New Trends and Innovations in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, and Specialty Crops

Topic Information

Dear Colleague,

Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs), as well as specialty crops, encompass a vast array of plant species that have been the subject of research in numerous areas and experimental approaches. The innovative and sustainable evaluation and exploitation of these crops involve a broad spectrum of botanical, environmental, horticultural, agronomic, genetic, phytochemical, and applicative aspects, necessitating a multifaceted and diversified approach. This Topic Collection aims to highlight the latest trends in research and development within MAPs and specialty crops, providing a comprehensive overview that includes plant evaluation, conservation, cultivation, biological activity, phytochemical analysis, and marketing. Articles submitted should focus on process innovation or product innovation and should clearly emphasize these aspects. Research reports and reviews on MAPs and specialty crops are welcome, with the topics addressed being but not limited to:

• Ecological role, characterization, and description of wild populations, including conservation and domestication concerns;
• Breeding, selection, propagation and nursery studies, including studies on plant growth and development, in vitro culture and micropropagation, genetic selection, genomics, and related topics;
• Cultivation and crop management issues, in fields and in protected growing conditions, soil and soilless systems, conventional and organic approaches, and intensive and extensive farming. This includes all kinds of cropping techniques, such as sowing/transplant, fertilization, irrigation, mulching, and weeds management, as well as harvesting methods.
• Adaptation, coping mechanisms, and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses.
• Phytochemical evaluations, including assessment and analysis of essential oils and other plant extracts, quantification and bioactivity studies.
• Traditional and novel uses of MAPs and specialty crops, both for food and no-food purposes, at the household and industrial levels. This also includes exploring market perspectives and conducting present and future scenario analyses for applications and selling.
• Utilization of byproducts, wastes and residues, and the development and improvement of the related production chains.

Prof. Dr. Silvana Nicola
Dr. Alessandra Carrubba
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Agriculture agriculture	3.3	4.9	2011	19.2 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Agronomy agronomy	3.3	6.2	2011	17.6 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Crops crops	-	-	2021	22.1 Days	CHF 1000	Submit
Horticulturae horticulturae	3.1	3.5	2015	16.9 Days	CHF 2200	Submit
Plants plants	4.0	6.5	2012	18.9 Days	CHF 2700	Submit

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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All Agriculture Agronomy Crops Horticulturae Plants

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15 pages, 2711 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Biovalorization of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus Stems by White Rot Fungi Under Solid-State Fermentation as Ruminant Feed

by Yu-Qiong Wang, Li-Long Luo, Li-Ming Chen and Chang-Long Gou

Agronomy 2025, 15(3), 650; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15030650 - 5 Mar 2025

Viewed by 400

Abstract

The value-added effect of white rot fungi on the feed of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus (AMM) stems was explored. All four types of white rot fungi (Lentinus sajor-caju, Pleurotus ostreatus, Lentinula edodes, and Phanerodontia chrysosporium) reduced the lignocellulose [...] Read more.

The value-added effect of white rot fungi on the feed of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus (AMM) stems was explored. All four types of white rot fungi (Lentinus sajor-caju, Pleurotus ostreatus, Lentinula edodes, and Phanerodontia chrysosporium) reduced the lignocellulose content in AMM stems, improved in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), and influenced the activity of lignocellulose-degrading enzymes. Lentinus sajor-caju and Phanerodontia chrysosporium exhibited superior effects on lignin degradation and IVDMD and significantly altered non-volatile metabolites and antioxidant capacity. Lentinus sajor-caju fermentation resulted in the strongest antioxidant activity compared to that in the other fungal treatments. The fold change (FC) ratio (>100) of sakuranetin, 2′,6′-Di-O-acetylononin, isoformononetin, and artocarpin was compared between Lentinus sajor-caju and Phanerodontia chrysosporium. Among the phenolic compounds, flavonoids play a key role in antioxidant activity, with 5,6-Dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavone showing a strong correlation with antioxidant activity. This study provides valuable insights for utilizing AMM stem waste in the context of traditional Chinese medicine. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic New Trends and Innovations in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, and Specialty Crops)

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21 pages, 1496 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Foliar Application of Methyl Jasmonate and Chitosan Improve Growth, Yield, and Quality of Guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.) Under Water-Deficit Stress

by Sara Khurizadeh, Ruhollah Naderi, Heidar Meftahizadeh, Saeid Hazrati and Silvana Nicola

Plants 2024, 13(21), 3099; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13213099 - 3 Nov 2024

Viewed by 1098

Abstract

Guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.), a summer legume, is becoming increasingly important as an industrial crop due to its high gum and viscosity content. This study investigated the effects of methyl jasmonate (MeJA), chitosan (CH), and their combination on the growth, yield, and [...] Read more.

Guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.), a summer legume, is becoming increasingly important as an industrial crop due to its high gum and viscosity content. This study investigated the effects of methyl jasmonate (MeJA), chitosan (CH), and their combination on the growth, yield, and quality of guar under irrigation regimes. A greenhouse experiment was conducted using a factorial design to evaluate the effect of foliar spraying with MeJA (5, 25, and 50 µM), CH (100, 150, and 200 mg/L), their combination (25 µM MeJA + 150 mg/L CH), and control on two commercial guar varieties (RGC-986 and BR-2017) under different irrigation regimes (100%, 70%, and 40% field capacity). The results showed that the exogenous application of MeJA and CH, individually and in combination, significantly enhanced various morphological traits and yield components in guar, including plant height, pod characteristics, seed yield, and root development. Additionally, the combination treatments improved seed quality parameters, such as gum percentage and viscosity content. Leaf analysis revealed increased levels of total phenolic content, total flavonoid, and anthocyanin contents. The BR-2017 variety showed superior performance in most morphological and qualitative traits, demonstrating greater resistance to irrigation regimes. It maintained yield and quality characteristics under water-deficit conditions, particularly when treated with 25 µM MeJA and 150 mg/L CH. The highest gum percentage (33.67%) and viscosity (4768.5 cP) were observed in the RGC-986 variety, along with enhanced levels of secondary metabolites. This study provides new insights into how MeJA, CH, and their combination can improve the yield and quality of guar under water deficit stress conditions. The results suggest that the use of these elicitors, especially in combination, represents an innovative strategy for improving guar production and quality, with potential variety-specific responses to water-deficit stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic New Trends and Innovations in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, and Specialty Crops)

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14 pages, 4002 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Exogenously Applied Gibberellic Acid Alters Cannabinoid Profile in Cannabis sativa L.

by Jackson M. J. Oultram, Joseph L. Pegler, Andrew L. Eamens, Rebecca Gordon, Darren J. Korbie and Christopher P. L. Grof

Agronomy 2024, 14(10), 2417; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14102417 - 18 Oct 2024

Viewed by 1350

Abstract

Cannabis sativa (C. sativa L.) has garnered significant attention worldwide due to its widespread use as a pharmaceutical agent. With the increasing clinical application of C. sativa and cannabinoid therapeutics, there is strong interest in the development of superior plant varieties and [...] Read more.

Cannabis sativa (C. sativa L.) has garnered significant attention worldwide due to its widespread use as a pharmaceutical agent. With the increasing clinical application of C. sativa and cannabinoid therapeutics, there is strong interest in the development of superior plant varieties and optimisation of growth conditions to enhance secondary metabolite yield. Our RNA sequencing analysis revealed differential expression of hormone-related transcripts in developing C. sativa trichomes, suggesting the involvement of hormone signalling pathways in cannabinoid production. Leveraging the potency of exogenous hormones on plants, this study sought to determine if the application of cytokinin (CK), gibberellic acid (GA) and jasmonic acid (JA) modified trichome morphology and the cannabinoid profile over an 8-week period following the induction of flowering. Exogenous hormone application led to alterations in trichome morphology, with each treatment significantly reducing trichome head width by the final week of assessment. Interestingly, GA application also resulted in a significant reduction in the concentration of Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) by week 8 post floral induction, however, JA and CK treatment did not consistently modulate the accumulation of these cannabinoids. The minor cannabinoids, cannabidivaranic acid (CBDVA), cannabicyclolic acid (CBLA), cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) and cannabigerol (CBG), were also affected by hormone treatments, with varying degrees of accumulation observed. These findings underscore the intricate interplay between phytohormones and secondary metabolite biosynthesis in C. sativa. Our study highlights the potential of hormone modulation as a strategy to enhance cannabinoid yield and offers some insights into the regulatory mechanisms governing cannabinoid biosynthesis in C. sativa trichomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic New Trends and Innovations in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, and Specialty Crops)

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12 pages, 1090 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Non-Destructive Near-Infrared Technology for Efficient Cannabinoid Analysis in Cannabis Inflorescences

by Hamza Rafiq, Jens Hartung, Torsten Schober, Maximilian M. Vogt, Dániel Árpád Carrera, Michael Ruckle and Simone Graeff-Hönninger

Plants 2024, 13(6), 833; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13060833 - 14 Mar 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1982

Abstract

In the evolving field of cannabis research, scholars are exploring innovative methods to quantify cannabinoids rapidly and non-destructively. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a hand-held near-infrared (NIR) device for quantifying total cannabidiol (total CBD), total delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (total THC), and total cannabigerol (total [...] Read more.

In the evolving field of cannabis research, scholars are exploring innovative methods to quantify cannabinoids rapidly and non-destructively. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a hand-held near-infrared (NIR) device for quantifying total cannabidiol (total CBD), total delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (total THC), and total cannabigerol (total CBG) in whole cannabis inflorescences. Employing pre-processing techniques, including standard normal variate (SNV) and Savitzky–Golay (SG) smoothing, we aim to optimize the portable NIR technology for rapid and non-destructive cannabinoid analysis. A partial least-squares regression (PLSR) model was utilized to predict cannabinoid concentration based on NIR spectra. The results indicated that SNV pre-processing exhibited superior performance in predicting total CBD concentration, yielding the lowest root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 2.228 and the highest coefficient of determination for prediction (R²P) of 0.792. The ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) for total CBD was highest (2.195) with SNV. In contrast, raw data exhibited the least accurate predictions for total THC, with an R²P of 0.812, an RPD of 2.306, and an RMSEP of 1.651. Notably, total CBG prediction showed unique characteristics, with raw data yielding the highest R²P of 0.806. SNV pre-processing emerges as a robust method for precise total CBD quantification, offering valuable insights into the optimization of a hand-held NIR device for the rapid and non-destructive analysis of cannabinoid in whole inflorescence samples. These findings contribute to ongoing efforts in developing portable and efficient technologies for cannabinoid analysis, addressing the increasing demand for quick and accurate assessment methods in cannabis cultivation, pharmaceuticals, and regulatory compliance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic New Trends and Innovations in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, and Specialty Crops)

