Plant-Based Bioactive Compounds: Emerging Extraction Techniques, Characterization, and Relevant Applications in Agriculture

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims at highlighting recent progress, challenges, and future directions in the extraction/pertraction, advanced characterization, and valorization of bioactive compounds in agriculture.

The extraction/pertraction of bioactive compounds from plants, agro-industrial residues, or liquid media has gained increasing scientific and industrial relevance due to the growing demand for natural additives, nutraceuticals, functional ingredients, bio-based agricultural products (biofertilizers and biostimulants), etc.

Contributions focused on innovative extraction/pertraction technologies, green chemistry approaches, modelling, optimization methods, biorefinery concepts, advanced techniques for the chemical and biological characterization of extracts/recovered compounds, and applications of extracts/recovered compounds in agriculture and food systems are welcome. Both fundamental studies and applied research are encouraged, including reviews, original research articles, and short communications.

This Special Issue welcomes submissions that cover, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Advanced/green extraction technologies, e.g., enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), extraction using green solvents, including ionic liquids (ILs), deep eutectic solvents (DESs), supercritical fluids (SCFs), terpenes, ethanol, etc.;
• Pertraction of bioactive compounds;
• Advanced analytical techniques for the chemical characterization of plant extracts/recovered compounds, e.g., high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC), liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS), gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS), inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectroscopy (ICP–OES), ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, capillary electrophoresis (CE), sensor-based analysis;
• Applications of extracts/recovered compounds in soil health improvement, crop growth, development, and protection, etc.;
• Biorefinery and circular economy approaches.

Prof. Dr. Oana Cristina Pârvulescu
Dr. Adina Ionuta Gavrila
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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