ABSTRACT
Plant metabolomics deals with the analytical characterization of the metabolites present in the cells at a specific time and under specific conditions. It detects metabolic pathways in plants which help to identify and alter the novel gene function using genetic engineering approaches. Metabolomics based on the high-throughput detection of metabolites will facilitate understanding and discovery of complex metabolic networks in plants. Metabolomics approaches have been targeted to understand plant-pathogen interactions, abiotic stresses, identification of novel plant- derived compounds, and phytoremediation. However, the identification of metabolites under stressful conditions have been mainly complicated by metabolite complexity and often subjected to the fluctuations in environmental conditions. Therefore, the development and progress are multidimensional and advanced chromatographic separations coupled with high-throughput technologies may allow for the deeper mining of plant metabolites. This chapter provides a comprehensive review of recent scientific developments in plant metabolomics.
