Tissue Structure and Plant Phytochemicals

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant-Crop Biology and Biochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 1273

Special Issue Editor


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Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 15 Akademicka Street, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Interests: biology; plant cell anatomy and ultrastructure; pollen morphology; heavy metal; bioactive compounds; aromatherapy; glandular tissue; nectary; nectar; plant physiology; mineral nutrition
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Background and history of this topic:

Currently, there is a search for new, natural, health-promoting biologically active chemical compounds with a wide range of effective, pro-health, nutraceutical and pharmacological properties and chemotherapeutic effects. They must also be safe for organisms and cause no side effects.

Biologically active compounds are present in lower plants and in a number of organs in many higher plants:

  • Crop plants (oil-bearing plants, fibre-bearing plants, special-purpose plants, and sugar plants);
  • Fruit plants (pome plants, stone fruits, berry plants, and nuts);
  • Vegetable plants (cruciferous vegetables, bulb vegetables, leaf vegetables, nightshades, cucurbits, and root vegetables);
  • Ornamental plants (pot plants, flowerbed or edging plants, and plants grown for cut flowers).

Various species from these plant groups play a role in the maintenance of biological diversity and form a source of primary and secondary metabolites with nutritional, dietary, medicinal, and cosmetic properties. Medicinal, seasoning, and cosmetic plants are important for the ecological biodiversity of the environment. Moreover, many species from these groups are responsible for ecological diversity by providing nectar and pollen for pollinators.

Phytochemicals are natural compounds used as therapeutic ingredients in nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic formulations. Histochemical tests and other microscopic methods can be used to identify their presence in cells at the tissue micromorphology, anatomy, and ultrastructure levels.

Aim, scope, and purpose of this Special Issue:

The aim of this Special Issue is to address the following topics:

  1. The micromorphology, anatomy, and ultrastructure of various plant organs;
  2. The structure and secretions of secretory tissues;
  3. Biologically active chemical compounds;
  4. Primary and secondary metabolites;
  5. Phytotherapy;
  6. Lower plants;
  7. Crop plants;
  8. Fruit plants;
  9. Vegetable plants;
  10. Ornamental plants;
  11. Medicinal, seasoning, and cosmetic plants;
  12. Environmental biodiversity.

Dr. Mirosława Chwil
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • micromorphology, anatomy, and ultrastructure
  • secretory tissues
  • exo- and endogenous structures
  • environmental biodiversity
  • herbal raw materials
  • primary and secondary metabolites
  • phytochemicals
  • phytotherapy
  • pharmaceutical and cosmetic products
  • nutraceutical and health-enhancing properties

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

22 pages, 2120 KiB  
Article
Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Properties of Sambucus nigra L. (Elderflower) Oil: A Molecular Docking and Biochemical Study
by Doris Floares (Oarga), Diana Obistioiu, Anca Hulea, Mukhtar Adeiza Suleiman, Iuliana Popescu, Adina Berbecea, Ionel Samfira and Isidora Radulov
Agronomy 2025, 15(2), 310; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15020310 - 26 Jan 2025
Viewed by 821
Abstract
The present study investigates the antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of an essential oil extracted from Sambucus nigra L. flowers. Using hydrodistillation, the volatile compounds were profiled through GC–MS analysis for the fatty acid profile and volatile compounds. The fatty acid profile demonstrated a [...] Read more.
The present study investigates the antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of an essential oil extracted from Sambucus nigra L. flowers. Using hydrodistillation, the volatile compounds were profiled through GC–MS analysis for the fatty acid profile and volatile compounds. The fatty acid profile demonstrated a balanced composition of saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, with oleic, palmitic, and linolenic acids as key contributors. The volatile profile revealed the dominance of nonanal, cis-rose oxide, trans-rose oxide, and 2-Pentadecanone, 6,10,14-trimethyl-. Antioxidant activity was assessed using the 1,1-Diphenyl-2-Picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay, showing significant inhibition, with an IC50 value of 2.52 mg/mL. Antimicrobial efficacy was determined against Gram-positive, Gram-negative, and fungal strains, highlighting moderate inhibitory activity for Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. The S. nigra essential oil exhibited more activity against fungal strains, especially C. albicans, compared to the bacterial strains, which might be attributed to differences in the composition and permeability of the cell wall between fungi and bacteria. Among the bacteria, E. coli was the most susceptible, while P. aeruginosa showed moderate resistance, in agreement with its known stronger membrane structure and efflux mechanisms. Molecular docking analysis was conducted to evaluate the potential inhibitory effects of the oil on microbial proteins to corroborate the observed in vitro outcome. The results indicated that nonanal, cis-rose oxide, trans-rose oxide, and 2-pentadecanone, 6,10,14-trimethyl- displayed interesting hydrophilic and hydrophobic binding interactions with the putative microbial proteins. These findings elucidate the bioactive role of Sambucus nigra essential oils, suggesting their potential as therapeutic agents in managing oxidative stress and microbial infections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tissue Structure and Plant Phytochemicals)
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