Full Description
Nature endows us with a treasure chest of Green Gold full of amazing 'redox-active' substances which interfere with numerous biological processes in our own body, in animals, bacteria, fungi and plants. Whilst such natural products are all around and also in us, we still do not fully understand how these compounds actually work. This book attempts to resolve some of the mysteries and riddles associated with such products. Written by more than thirty international experts from academia and industry, it places a focus on modern developments in this field and considers such natural products from various angles, from their isolation and characterization all along to product development and commercialization. Throughout, the reader will be confronted with modern approaches which enable the efficient identification and isolation of new natural products, help to elucidate their mode(s) of action and permit practical uses in Medicine, Cosmetics, Agriculture, Industry and as functional foods.
Contents
Introduction.- Sources of redox active secondary metabolites.- The modern art of identification of natural substances in whole plants (I).- A word on redox activity.- Oxidative stress, antioxidants, chemoprevention and beneficial roles of pro-oxidants.- The French paradox at Tea time: From flavonoids toward synthetic stilbene-based drugs.- Bio reactivity of resveratrol in relation to inflammatory processes; Norbert Latruffe.- Treasures along the oligomeric road from flavonoids to polyphenols and tannins.- The cellular thiolstat as emerging target of secondary metabolites.- Thiosulfinates, organic polysulfanes and related compounds: From an unusual chemistry toward a wealth of potential applications.- Beyond glutathione:- Different low molecular weight thiols as mediators of redox regulation and other metabolic functions in lower organisms.- Garlic based natural "products": Turning secondary plant metabolites into a commercial success.- Phytol, a chlorophyll component with anti-inflammatory properties.- Recent advances in molecular genetics of furanocoumarin synthesis in higher plants.- Natural products molten together: Towards multifunctional hybrid molecules with specific activities and applications.- Nanotaxis for antioxidants.- Industrial uses of redox active enzymes.- Systemic enzyme therapy - Fact or Fiction.- Conclusions and outlook.
