Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been intensively investigated in the last few decades. Their origins differ: plant secondary metabolites, food/beverages aromas, fungal/bacterial volatiles, and others. VOCs typically occur as complex mixtures of compounds (e.g., monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, norisoprenoids, aliphatic/aromatic compounds, sulfur containing compounds, and others). They form through different biochemical pathways and can be modified or created during drying or maturation, thermal treatment, and others. Different conventional or modern methods of VOCs isolation, followed by the analysis with chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques, usually provide different chemical profiles and have been under constant modification and upgrading. The ecological interactions are mediated by VOCs (inter- and intra-organismic communication) and they can act as pheromones, attractants, or alleochemicals. Among them, chemical biomarkers of botanical origin or chemotaxonomic markers may be found. Many VOCs possess different biological activities, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, anticancer, and other activities. VOCs research from different sources is required to report their distribution and chemical profiles, and to discover new compounds. This Special Issue aims to attract up-to-date contributions on all aspects of VOCs chemistry, from challenges in their isolation to analysis, and on unlocking their biological activities or other useful properties
Catalytic combustion has been developed as a method of promoting efficient combustion over a wide range of air-to-fuel ratios with a minimum pollutant formation at low temperatures as compared to conventional flame combustion. In this book, the authors present current research in the study of catalytic combustion including commercial and industrial research in combustion and fluidisation engineering; the catalytic combustion of soot; using metal oxides to improve catalytic efficiency; catalytic combustion in the removal of pollutants from exhaust gases and in the energy conversion field and the catalytic combustion of methane using ceria-zirconia.
This e-book summarizes recent advances in the young and rapidly developing field of microbial volatiles. Articles included here reveal novel information about the chemical diversity of bacterial and fungal volatiles, their functions, their roles in inter-specific and inter-kingdom interactions and the metabolic and physiological changes their exposure causes in the target organisms. The e-book is divided in three chapters: (1) Natural Functions of Microbial Volatiles; (2) Volatile Production and Ecosystem Functioning and (3) Volatile Detection and Identification.
Every day, large quantities of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted into the atmosphere from both anthropogenic and natural sources. The formation of gaseous and particulate secondary products caused by oxidation of VOCs is one of the largest unknowns in the quantitative prediction of the earth’s climate on a regional and global scale, and on the understanding of local air quality. To be able to model and control their impact, it is essential to understand the sources of VOCs, their distribution in the atmosphere and the chemical transformations which remove these compounds from the atmosphere. In recent years techniques for the analysis of organic compounds in the atmosphere have been developed to increase the spectrum of detectable compounds and their detection limits. New methods have been introduced to increase the time resolution of those measurements and to resolve more complex mixtures of organic compounds. Volatile Organic Compounds in the Atmosphere describes the current state of knowledge of the chemistry of VOCs as well as the methods and techniques to analyse gaseous and particulate organic compounds in the atmosphere. The aim is to provide an authoritative review to address the needs of both graduate students and active researchers in the field of atmospheric chemistry research.
The idea of publishing this book on Perfumes: Art, Science and Technology grew out of the observation that, on the verge of the 1990s, there was really no state-of-the-art compilation of the relevant know-how on which the fragrance industry is based. It was obvious that such a compilation would be well received, not only by perfumers and fragrance chemists, but also by those involved in related trade and marketing or in the development and distribution of consumer products, by researchers from other fields, by students and, finally, by amateurs of perfumes in general. Therefore, we set out to find competent authors who were willing to contribute to the endeavour, and we did not do this unselfishly; on the contrary, we selected a wish-list of specialists who would provide us with new insight and characterize the trends and research priorities determining the future. Thus, we were counting on learning much ourselves in the course of the project. We were more than pleasantly surprised by the reactions to our first letter-and so was Elsevier. We certainly had not expected perfumers who are usually much more 'doers' than 'writers' to react in such an enthusiastic way; especially, the spontaneous affirmative answer from the famous E. Roudnitska created a momentum which contributed significantly to the successful comple tion of this book. But, of course, we should not create the impression that the other authors' chapters are less important, and we thank all of them heartily for their invaluable effort.
