Are herbal medicines effective? Are organic foods really better for you? Will the cure to cancer eventually come from a newly discovered plant which dwells in the Amazon basin? Will medicines ever become affordable and available to the neediest? How will we produce enough food to keep up with an ever-increasing world population? Written with these issues in mind, Let Thy Food Be Thy Medicine is a response to the current flood of conflicting information regarding the use of plants for both consumption and medicinal purposes. Kathleen Hefferon addresses the myths and popular beliefs surrounding the application of plants in human health, revealing both their truths and inaccuracies, and provides an overview of the technologies scientists are using to further their research.
The book covers herbal medicines, functional and biofortified foods, plants and antibiotics, edible vaccines, and organic versus genetically modified foods, discussing each from a scientific standpoint. It these topics together for the first time, providing a much-needed overview of plants as medicine. Intended for scientists and professionals in related disciplines as well as the interested reader educated in the sciences, this book will confront claims made in the media with science and scientific analysis, providing readers with enough background to allow them to make their own judgments.

During last couple of decades, a great deal of research has explored what exactly plants contain (bioactives) and how these molecules may interact with human physiology at the molecular level. It is extremely important to know what happens to plant bioactives or their biological activities when processed or isolated under various reaction conditions. Huge numbers of extraction or food manufacturing methodologies are adversely affecting the quality of these phytonutrients so there is a prompt need to highlight these processes/methods and replace them with more novel, efficient, green, or eco-friendly ones. A Centum of Valuable Plant Bioactives is a comprehensive resource on the top 100 plant bioactives available. Chapters are grouped together by bioactives, with sections on carotenes, xanthophylls, terpenoids, steroids, polyphenols and more. This is an essential guide for botanists, food technologists and chemists, nutritionists and pharmacists.

Agriculture is often under the threat of invasive species of animal pests and pathogens that do harm to crops. It is essential to have the best methods and tools available to prevent this harm. Biosecurity is a mixture of institutions, policies, and science applications that attempts to prevent the spread of unhealthy pests. Tactical Sciences for Biosecurity in Animal and Plant Systems focuses on the tactical sciences needed to succeed in the biosecurity objectives of preventing plant and animal pathogens from entering or leaving the United States. This book explores a divergence of tactics between plant and animal exotic disease response. Covering topics such as animal pests and pathogens, tactical management, and early detection, this book is an essential resource for researchers, academicians, university faculty, government biosecurity practitioners, customs officers, clinical scientists, and students.