Brief Book Reviews

Title	Postharvest Biology and Technology of Fruits, Vegetables, and Flowers
Author/Editor	Paliyath, G., D.P. Murr, A.K. Handa, and S. Lurie
Additional Information	Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Ames, Iowa, USA (www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell); ISBN 978-0-8138-8; 482 pages
Review	The 21 chapters of this book are written by the four editors plus 28 additional authors from 8 countries. It contains an introductory chapter, 11 chapters focused more on the biology, and 9 chapters focused more on the technology. Most chapters link the biochemical and molecular aspects with postharvest applications. Chapter topics include the following: quality characteristics of common fruits, vegetables, and flowers; biochemistry of fruits; biochemistry of flower senescence; programmed cell death during plant senescence; ethylene perception and gene expression; enhancing postharvest life and quality using 1-MCP technology; breakdown of cell wall components; phospholipase D, membrane deterioration, and senescence; phospholipase D inhibition for enhancing shelf-life and quality; heat treatments for enhancing postharvest quality; role of polyphenols in quality; isoprenoid biosynthesis; polyamines and regulation of ripening and senescence; enhancement of phenolic phytochemicals in apples, rhizosphere microorganisms and their effect on fruit quality; biotechnological approaches to enhancing tropical fruit quality; postharvest factors affecting potato quality and storability; biosensor-based technologies for quality evaluation; and changes in nutritional quality during storage. This book is a good reference book for graduate students, scientists, and other professionals interested in postharvest biology of horticultural crops. Its potential use as a textbook for a course on postharvest biology is limited by its relatively high cost ($ 209.99 per copy).
Date	2008
Reviewed By	Adel Kader