Sumario: | This comprehensive treatise provides insight into pigment biosynthesis and dietetics. The text includes current reviews on the genomics of carotenoid, flavonoid, and betalain biosynthesis in plants and the dietetics of these pigments in humans. Pigments biosynthesized in plants are a source of attractive colors in nature and essential nutrients in our daily fruit, vegetable, and grain diet. Deciphered from general perspectives and specific fruits and vegetables, genomics focuses on enzymatic genes and regulatory molecular mechanisms in the biosynthesis pathways to produce these pigments in plants. Dietetics focuses on the nutritional and medical benefits to human health from these pigments as nutrients, nutraceuticals, and disease prevention agents when they are ingested from pigment-abundant plant food and metabolized in human body. This work contributes to an expanding awareness of the dietetic benefits to the daily consumption of pigment-rich fruit, vegetable, and grain food.
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