Phytochemical Networks: Bridging Botany, Biochemistry, and Biotechnology explores the rapidly evolving science of plant-derived bioactive compounds and their emerging role in modern biomedical, pharmaceutical, nutritional, and biotechnological applications. Bringing together perspectives from plant biology, chemistry, molecular biology, and biotechnology, the book provides an integrated understanding of how phytochemicals are produced, regulated, characterized, engineered, and translated into innovative health applications.
The book examines the diversity, classification, biosynthesis, molecular mechanisms, and biological functions of phytochemicals, while emphasizing the interconnected networks that link plant metabolism with cellular signalling and human health. It discusses major phytochemical classes, including polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, phenolic acids, and other specialized metabolites, together with their biosynthetic pathways, regulation, extraction, characterization, and bioavailability. Particular attention is given to biotechnology-enabled approaches for improving phytochemical production, including metabolic engineering, plant cell and tissue culture, synthetic biology, fermentation, omics technologies, and computational approaches. The book also explores phytochemical interactions with molecular targets and signalling pathways relevant to inflammation, cancer, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative conditions, and other chronic diseases, as well as emerging nano-enabled delivery strategies.
By connecting fundamental plant science with translational biotechnology and biomedical research, this book provides a multidisciplinary resource for researchers, postgraduate students, academics, and professionals in phytochemistry, pharmacognosy, biotechnology, pharmaceutical sciences, nutrition, and natural-product drug discovery.