Plant Secondary Metabolites : Sources and Applications

This book explores the pharmacological potentials of various classes of plant secondary metabolites. The initial chapter introduces the chemical diversity, biosynthesis pathways, and ecological functions of plant secondary metabolites. It discusses the pivotal role of transcription factors in regulating their production. Furthermore, the book examines the specific classes of secondary metabolites, such as phenolic compounds, terpenes, and anthocyanins, highlighting their properties and various applications across the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. This book delves into emerging areas such as plant metabolites as nutraceuticals, the utilization of horticultural and vegetable crops for secondary metabolite production, and the exploration of staple crops for health improvements. The chapters discuss the applications of fungal endosymbionts and algal sources in shaping plant metabolite compositions. The chapters further review innovative techniques, such as hairy root engineering and recombinant systems, for enhancing metabolite production. The book concludes with a detailed overview of methods for isolating and identifying secondary metabolites. This book is an essential resource for students, researchers, and professionals of ethnopharmacology, pharmaceutical sciences, botany, and biomedical sciences.

Key Features:

1. Covers various classes of plant secondary metabolites and their pharmacological potentials
2. Explores the role of transcription factors in controlling secondary metabolite production in plants
3. Discusses secondary metabolites from horticultural and vegetable crops, highlighting their pharmaceutical applications
4. Presents techniques like hairy root engineering and recombinant systems for enhancing metabolite production
5. Examines lichen metabolites and their applications in human health, as well as metabolites from gymnosperms

Dr. Santosh Upadhyay currently holds the position of Assistant Professor at the Department of Botany, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India. With over 14 years of experience in Plant Biotechnology, he specializes in functional genomics. His research endeavors have focused on characterizing vital defense-related protein families in bread wheat, including receptor-like kinases, antioxidant enzymes, and cation transporters. Moreover, his group is engaged in elucidating the roles of long non-coding RNAs in abiotic and biotic stress responses. Dr. Upadhyay's scholarly contributions are extensive, comprising over 140 publications encompassing research papers in renowned international journals, national and international patents, book chapters, and 12 authored books. His remarkable achievements have garnered recognition, including the NAAS Young Scientist Award (2017-18) and NAAS-Associate (2018) from the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, India. Additionally, he has been honored with the INSA Medal for Young Scientist (2013) from the Indian National Science Academy, India, the NASI-Young Scientist Platinum Jubilee Award (2012) from the National Academy of Sciences, India, and the Altech Young Scientist Award (2011). In acknowledgment of his expertise and contributions, Dr. Upadhyay has been bestowed with prestigious fellowships such as the DST-INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship (2012) and the SERB-Early Career Research Award (2016) from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. He has also secured several research grants from prominent funding agencies like SERB, DBT, and CSIR. Furthermore, Dr. Upadhyay actively contributes to the academic community by serving as a member of the editorial board and a reviewer for numerous peer-reviewed international journals.

Dr. Dev Bukhsh Singh is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Biotechnology, Siddharth University, Kapilvastu, Siddharth Nagar, India, a position he has held since 2021. Prior to this, he served as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Biotechnology, Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur, India, from 2009 to 2021. He obtained his B.Sc. (Biology) and M.Sc. degrees from the University of Allahabad, an M.Tech from the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Prayagraj, India, and a Ph.D. in Biotechnology from Gautam Buddha University, India. Since 2009, he has been actively involved in teaching B.Sc. and M.Sc. Biotechnology students. His research interests lie in Bioinformatics, Drug Design, and Medicinal Biology. He has edited four books and published several research articles in journals of high repute. Additionally, Dr. Singh is a member of various national and international academic bodies and serves as a reviewer for several international journals.