BookDavid R. Gang, editor.
Summary: This 41st volume of RAP includes a total of twelve articles, all based on talks presented at the 49th annual meeting of the PSNA. These eight Perspectives and four 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. Each of these articles describes the integration of several different approaches to ask and then answer interesting questions regarding the function of interesting plant metabolites, either in the plant itself or in interactions with the environment (natural setting or human health application). The Phytochemical Society of North America (PSNA) is a nonprofit scientific organization with membership open to those interested in plant biochemistry, phytochemistry, and the role of plant substances in related disciplines. The PSNA exists to encourage and stimulate research in the chemistry and biochemistry of plant constituents, their effects upon plant and animal physiology and pathology, and their industrial importance and utilization. Annual meetings featuring symposium topics of current general interest and contributed papers by conference participants are held throughout Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Information about the PSNA, can be found at www.psna-online.org.
Contents:
The pursuit of potent anti-influenza activity from the Antarctic red marine alga Gigartina skottsbergii / J. Alan Maschek [and others]
Ginsenosides: phytoanticipins or host recognition factors? / Mark A. Bernards [and others]
Fractionation of grape seed proanthocyanidins for bioactivity assessment / Vaishali Sharma [and others]
Coloring soybeans with anthocyanins? / Nikola Kovinich [and others]
Pharmacogenetics in potential herb-drug interactions: effects of ginseng on CYP3A4 and CYP2C9 allelic variants / Alice Luu [and others]
Biosynthesis and function of citrus glycosylated flavonoids / Daniel K. Owens, Cecilia A. McIntosh
Ginsenoside variation within and between Ontario ginseng landraces: relating phytochemistry to biological activity / Kristina L. McIntyre [and others]
Heat, color, and flavor compounds in Capsicum fruit / Ivette Guzman, Paul W. Bosland, Mary A. O'Connell
Fungal attack and cruciferous defenses: tricking plant pathogens / M. Soledade C. Pedras
Glucosinolate degradation products in fermented meadowfoam seed meal and their herbicidal activities / Jan F. Stevens, Ralph L. Reed
Elucidating the metabolism of plant terpene volatiles: alternative tools for engineering plant defenses? / Dorothea Tholl, Sungbeom Lee
Stereoselectivity of the biosynthesis of norlignans and related compounds / Toshiaki Umezawa [and others].