Phytochemicals – Biosynthesis, Function and Application

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

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2. Soybean Seed Isoflavonoids: Biosynthesis and Regulation

   • Mehran Dastmalchi, Sangeeta Dhaubhadel

   Pages 1-21

3. Biosynthesis of Natural Products in Plants by Fungal Endophytes with an Emphasis on Swainsonine

   • Daniel Cook, Dale R. Gardner, James A. Pfister, Daniel Grum

   Pages 23-41

4. Lectins from Medicinal Plants: Bioeffectors with Diverse Activities

   • Alexander V. Timoshenko, Irina V. Gorudko, Hans-Joachim Gabius

   Pages 43-56

5. Bioactive Phytochemicals from Canadian Boreal Forest Species Used Traditionally by Eastern James Bay Cree Aboriginals to Treat Diabetes Mellitus

   • José A. Guerrero-Analco, Asim Muhammad, Ammar Saleem, Louis C. Martineau, Lina Musallam, Hoda M. Eid et al.

   Pages 57-84

6. Bioproducts, Biofuels, and Perfumes: Conifer Terpene Synthases and their Potential for Metabolic Engineering

   • Philipp Zerbe, Jörg Bohlmann

   Pages 85-107

7. Engineering Elevated Vitamin C in Plants to Improve their Nutritional Content, Growth, and Tolerance to Abiotic Stress

   • Katherine A. Lisko, Siddique I. Aboobucker, Raquel Torres, Argelia Lorence

   Pages 109-128

8. Evaluating the Phytochemical Potential of Camelina: An Emerging New Crop of Old World Origin

   • Mark A. Berhow, Steven F. Vaughn, Bryan R. Moser, Deniz Belenli, Umit Polat

   Pages 129-148

9. Analysis of β-Methylamino-Alanine in Environmental and Food Samples

   • W. Broc Glover, Susan J. Murch

   Pages 149-174

10. Back Matter

    Pages 175-177

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The 44th volume of RAP contains articles based on work presented at the 51st annual meeting of the Phytochemical Society of North America. They were selected to showcase exciting examples of current research in plant chemistry, to highlight the diversity in this field spanning analytical chemistry, ethnobotany, biosynthesis, bioactivity, chemical ecology and biotechnology. Specifically, the perspectives paper by Zerbe and Bohlmann summarizes recent findings on the genes and enzymes involved in conifer resin biosynthesis, while papers by Timoshenko et al. and Guerrero-Analco et al. highlight progress on toxic lectins and bioactive phytochemicals from Canadian forest plants used by Aboriginals, respectively. Next the contribution by Glover and Murch compares methods used to analyze dementia agents in foodstuffs of Pacific Islands. Two papers by Lisko et al and Berhow et al. both summarize recent findings on the engineering of vitamin C contents of plants and of phytochemicals in the emerging oil crop Camelina. Finally, Cook et al discuss the biosynthesis in plant endophytes of alkaloids which have implications for cattle feeding. Overall, these seven Perspectives and Communications give a very good picture of the state of plant (bio) chemistry research in North America, which is also indicative of the state of the field worldwide.

• Bioproducts
• Biosynthesis
• Camelina
• Lectins
• plant engineering

“For the scientist or professional with an interest in plants and their phytochemicals, this is a highly interesting read and resource. … it brings together information on the environmental side of phytochemistry with the biosynthesis and finally the application–a rare combination of information.” (Kerry Hughes, UK Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biosciences, Vol. 4 (1), 2016)

• Department of Botany, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

  Reinhard Jetter

Dr. Reinhard Jetter is a Professor (Departments of Botany and Chemistry) at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Jetter is Canadian Research Chair in Plants Natural Products Chemistry.

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