Chemical Plant Taxonomy

Chemical Plant Taxonomy focuses on the classification of plants based on their chemical composition. Composed of contributions of authors, the text first considers the methods of plant taxonomy. Folk taxonomy; Linnaean and post-Linnaean taxonomy; Darwin and ""Evolutionary Taxonomy""; and the development of taxonomic practice are considered. The book continues with discussions on the theoretical and practical aspects of the ""species"" concepts and an outline of the history of chemical taxonomy. The selection also looks at the qualities of chemotaxonomy, the usefulness of chemistry in plant taxonomy, biosynthetic pathways, and the factors affecting the production of secondary plant products. The text discusses the distribution of alkanes. The isolation and characterization of alkanes; taxonomic applications of alkanes; biogenesis of alkanes; and fossil alkanes are discussed. The selection highlights the chemical taxonomy of acetylenic compounds, the distribution of fatty acids in plant lipids, distribution of aliphatic polyols, cyclitols, plant glycosides, and alkaloids. The text is a good source of information for readers wanting to study the taxonomy of chemical plants.

Taxonomy is the theory and practice of classification, and chemotaxonomy incorporates the principles and procedures involved in the use of chemical evidence for classificatory purposes. Chemical Systematics is the study of the chemical variation in a diversity of organisms, and of their relationships. This book does not aim to give accounts of the systematics of any group of plants but rather to introduce and illustrate the ways in which chemical data may be used with profit to taxonomists.

Prithipalsingh, Indian taxonomist; contributed articles.

Phytochemicals are plant derived chemicals which may bestow health benefits when consumed, whether medicinally or as part of a balanced diet. Given that plant foods are a major component of most diets worldwide, it is unsurprising that these foods represent the greatest source of phytochemicals for most people. Yet it is only relatively recently that due recognition has been given to the importance of phytochemicals in maintaining our health. New evidence for the role of specific plant food phytochemicals in protecting against the onset of diseases such as cancers and heart disease is continually being put forward. The increasing awareness of consumers of the link between diet and health has exponentially increased the number of scientific studies into the biological effects of these substances. The Handbook of Plant Food Phytochemicals provides a comprehensive overview of the occurrence, significance and factors effecting phytochemicals in plant foods. A key of objective of the book is to critically evaluate these aspects. Evaluation of the evidence for and against the quantifiable health benefits being imparted as expressed in terms of the reduction in the risk of disease conferred through the consumption of foods that are rich in phytochemicals. With world-leading editors and contributors, the Handbook of Plant Food Phytochemicals is an invaluable, cutting-edge resource for food scientists, nutritionists and plant biochemists. It covers the processing techniques aimed at the production of phytochemical-rich foods which can have a role in disease-prevention, making it ideal for both the food industry and those who are researching the health benefits of particular foods. Lecturers and advanced students will find it a helpful and readable guide to a constantly expanding subject area.

A concise, up-to-date and fully-integrated discussion of present-day plant taxonomy.

Medicine and Natural Sciences: Chemistry in Botanical Classification contains the proceedings of the Twenty-Fifth Nobel Symposium held in Sodergarn, Sweden, on August 20-25, 1973. The papers explore the chemical approach to plant classification and cover topics ranging from chemosystematics and applications of special classes of compounds to insects and plant chemotaxonomy. Biosynthetic pathways in chemical phylogeny and some aspects of organic geochemistry are also discussed. This book is comprised of 32 chapters divided into five sections. The first chapter provides an overview of the chemical approach to botanical classification, with special reference to the higher taxa of Magnoliophyta. The reader is then introduced to chemosystematics and the construction of phylogenetic schemes, as well as the use of a chemical character for the classification of living organisms. The following chapters focus on The chemistry of disjunct taxa; homology of biosynthetic routes; and applications of special classes of compounds such as flavonoids. The systematic distribution of ellagitannins in relation to the phylogeny and classification of the angiosperms is also considered. The final chapter describes phytochemical and biological procedures for screening of plant materials. This monograph will be of value to botanists, plant taxonomists, and chemists.