Bioactive Phytochemicals in By-products from Leaf, Stem, Root and Tuber Vegetables

This book offers a comprehensive overview of bioactive phytochemicals within by-products from leaf, stem, root, and tuber vegetables, and it explores the valorisation of these vegetable cultivation and processing by-products, not only as a source of valuable bioenergy but also for health purposes. Divided into 16 chapters, the book begins with an introduction to the economic significance of biowaste generated from vegetable cultivation and processing, setting the stage for subsequent chapters that cover the phytochemical, nutritional, biochemical and physicochemical properties of vegetable processing wastes and their multifaceted applications. Readers will find valuable insights into the valorisation of process by-products from diverse vegetables like cabbage, spinach, watercress, asparagus, celery, kohlrabi, beetroot, carrot, celeriac, turnip, sweet potato, potato and taro. In each chapter, readers will find an economic perspective for each biowaste, the chemical analysis of the bioactive compounds, their biological and functional properties, and relevant food and non-food applications of extracts and bioactive compounds from vegetable by-products.

This book, coupled with its companion volume, " Bioactive Phytochemicals in By-products from Bulb, Flower and Fruit Vegetables" serves as an indispensable tool for students, scholars, and researchers seeking to expand their knowledge within this field in agricultural and nutritional sciences. It also extends its relevance to professionals within the food industry, offering the latest insights and findings from cutting-edge research.

Mohamed Fawzy Ramadan is a Professor of Food Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Department of Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Applied Medical Science, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. His main research interests are focused on food chemistry, food science, and nutrition, and he has broad experience in the fields of plant molecular biology, biochemistry, physiology, and biotechnology, with a specialization in food chemical safety, sensory evaluation, and functional food. Prof. Ramadan obtained his Ph.D. (Dr. rer. nat.) in Food Chemistry from the Berlin University of Technology (Germany, 2004). He continued his postdoctoral research at ranked universities such as the University of Helsinki (Finland), Max-Rubner Institute (Germany), Berlin University of Technology (Germany), and the University of Maryland (USA). In 2012, he was appointed as a visiting professor at the School of Biomedicine, Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russian Federation. 

Prof. Ramadan published over 400 research papers and reviews in international peer-reviewed journals. He also edited and published several books and book chapters (Scopus h-index is 52 and more than 9500 citations). He also holds a patent on the formulation and functionality of Phenolipids for novel foods and pharmaceuticals (WO2016097779 A1, 2016). Since 2003, Prof. Ramadan has been a reviewer and editor in several highly cited international journals, such as Earth Systems and Environment, Journal of Medicinal Food, eFood, Journal of Umm Al-Qura University for Applied Sciences, and Journal of Advanced Research. He is the editor-in-chief of Journal of Umm Al-Qura University for Medical Science.

Throughout his career, Prof. Ramadan received several awards, including Abdul Hamid Shoman Prize for Arab Researcher in Agricultural Sciences (2006), the Egyptian State Prize for Encouragement in Agricultural Sciences (2009), the European Young Lipid Scientist Award (2009), AU-TWAS Young Scientist National Awards (Egypt) in Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation (2012), TWAS-ARO Young Arab Scientist (YAS) Prize in Scientific and Technological Achievement (2013), and Atta-ur-Rahman Prize in Chemistry (2014).