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13 pages, 2491 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Silver Nanoparticles and Biostimulants Affect Chemical Constituents, Total Phenolics, Antioxidants, and Potential Antimicrobial Activities of Santolina chamaecyparissus

by Ezz Al-Dein Al-Ramamneh, Khalid Y. Alsharafa, Taha Rababah, Razan J. Rahahleh, Fuad Al-Rimawi, Ashok K. Shakya, Ayoup M. Ghrair, Muhammad H. Alu’datt and Moayad K. Alnawafleh

Horticulturae 2024, 10(1), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10010026 - 27 Dec 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1913

Abstract

The beneficial application of silver nanoparticles and biostimulants to increase crop yield and quality is a long-term strategy to achieve desired agricultural productions that are resilient to various biotic and abiotic challenges. This project aimed to evaluate the individual effects of silver nanoparticles [...] Read more.

The beneficial application of silver nanoparticles and biostimulants to increase crop yield and quality is a long-term strategy to achieve desired agricultural productions that are resilient to various biotic and abiotic challenges. This project aimed to evaluate the individual effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), Ascophyllum nodosum (SEW), and Spirulina platensis (SP) on the growth and physiological responses of Santolina chamaecyparissus. S. chamaecyparissus plants were exposed to AgNPs (20, 40, and 60 mg L⁻¹), SWE (0.5% and 1%), and SP (1%, 2%, and 3%). The finding indicates that the light-harvesting efficiency and plant photochemical capacity are not affected by most treatments except for 60 mg L⁻¹ AgNPs. Furthermore, the pattern of H₂O₂ levels in leaves was significantly higher after AgNP, SP, and SEW treatments. In parallel, total phenolic production was at least accompanied by a burst in H₂O₂ levels. However, higher antioxidant activity compared to the control, is shown by the higher free-DPPH-radical inhibition that goes completely smoothly with lower H₂O₂ levels. Thus, the results of the present study showed that biostimulants overall improved the antioxidant activity of S. chamaecyparissus and induced variable detectable amounts of phenolic compounds in response to the concentrations of each biostimulant. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic New Trends and Innovations in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, and Specialty Crops)

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17 pages, 6212 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Main Habitat Factors Driving the Phenotypic Diversity of Litsea cubeba in China

by Guoxiang Liao, Xiaodan Ning, Yuling Yang, Zongde Wang, Guorong Fan, Xuefang Wang, Dan Fu, Juan Liu, Ming Tang, Shangxing Chen and Jiawei Wang

Plants 2023, 12(21), 3781; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12213781 - 6 Nov 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2117

Abstract

Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers. is an important woody spice tree in southern China, and its fruit is a rich source of valuable essential oil. We surveyed and sampled L. cubeba germplasm resources from 36 provenances in nine Chinese provinces, and detected rich phenotypic [...] Read more.

Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers. is an important woody spice tree in southern China, and its fruit is a rich source of valuable essential oil. We surveyed and sampled L. cubeba germplasm resources from 36 provenances in nine Chinese provinces, and detected rich phenotypic diversity. The survey results showed that plants of SC-KJ, SC-HJ, and SC-LS provenance presented higher leaf area (LA); YN-SM and YN-XC plants had larger thousand-grain fresh weight (TFW); and HN-DX plants had the highest essential oil content (EOC). To explain the large differences in the phenotypes of L. cubeba among different habitats, we used Pearson’s correlation analysis, multiple stepwise regression path analysis, and redundancy analysis to evaluate the phenotypic diversity of L. cubeba. It was found that compared to other traits, leaf and fruit traits had more significant geographical distributions, and that leaf phenotypes were correlated to fruit phenotypes. The results showed that elevation, latitude, longitude, total soil porosity (SP), soil bulk density (SBD), and average annual rainfall (AAR, mm) contributed significantly to the phenotypic diversity of L. cubeba. Geographical factors explained a higher percentage of variation in phenotypic diversity than did soil factors and climate factors. Plants of SC-KJ and HN-DX provenances could be important resources for domestication and breeding to develop new high-yielding varieties of this woody aromatic plant. This study describes significant phenotypic differences in L. cubeba related to adaptation to different environments, and provides a theoretical basis for the development of a breeding strategy and for optimizing L. cubeba cultivation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic New Trends and Innovations in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, and Specialty Crops)

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