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Books in Agricultural and biological sciences

The Agricultural and Biological Sciences collection advances science-based knowledge for the improvement of animal and plant life and for secure food systems that produce nutritious, novel, sustainable foods with minimal environmental impact. Food Science titles include not only those products from agriculture but all other aspects from food production to nutrition, health and safety, chemistry to security, policy, law and regulation. Biological Sciences address animal behaviour and biodiversity, organismal and evolutionary biology, entomology, marine biology and aquaculture, plant science and forestry.

  • Wine Science

    Principles and Applications
    • 4th Edition
    • May 31, 2014
    • Ronald S. Jackson
    • English
    Wine Science, Fourth Edition, covers the three pillars of wine science: grape culture, wine production, and sensory evaluation. It discusses grape anatomy, physiology and evolution, wine geography, wine and health, and the scientific basis of food and wine combinations. It also covers topics not found in other enology or viticulture texts, including details on cork and oak, specialized wine making procedures, and historical origins of procedures. New to this edition are expanded coverage on micro-oxidation and the cool prefermentative maceration of red grapes; the nature of the weak fixation of aromatic compounds in wine – and the significance of their release upon bottle opening; new insights into flavor modification post bottle; the shelf-life of wine as part of wine aging; and winery wastewater management. Updated topics include precision viticulture, including GPS potentialities, organic matter in soil, grapevine pests and disease, and the history of wine production technology. This book is a valuable resource for grape growers, fermentation technologists; students of enology and viticulture, enologists, and viticulturalists.
  • Toxicological Survey of African Medicinal Plants

    • 1st Edition
    • May 30, 2014
    • Victor Kuete
    • English
    Toxicological Survey of African Medicinal Plants provides a detailed overview of toxicological studies relating to traditionally used medicinal plants in Africa, with special emphasis on the methodologies and tools used for data collection and interpretation. The book considers the physical parameters of these plants and their effect upon various areas of the body and human health, including chapters dedicated to genotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and specific organs and systems.Following this discussion of the effects of medicinal plants is a critical review of the guidelines and methods in use for toxicological research as well as the state of toxicology studies in Africa. With up-to-date research provided by a team of experts, Toxicological Survey of African Medicinal Plants is an invaluable resource for researchers and students involved in pharmacology, toxicology, phytochemistry, medicine, pharmacognosy, and pharmaceutical biology.
  • Processing and Impact on Active Components in Food

    • 1st Edition
    • May 27, 2014
    • Victor R. Preedy
    • English
    From beef to baked goods, fish to flour, antioxidants are added to preserve the shelf life of foods and ensure consumer acceptability. These production-added components may also contribute to the overall availability of essential nutrients for intake as well as the prevention of the development of unwelcome product characteristics such as off-flavours or colours. However, there are processes that reduce the amount of naturally occurring antioxidants and awareness of that potential is just as important for those in product research and development. There is a practical need to understand not only the physiological importance of antioxidants in terms of consumer health benefit, but how they may be damaged or enhanced through the processing and packaging phases. This book presents information key to understanding how antioxidants change during production of a wide variety of food products, with a focus toward how this understanding may be translated effectively to other foods as well.
  • Advances in Cephalopod Science: Biology, Ecology, Cultivation and Fisheries

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 67
    • May 26, 2014
    • English
    Advances in Cephalopod Science: Biology, Ecology, Cultivation and Fisheries—volume 67 in the Advances in Marine Biology series—addresses major themes of growing research interest in the field of cephalopod research. The book is composed of four chapters incorporating the latest advances in biology, ecology, life cycles, cultivation, and fisheries of cephalopods. Each chapter is written by a team of internationally recognized authorities to reflect recent findings and understanding. The book represents a breakthrough contribution to the field of cephalopod science. Advances in Marine Biology was first published in 1963 under the founding editorship of Sir Frederick S. Russell, FRS. Now edited by Michael P. Lesser, with an internationally renowned editorial board, the serial publishes in-depth and up-to-date reviews on a wide range of topics that appeal to postgraduates and researchers in marine biology, fisheries science, ecology, zoology, and biological oceanography. Eclectic volumes in the series are supplemented by thematic volumes on such topics as the biology of calanoid copepods.
  • Biotechnology and Nutrition

    Proceedings of the Third International Symposium
    • 1st Edition
    • May 23, 2014
    • Donald Bills + 1 more
    • English
    Biotechnology and Nutrition documents the proceedings of the Third International Symposium Biotechnology and Nutrition jointly sponsored by the University of Maryland, the United States Department of Agriculture, and E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. The symposium was organized to provide a forum for nutritionists, molecular biologists, animal and plant biochemists, food scientists, policymakers, and others who will influence the improvement of nutrition through the application of biotechnology. The contributions made by researchers at the symposium are organized into five parts. Part I provides a broad consideration of human nutrition and the ability of biotechnology to improve nutrition. Part II presents studies on carbohydrate nutrition, including industry trends and nutritional issues for food uses of starch and human physiological responses to dietary fiber. Part III focuses on proteins, including studies on improving the nutritional quality of legume seed proteins and increasing the lysine content of maize. The studies in Part IV deal with vitamins and minerals, such as genetic improvement of vegetable carotene content and iron uptake and translocation in plants. Part V examines molecular approaches in the modification and production of edible oils.
  • Sea Plants

