Chemistry in the Kitchen Garden

by Hanson, James R.

• ISBN13: 9781849733236
• ISBN10: 1849733236
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-09-30
• Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry

Summary

Over the past decade there has been a resurgence of interest in growing fruit and vegetables in the garden and on the allotment. Part of the driving force behind this is an increased awareness of the health benefits that can be derived from fruit and vegetables in the diet. The 'five helpings a day' dictum reflects the correlation between a regular consumption of fruit and vegetables and a reduced incidence of, for example, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Growing your own vegetables provides the opportunity to harvest them at their peak, to minimize the time for post-harvest deterioration prior to consumption and to reduce their 'food miles'. It also provides an opportunity to grow interesting and less common cultivars. The combination of economic advantages and recreational factors add to the pleasure of growing fruit and vegetables.This book covers the natural products that have been identified in common 'home-grown' fruit and vegetables and which contribute to their organoleptic and beneficial properties. Over the last fifty years the immense advances in separation methods and spectroscopic techniques for structure elucidation have led to the identification of a wide range of natural products in fruit and vegetables. Not only have many of their beneficial properties been recognized but also their ecological roles in the development of plants have been identified. The functional role of many of these natural products is to mediate the balance between an organism and its environment in terms of microbial, herbivore or plant to plant interactions. The book 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. The epilogue considers some general aspects of ecological chemistry and climatic stress which may, in the future, affect the growth of fruit and vegetables in the garden particularly in the context of potential climate changes. The book concludes with a section on further reading, a glossary of terms used in plant chemistry and a list of the common fruit and vegetables grouped in their plant families.

Author Biography

Professor J R Hanson FRSC is an Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at the University of Sussex. Early work on gibberellic acid at ICI has led to a long and successful career in natural product and organic chemistry, documented by numerous research papers and books. In 2008 Professor Hanson received a Service Award from the RSC journal Natural Product Reports for his dedicated contribution to the journal, as author and editorial board member. Professor Hanson is a keen gardener. Dr Chris Brickell was Director General of the Royal Horticultural Society from 1985-1993 and has edited a number of RHS books, including their Encyclopedia of Gardening. Prior to that he was Director of Wisley (1969-1985) and its Senior Scientific Officer and Botanist (1960-1969). He has led and taken part in a number of botanical expeditions and continues to maintain his involvement in nomenclature, taxonomy, and the stabilisation of plant names.

Table of Contents

Natural Products in Fruit and Vegetables	p. 1
Introduction	p. 1
The Biosynthetic Relationship of Natural Products	p. 4
Sugars	p. 5
Structural and Storage Polysaccharides	p. 6
Lignin	p. 8
Low Molecular Weight Natural Products	p. 9
Fatty Acids and Polyketides	p. 9
Terpenes and Steroids	p. 11
Phenylpropanoid Compounds	p. 16
Amino Acids	p. 19
Alkaloids	p. 21
Vitamins	p. 21
Plant Hormones	p. 24
Chemistry and the Growing Environment	p. 31
The Soil	p. 31
The Mineral Structure of the Soil	p. 32
The Organic Content of the Soil	p. 34
Nutrients from the Soil	p. 35
The Effect of pH	p. 37
Brown Field Sites	p. 37
Microbial Interactions within the Soil	p. 38
Crop Rotation	p. 41
Fertilizers	p. 42
Compost	p. 43
Weeds	p. 45
Herbicides	p. 46
Germination of Seeds	p. 49
Insect Pests	p. 50
The Chemistry of Root and Stem Vegetables	p. 54
Potatoes	p. 54
Carrots	p. 62
Parsnip	p. 64
Beetroot	p. 65
Radish	p. 67
Bulb and Stem Vegetables	p. 68
Onions	p. 70
Garlic	p. 73
Leeks	p. 74
Asparagus	p. 75
Celery	p. 76
Rhubarb	p. 78
Green Leaf Vegetables	p. 80
Introduction	p. 80
Chlorophyll	p. 81
Glucosinolates	p. 83
Phytoalexins of the Brassicas	p. 85
Cabbage	p. 85
Broccoli	p. 88
Cauliflower	p. 89
Spinach	p. 90
Lettuce	p. 91
Chicory	p. 92
Globe Artichoke	p. 93
Seed Vegetables	p. 95
Introduction	p. 95
The Legumes	p. 96
Gibberellin Plant Hormones in the Legumes	p. 97
Aphids on the Legumes	p. 99
Peas	p. 101
Broad Beans	p. 103
Runner Beans	p. 104
Sweet Corn	p. 105
Greenhouse Crops	p. 108
Introduction	p. 108
Tomatoes	p. 108
Aubergines	p. 112
Peppers	p. 113
The Cucurbits	p. 114
Cucumbers	p. 115
Pumpkins, Marrows and Courgettes	p. 116
Fruit Trees and Bushes	p. 119
Introduction	p. 119
Apples	p. 120
Quinces	p. 124
Plums	p. 125
Peaches	p. 127
Sweet Cherries	p. 128
Figs	p. 128
Berry Fruits	p. 129
Blackcurrants, Redcurrants and Gooseberries	p. 131
Raspberries	p. 133
Strawberries	p. 134
Grapes	p. 137
Culinary Herbs	p. 139
Introduction	p. 139
Mints	p. 140
Basil	p. 143
Thyme	p. 144
Lemon Balm	p. 144
Rosemary	p. 144
Hyssop	p. 145
Marjoram	p. 146
Sage	p. 147
Parsley	p. 149
Coriander	p. 150
Dill and Fennel	p. 150
Cumin	p. 151
Bay Laurel	p. 151
Chives	p. 152
The Curry Plant	p. 153
Epilogue	p. 154
Further Reading	p. 158
The Families of Common Fruit and Vegetables	p. 169
Glossary	p. 173
Subject Index	p. 181
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.