FOOD AND HERBAL CROP PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY (PDT 482/3) - (Elective)

While one may not find ancient studies that substantiate the pomegranate's curative and preventive qualities, the exalted status of this fruit goes back as far as the history of agriculture itself. Allusions to the pomegranate are readily found in the oldest cultures of the Indus Valley, ancient China, and classical Greece, as well as in the Old Testament. To modern scientists, the biochemistry of the pomegranate is as equally fascinating as its storied place in literature and religion. Providing an unprecedented compilation of scientific information, Pomegranates: Ancient Roots to Modern Medicine offers an exploration of the biochemistry, health effects, and cultivation of the pomegranate that is as authoritative as it is unparalleled. Featuring the contributions of a multidisciplinary and international team of prominent researchers, it presents the latest findings on the potential human health benefits of this exceptionally polyphenol-rich fruit. As the research indicates, the physiological effects of pomegranate juice constituents are remarkable in their preventive potential against two of the major chronic diseases of aging - heart disease and cancer. Many of the pioneering researchers responsible for initiating our newfound fascination with pomegranates discuss its biochemistry, detailing the location and action of the phytochemicals found in the fruit's flesh, peels and seeds. They present evidence of the pomegranate's impact on heart disease, including its ability to enhance nitric oxide production in endothelial cells. They also reveal the significant antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects attributed to the pomegranate in battling several different types of cancer cells, as well as its ability to retard tumor growth in animals. Recognizing that the pomegranate is only as valuable as it is available, the editors include a substantial section on commercialization and another on plant growth and improvement. These additions make this text as uniquely essential for botanists and agriculturists as it is for nutritionists, cancer researchers, natural product chemists, botanical supplement producers and consumers, and pharmacognosists seeking to evaluate both the pomegranate's legacy and future as a powerful natural healing agent.

Merging coverage of two increasingly popular and quickly growing food trends, Organic Production and Use of Alternative Crops provides an overview of the basic principles of organic agriculture and highlights its multifunctionality with special emphasis on the conservation of rare crops and their uses. Considering more than 30 disregarded and neglected crops suitable for growth in temperate climates, each chapter covers the botany, climate conditions, cultivars, production and yield, growth and ecology, organic cultivation, harvesting, handling and storage, and utilization where the information is available and applicable to the crop under discussion. Other topics include organic production systems, the nutritional and health benefits of products, food processing, and suggestions for some homemade foods.The authors have a wide range of experience in the growing and processing of alternative crops, the management of the processing projects, and the marketing of organic products. They have worked in close cooperation with many small scale processing activities on farms and in the food industry. Drawing on their combined experience, they provide a summary of the major problems and the knowledge base for utilization of alternative crops in new products. The broad range of coverage and interdisciplinary approach make this book a comprehensive reference and useful tool not only for the production of alternative crops but also for the development of new niche market products.

Successful seed supplies are vital in maintaining vegetable production and availability, and for ensuring food security for many subsistence farmers in developing countries. Providing a broad and expert coverage of the horticultural production of vegetables grown from seed, this fully updated new edition includes new coverage of the production of genetically modified crops, organic seed production, packaging, and honey bee population, as well as updated references and further reading.

The Handbook of Medicinal Herbshas undergone a long-anticipated revision. In the second edition, world-renowned ethnobotanist James A. Duke provides up-to-date data on over 800 of the world’s most important medicinal plant species. The book contains more species, phytochemicals, proven indications, folk indications, and dosage data than the first edition in a new easier to use format. The in-depth content, the addition of color plates and over 200 black and white illustrations makes this book the most comprehensive resource on medicinal herbs available. More herbs from the African, Ayurvedic, Chinese, and Jamu traditions EASY ACCESS TO INFORMATION YOU NEED Designed to give you fast access to the information you need on a regular basis, this new edition is organized more systematically than any other medicinal herb publication. The entries are now arranged alphabetically by common name with the scientific name in parenthesis. Major synonyms are also provided. It has become increasingly clear that there are hundreds of biologically active compounds, often additive or synergistic, in all our plants, foods, spices, herbs, medicinal, and poisonous plants. The debate continues on how these plants work and how they should be used. Blending scientific fact with folk uses and the author’s personal experience, Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, Second Edition provides the most well rounded discussions of safety, efficacy, toxicity, and rational use found in any herbal reference.