Chemistry in the Kitchen Garden: RSC - Hardcover

James R Hanson

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1849733236 ISBN 13: 9781849733236

Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry, 2011

Synopsis

This book is aimed at readers with a chemical background who wish to know more about the natural products that are present in home grown fruit and vegetables.

About this title

About the Author

Professor Hanson is Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at the University of Sussex.

From the Back Cover

Over the past decade there has been a resurgence of interest in growing fruit and vegetables in the garden and on allotments. Apart from the recreational, economic and environmental benefits, a major driving force has been an increasing awareness of the beneficial constituents of fruit and vegetables.

Chemistry in the Kitchen Garden is aimed at readers with a chemical background who wish to know a little more about the natural products that they are eating, their beneficial effects, and the roles that these compounds have in nature. Developments in the understanding of the ecological and beneficial chemistry of fruit and vegetables have made the exploration of their chemical diversity a fascinating and expanding area of natural product chemistry and readers will obtain some 'taste' for this chemistry from the book. It develops in more detail the relevant sections from the earlier RSC book 'Chemistry in the Garden'.

The book begins with an outline of the major groups of compound that are found in fruit and vegetables. This is followed by a description of aspects of environmental chemistry that contribute to the successful cultivation of these crops. Subsequent chapters deal with individual plants which are grouped in terms of the part of the plant, roots, bulbs and stems, leaves, seeds, that are used for food. The final chapters deal with fruit and herbs.

From the Inside Flap

Over the past decade there has been a resurgence of interest in growing fruit and vegetables in the garden and on allotments. Apart from the recreational, economic and environmental benefits, a major driving force has been an increasing awareness of the beneficial constituents of fruit and vegetables.

Chemistry in the Kitchen Garden is aimed at readers with a chemical background who wish to know a little more about the natural products that they are eating, their beneficial effects, and the roles that these compounds have in nature. Developments in the understanding of the ecological and beneficial chemistry of fruit and vegetables have made the exploration of their chemical diversity a fascinating and expanding area of natural product chemistry and readers will obtain some 'taste' for this chemistry from the book. It develops in more detail the relevant sections from the earlier RSC book 'Chemistry in the Garden'.

The book begins with an outline of the major groups of compound that are found in fruit and vegetables. This is followed by a description of aspects of environmental chemistry that contribute to the successful cultivation of these crops. Subsequent chapters deal with individual plants which are grouped in terms of the part of the plant, roots, bulbs and stems, leaves, seeds, that are used for food. The final chapters deal with fruit and herbs.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chemistry in the Kitchen Garden

By James R. Hanson

The Royal Society of Chemistry

Copyright © 2011 James R. Hanson
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-84973-323-6

Contents

Chapter 1 Natural Products in Fruit and Vegetables, 
Chapter 2 Chemistry and the Growing Environment, 
Chapter 3 The Chemistry of Root and Stem Vegetables, 
Chapter 4 Green Leaf Vegetables, 
Chapter 5 Seed Vegetables, 
Chapter 6 Greenhouse Crops, 
Chapter 7 Fruit Trees and Bushes, 
Chapter 8 Culinary Herbs, 
Epilogue, 
Further Reading, 
The Families of Common Fruit and Vegetables, 
Glossary, 
Subject Index, 

CHAPTER 1

Natural Products in Fruit and Vegetables

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The constituents of edible plants have been the subject of investigation throughout the development of chemistry. Many of the major carbohydrates, fatty acids, amino acids, mineral and vitamin constituents of fruits and vegetables together with their pigments and flavours were isolated and identified during the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth centuries. In the second half of the twentieth century the advent of instrumental methods of separation and analysis, such as gas chromatography linked to mass spectrometry, high pressure liquid chromatography, ultra-violet, infra-red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, permitted far more detailed investigations. Furthermore, the realization that particular components of fruit and vegetables conferred specific health benefits provided the stimulus for more extensive investigations to identify the bioactive natural products.

The organic compounds that occur in plants fall into three main groups. Firstly, there are the high molecular weight polymeric materials, such as cellulose, starch and lignin, which, together with various proteins and nucleic acids, form the structural, storage, enzymatic and genetic components of the cell. Secondly, there are those compounds of lower molecular weight that occur in the majority of plant cells and which play a central role in the metabolism and reproduction of the cell. These are sometimes known as the 'primary metabolites'. They include the common sugars, some carboxylic acids and the amino acids that are the constituents of peptides and proteins. There are also heterocyclic compounds that are co-enzymes and others which form part of the nucleic acids. Related to these are the plant hormones and signalling compounds which regulate the overall growth and development of the plant. The third group of naturally-occurring compounds also includes relatively low molecular weight compounds, are those which are characteristic of a limited range of species. These compounds may have insect attractant or deterrant roles, or they may provide a defense against microbial attack. They serve to establish an ecological niche for the plant. These natural products can behave as 'semiochemicals' which convey a chemical message between species. In plants, many of these compounds are defensive 'allomones' being produced to benefit the source but to the detriment of the receiver, typically an insect herbivore. These natural products are sometimes known as 'secondary metabolites' and include many of the compounds that are responsible for the particular health benefits of specific fruits or vegetables as well as their colour and flavour. In this context the organoleptic and beneficial properties of fruits and vegetables are often the summation of contributions from many compounds. The naturally occurring compounds in foodstuffs that are beneficial to man are sometimes called 'nutraceuticals'. Although these primary and secon

Edition details

• Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1849733236
• ISBN 13: 9781849733236
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224