingested from pigment-abundant plant food and metabolized in human body. This work contributes to an expanding awareness of the dietetic benefits to the daily consumption of  pigment-rich fruit, vegetable, and grain food About the Author Chunxian Chen is a member of the Citrus Research and Education Center for the University of Florida. His research interests include genomics and bioinformatics, gene cloning and expression profiling, and breeding and selection in citrus.