Multisensory Flavor Perception: From Fundamental Neuroscience Through to the Marketplace provides state-of-the-art coverage of the latest insights from the rapidly-expanding world of multisensory flavor research. The book highlights the various types of crossmodal interactions, such as sound and taste, and vision and taste, showing their impact on sensory and hedonic perception, along with their consumption in the context of food and drink. The chapters in this edited volume review the existing literature, also explaining the underlying neural and psychological mechanisms which lead to crossmodal perception of flavor. The book brings together research which has not been presented before, making it the first book in the market to cover the literature of multisensory flavor perception by incorporating the latest in psychophysics and neuroscience. - Authored by top academics and world leaders in the field - Takes readers on a journey from the neurological underpinnings of multisensory flavor perception, then presenting insights that can be used by food companies to create better flavor sensations for consumers - Offers a wide perspective on multisensory flavor perception, an area of rapidly expanding knowledge
Regulatory standards are already on the books at the the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address health risks posed by inhaling tiny particles from smoke, vehicle exhaust, and other sources. At the same time, Congress and EPA have initiated a multimillion dollar research effort to better understand the sources of these airborne particles, the levels of exposure to people, and the ways that these particles cause damage. To provide independent guidance to the EPA, Congress asked the National Research Council to study the relevant issues. The result is a series of four reports on the particulate-matter research program. The first two books offered a conceptual framework for a national research program, identified the 10 most critical research needs, and described the recommended timing and estimated costs of such research. This, the third volume, begins the task of assessing the progress made in implementing the research program. The National Research Council ultimately concludes that the ongoing program is appropriately addressing many of the key uncertainties. However, it also identifies a number of critical specific subjects that should be given greater attention. Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter focuses on the most current and planned research projects with an eye toward the fourth and final report, which will contain an updated assessment.
The book covers a vast array of methods for the analysis of volatile compounds exuded by plants. Some of these volatiles are of great commercial importance, including the aromas of wines and teas, and volatiles in fruits. Other volatiles such as essential oils can be useful for chemotaxonomic purposes, and a chapter on an emerging method, that of chemometric analysis of such data, is included. Isoprene and ammonia rarely find a place in analytical methods presented for plant materials, but methods for these volatiles are described in this book. The volatiles given off by flowers are also included, and in situ headspace analysis of these volatiles is described, a method of potential use for the study of insect-plant interactions.
In nature, plants are constantly challenged by various abiotic and biotic stresses that can restrict their growth, development and yields. In the course of their evolution, plants have evolved a variety of sophisticated and efficient mechanisms to sense, respond to, and adapt to changes in the surrounding environment. A common defensive mechanism activated by plants in response to abiotic stress is the production and accumulation of compatible solutes (also called osmolytes). This include amino acids (mainly proline), amines (such as glycinebetaine and polyamines), and sugars (such as trehalose and sugar alcohols), all of which are readily soluble in water and non-toxic at high concentrations. The metabolic pathways involved in the biosynthesis and catabolism of compatible solutes, and the mechanisms that regulate their cellular concentrations and compartmentalization are well characterized in many important plant species. Numerous studies have provided evidence that enhanced accumulation of compatible solutes in plants correlates with increased resistance to abiotic stresses. New insights into the mechanisms associated with osmolyte accumulation in transgenic plants and the responses of plants to exogenous application of osmolyte, will further enhance our understanding of the mechanisms by which compatible solutes help to protect plants from damage due to abiotic stress and the potential roles compatible solutes could play in improving plants growth and development under optimal conditions for growth. Although there has been significant progress made in understanding the multiple roles of compatible solute in abiotic stress tolerance, many aspects associated with compatible solute-mediated abiotic stress responses and stress tolerance still require more research. As well as providing basic up-to-date information on the biosynthesis, compartmentalization and transport of compatible solute in plants, this book will also give insights into the direct or indirect involvement of these key compatible solutes in many important metabolic processes and physiological functions, including their antioxidant and signaling functions, and roles in modulating plant growth, development and abiotic stress tolerance. In this book, Osmoprotectant-mediated abiotic stress tolerance in plants: recent advances and future perspectives, we present a collection of 16 chapters written by leading experts engaged with compatible solute-induced abiotic stress tolerance in plants. The main objective of this volume is to promote the important roles of these compatible solutes in plant biology, by providing an integrated and comprehensive mix of basic and advanced information for students, scholars and scientists interested in, or already engaged in, research involving osmoprotectant. Finally, this book will be a valuable resource for future environmental stress-related research, and can be considered as a textbook for graduate students and as a reference book for front-line researchers working on the relationships between osmoprotectant and abiotic stress responses and tolerance in plants.
