ABSTRACT
This chapter explains major foliage chemicals and discusses their properties and uses. The Russian term muka will be understood to mean foliage that has been dried and ground for use as a fodder vitamin supplement for poultry and animals. Historically, and presumably prehistorically, mankind has used foliage or substances extracted from it for medicinal, nutritive, or religious purposes. Although a few examples of foliage utilization by native people were accepted by the new immigrants, many were lost while waiting to be reinvented. Foliage, unlike other tree components such as wood and bark, contains many unique chemicals directly or indirectly associated with the photosynthetic life support system. Neither should it be forgotten that as petrochemicals become scarcer and more expensive, demand for nonpolar foliage components, such as essential oils, triglycerides, resin acids, sterols, etc., for chemical feed stocks will increase. More than half of crude foliage protein consists of simple proteins, with albumins and glutelins predominating.
