In this hot summertime, what’s more refreshing than a slice of watermelon…and wondering about the chemicals present in this fruit? A common misconception is that watermelon is only made of water. Well, first of all, besides water, there are sugars and then chemicals that are responsible for the colour and aroma. The colour is dueContinue reading “Watermelon: is there more than water and sugars?”
Tag Archives: specialized metabolites
The unbearable lightness of flying
Flying has always fascinated mankind, so much that it has inspired the invention of several devices and machines. Now, however, we are going to talk about a special kind of flight related to witchcraft. While legends about witches are numerous and diversified, being strongly influenced by local traditions, maybe one common trait is that theyContinue reading “The unbearable lightness of flying”
Crimson bottlebrush plant and a story about herbicides
Let’s talk about a plant that is very commonly found in gardens in many areas of the world, but that is originally from Australia: the bottlebrush plant (looking at its picture, it is easy to understand why it is called like this). There are actually several bottlebrush species, all belonging to the myrtle family (Myrtaceae).Continue reading “Crimson bottlebrush plant and a story about herbicides”
Theobromine, a chemical from the «food of the gods»
Enjoyed your Easter chocolate? Well, if like me you are still working on it (😉), please sit down and appreciate a piece of this heavenly food while reading about theobromine. This compound is the main alkaloid of Theobroma cacao (cacao tree) and it is therefore found in chocolate, especially in the dark one [1], whereasContinue reading “Theobromine, a chemical from the «food of the gods»”
The king of the Mediterranean region
Autumn in the South of Italy means a lot of nice things: a still relatively warm weather, the bright warm colours of leaves of deciduous plants slowly turning into a colourful carpet, the smell of roasted chestnuts in the streets, etc. This time of the year is also linked to a very important economic activity:Continue reading “The king of the Mediterranean region”
Solanine, the toxic compound in potatoes
Memories of a summer evening (yeah, I still cannot get over the idea that summer is gone), preparing dinner. A question about solanine in tomatoes comes up. A long discussion about solanine, tomatine and other glycoalkaloids produced by Solanaceae plants starts.It seems a nerdy conversation, and maybe it is, but it is actually also aContinue reading “Solanine, the toxic compound in potatoes”
Something against autumn blues…
Summer is almost over in Italy, but before moving on to the next season, I would like to talk about a plant that is somehow strongly connected to summer: Saint John’s Wort. Plants are wonderful organisms and some of their features make them look like magical beings to humans. If we have a look atContinue reading “Something against autumn blues…”
Capsaicin, the painfully hot feeding deterrent…that we love adding to our food
Some days ago, an attorney general in the USA claimed that pepper spray is not a chemical irritant. No idea if he was grasping at straws in a hopeless attempt to justify the use of the spray against protesters, or if this claim was a result of his ignorance. In fact, pepper spray is highlyContinue reading “Capsaicin, the painfully hot feeding deterrent…that we love adding to our food”
Loves me, loves me not
Probably everybody knows the popular game in which one person seeks to determine whether the object of their affection returns it or not, by using the “petals” of a “flower”, usually a daisy. Well, the term daisy can refer to many species. Here, we will focus on the Southern daisy, Bellis sylvestris Cir., which isContinue reading “Loves me, loves me not”
Plants as chemists
If I asked you to picture a chemist, you would probably imagine someone closed in a laboratory, handling dangerous chemicals…or maybe you are right now picturing Walter White. Well, what if I tell you that the plant sitting there on your balcony or out in the garden is a much better chemist? Let’s make aContinue reading “Plants as chemists”
PhytoChem 