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 71
    • May 21, 2014
    • English
    Advances in Botanical Research publishes in-depth and up-to-date reviews on a wide range of topics in plant sciences. The series features several reviews by recognized experts on all aspects of plant genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, physiology and ecology. This thematic volume, number 71, features reviews on sea plants. Its chapters cover topics such as the role of algae in sustainability; the status of kelp exploitation and marine agronomy; potential applications for enzymatic recovery of metabolites from seaweeds; and many more.
  • Subcellular Components

    Preparation and Fractionation
    • 2nd Edition
    • May 20, 2014
    • G. D. Birnie
    • English
    Subcellular Components: Preparation and Fractionation talks about cells and particles' components, including their preparation and fractionation. The book includes theories and answers to questions that are relevant to the study. The first chapter of the book details various facts about homogenization of mammalian cells. This chapter presents the results of studies on solid tissues and single-cell suspensions; the author then offers his conclusion of the study. The next two chapters highlight the methods on isolating nuclei, including the guides for standard assessment and the procedure of isolation, along with analysis of nuclei biochemical properties. The main topics in Chapter 4 are mitochondria from animal tissues and yeasts; this chapter also discusses the preparation for a rat-liver, blowfly flight-muscle, yeast, and brain mitochondria. The chapter that follows widely talks about lysosomes, including its historical background, centrifugal method, and related topics. In the next several chapters, the topics covered include purification, isolation, preparation, and separation of cells including plasma-membrane, polysomes, ribosomes, microsomes, and microvilli. The book serves as a great reference for undergraduates and postgraduates in the field, as it contains a thorough discussion of various relevant studies.
  • Leanness in Domestic Birds

    Genetic, Metabolic and Hormonal Aspects
    • 1st Edition
    • May 20, 2014
    • B. Leclercq + 1 more
    • English
    Leanness in Domestic Birds: Genetic, Metabolic, and Hormonal Aspects is a proceeding of a symposium held in Tours, France, from 4 to 6 August 1987. Said symposium was concerned with genetic and metabolic factors associated with leanness of poultry and accounts of research in these areas. The book is divided into six parts. Part I covers studies that involve genetics in the selection of meat leanness. Part II deals with the relationship of feed intake and metabolism to the leanness of poultry. Part III discusses the lipid metabolism in birds and its related factors and effects. Part IV talks about the use of hormones such as insulin, thyroid hormones, and corticosteroids in the control of fatness in birds. Part V covers studies involving amino acid metabolism and its relation to leanness in poultry, and Part VI talks about the applications of the studies in commercial use. The text is recommended for zoologists, agriculturists, and poultry farmers who would like to know more about the different factors that affect the leanness of domestic birds and its implications.
  • Fish Aquaculture

    Technology and Experiments
    • 1st Edition
    • May 20, 2014
    • C.P.B. Meske + 1 more
    • English
    Aquaculture has gained a momentum throughout the world during recent decades which is unparalleled in other branches of food production. This book describes methods currently used for the production of those warm water table fish which are of major importance. Included are experiments and procedures which will help to combat the growing food problem through new production methods for animal protein. The aim of the work presented here is to promote the continuous production of warm water table fish independently of climate or environment within the least necessary space and even in regions with unsuitable weather or topography.
  • The Shikimate Pathway

    Biosynthesis of Natural Products Series
    • 1st Edition
    • May 20, 2014
    • Edwin Haslam
    • Gordon Kirby
    • English
    The Shikimate Pathway gives a bird's eye view of the shikimate pathway and its implications for the life of a range of organisms. Topics covered in this book include the chemistry of intermediates in the shikimate pathway; biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids in this pathway; its metabolites; and its role in higher plants. This book is comprised of six chapters and begins by introducing the reader to shikimic acid, a natural product derived from the plant Illicium religiosum, along with the mechanistic and stereochemical aspects of the reactions of the shikimate pathway. The biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids from chorismate is also described, and then the discussion turns to the chemical properties and the detailed stereochemistry of intermediates and enzymes in the shikimate pathway. The next chapter examines the biosynthesis of isoprenoid quinones involved in electron transport and the folic acid group of co-enzymes in the shikimate pathway. The metabolism of the aromatic amino acids in microorganisms and higher organisms is considered, along with the biosynthesis and physiological functions of phenylpropanoid compounds and their derivatives in the shikimate pathway in higher plants. This book will be of general value to practitioners in the many and varied areas of biochemical research associated with metabolism.