Cassava Biotechnology, a southern African Perspective

April 2006

The pre-requisite for any cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) transformation program that proposes to develop improved plants is the availability of a reliable regeneration system. Presently many laboratories that prioritize cassava research are able to reliably regenerate plants from a range of cultivars. Unfortunately, some cultivars are still either recalcitrant or resisting attempts to induce useful levels of...

Author(s): Murunwa Makwarela and Christine Rey

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of plants: emerging factors that influence efficiency

April 2006

Despite production of fertile transgenic plants through transformation mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens, transformation efficiency is still low. Apart from plant genotype, Agrobacterium strains, plasmid vectors, virulence (vir) gene inducing compounds, medium composition and tissue specific factors, some other factors are becoming important for improving transformation efficiency of...

Author(s): Jelili T. Opabode 

Phenolic compounds and related enzymes as determinants of sorghum for food use

April 2006

Phenolic compounds and related enzymes such as phenol biosynthesizing enzymes (phenylalanine ammonia lyase) and phenol catabolizing enzymes (polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase) are determinants for sorghum utilization as human food because they influence product properties during and after sorghum processing. Phenolic compounds are quality-grade markers for the preparation of several foods because of...

Author(s): Mamoudou H. Dicko,, Harry Gruppen, Alfred S. Traoré, Alphons G. J. Voragen and Willem J. H. van Berkel