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| Happy #PhytochemicalFriday! This week: diosgenin - a building block used by Paris polyphylla (the plant with the biggest genome sequenced to date - 70Gb!) to produce polyphyllins. Diosgenin is used in the commercial synthesis of cortisone, progesterone, and other steroid products. |
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| Happy #PhytochemicalFriday! Worth more than their weight in gold, saffron crocus stigmata (Crocus sativus, Iridaceae) produce the carotenoid crocin – the compound that gives the "king of spices" its characteristic red color. The compound is also an antioxidant. |
