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Antioxidants
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Plants and Plant-Based By-Products as Valuable Sources of Antioxidants: Current...
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Plants and Plant-Based By-Products as Valuable Sources of Antioxidants: Current Tendencies and Achievements in Their Exploitation

A special issue of Antioxidants (ISSN 2076-3921). This special issue belongs to the section "Extraction and Industrial Applications of Antioxidants".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 4873

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Svetlana Momchilova

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Laboratory Lipid Chemistry, Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. George Bonchev Str., Bl. 9, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
2. Centre of Competence “Sustainable Utilization of Bio-Resources and Waste of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants for Innovative Bioactive Products” (BIORESOURCES BG), 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
Interests: lipids; fatty acids; acylglycerols; sterols; lipid analysis; antioxidants
Dr. Adriana Slavova-Kazakova

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Laboratory Lipid Chemistry, Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. George Bonchev Str., Bl. 9, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
Interests: free radical processes; antioxidant activity; kinetics and mechanism; lipid oxidation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Various enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants are involved in the defence systems of plants, playing a fundamental role in their adaptation as sedentary organisms to adverse environmental conditions, pathogens and pollutants. The stress-protective role of phytochemicals is an increasingly important topic and fully justifies the efforts and resources invested in their intensive research over decades. The huge amount of scientific publications on the antioxidant content and biological activity of various plant extracts has become a veritable springboard in the development of new technologies for the production of efficient dietary supplements, functional foods, and pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. The reduced use or, preferably, the replacement of organic solvents with harmless vehicles, and the advancement of green extraction methods are among the main priorities of chemical science and technology today.

Along with the scientific literature concerning plants as a source of bio-antioxidants, the number of studied plant-based by-products has reached drastic levels and is no longer limited only to residues of the sugar and oil industry, or olives, cereals, and wine production. Until now, plant by-products have mostly been used as animal feed or for composting; however, new processing techniques have been developed to address their exploitation for human nutrition and health as well. Food matrices such as husks, calyx, bran, peel, skin, etc., are a treasure trove, rich in antioxidants but still insufficiently studied and therefore underestimated and neglected.

The aim of this Special Issue is to present the current state of research and achievements, as well as promising perspectives for expanding antioxidant exploration, including the following:

  • analysis of antioxidants in extracts of plants or their by-products;
  • evaluation of antioxidant activity and/or oxidative stability;
  • assessment of antioxidants for development of value-added formulations;
  • green extractions of antioxidants;
  • utilization of by-products as a key strategy in the circle economy.

Dr. Svetlana Momchilova
Guest Editor

Dr. Adriana Slavova-Kazakova
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antioxidants is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • antioxidants
  • oxidative stability
  • antioxidant activity
  • lipid oxidation
  • green chemistry
  • biomass
  • plants and by-products
  • herbs
  • utilization

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 981 KB  
Article
The Natural Disinfectant Role of Essential Oils in Improving Radical Scavenging Activity and Total Phenolic Compounds in Fresh Vegetables
by Ben Allal Hafsa, Quesada-Granados José Javier, Agil Ahmad and Villalón-Mir Marina
Antioxidants 2025, 14(12), 1458; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14121458 - 5 Dec 2025
Viewed by 321
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the radical scavenging activity (RSA) and total polyphenolic content (TPC) in petiolate vegetables (baby spinach) and sessile vegetables (Romaine lettuce) disinfected with essential oils of thyme and peppermint compared with bleach solutions, a [...] Read more.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the radical scavenging activity (RSA) and total polyphenolic content (TPC) in petiolate vegetables (baby spinach) and sessile vegetables (Romaine lettuce) disinfected with essential oils of thyme and peppermint compared with bleach solutions, a chemical disinfectant widely used in food preparation. The vegetables, obtained from local markets in Granada (Spain), were treated with varying concentrations of essential oils and bleach solutions. Antiradical activity was evaluated using the DPPH radical scavenging method, while total polyphenols were determined using the Folin–Ciocalteu reagent. The results showed that essential oils significantly reduced microbial load, with inverse correlations between radical scavenging activity and microbial load and total phenolic compounds. Bleach solutions, on the other hand, show a strong direct correlation, significantly reducing the microbial load as well as the antiradical activity and total phenolic content. However, this antimicrobial and antioxidant effect depends on the morphological characteristics of the vegetable (stemmed or sessile) and the chemical composition of the essential oil. These results suggest that essential oils may be effective natural alternatives for disinfecting vegetables, as they increase their antiradical activity and polyphenolic content, in contrast to sodium hypochlorite, which affects the functional properties of the product by reducing the RSA and TPC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plants and Plant-Based By-Products as Valuable Sources of Antioxidants: Current Tendencies and Achievements in Their Exploitation)
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17 pages, 1060 KB  
Article
Phytochemical Screening and Biological Activity of Female and Male Cones from Pinus nigra subsp. laricio (Poir.) Maire
by Mary Fucile, Carmine Lupia, Martina Armentano, Mariangela Marrelli, Ekaterina Kozuharova, Giancarlo Statti and Filomena Conforti
Antioxidants 2025, 14(11), 1368; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14111368 - 18 Nov 2025
Viewed by 478
Abstract
The Corsican pine (Pinus nigra subsp. laricio (Poir.) Maire), a subspecies of black pine endemic to southern Italy, is widely known for the quality of its valuable timber, and the parts of the plant that are not used for this purpose are [...] Read more.
The Corsican pine (Pinus nigra subsp. laricio (Poir.) Maire), a subspecies of black pine endemic to southern Italy, is widely known for the quality of its valuable timber, and the parts of the plant that are not used for this purpose are considered unusable production waste. In this study, we investigated the phytochemical profile and a series of biological activities of extracts from the female and male pine cones. The extracts were prepared by maceration with ethanol and subsequently fractionated using liquid-liquid separation. The total phenolic and flavonoid content, antioxidant potential (DPPH and β-carotene bleaching tests), anti-inflammatory activity (nitric oxide inhibition in RAW 264.7 cells), and enzymatic inhibition against pancreatic lipase and α-amylase were determined. The female cones showed a higher crude extract yield and total phenolic content (76.4 mg GAE/g) than the male cones, while the latter were richer in flavonoids. The extracts from the female cones showed higher antioxidant and pancreatic lipase inhibitory activities. On the contrary, extracts from male cones showed greater activity against α-amylase, with the dichloromethane fraction proving to be the most potent (IC50 = 35.28 ± 3.08 µg/mL). The hexane fraction of female cones also showed significant anti-inflammatory activity (IC50 = 107.50 ± 15.22 µg/mL). Our results reveal that the pine cones of Pinus nigra subsp. laricio (Poir.) Maire are a rich source of bioactive compounds. These results provide the first scientific evidence of the potential of extracts from this still poorly studied part of the plant for further investigation of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capabilities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plants and Plant-Based By-Products as Valuable Sources of Antioxidants: Current Tendencies and Achievements in Their Exploitation)
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29 pages, 3296 KB  
Article
Rose Oil Distillation Wastewater: By-Products of Essential Oil Extraction as Circular Biostimulants for Tomato Growth
by Nemanja Živanović, Ivana Danilov, Marija Lesjak, Tatjana Dujković, Nataša Simin, Vanja Vlajkov, Mirjana Ljubojević and Jovana Grahovac
Antioxidants 2025, 14(10), 1252; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14101252 - 18 Oct 2025
Viewed by 1287
Abstract
Rose processing into essentials oil is one of the major sectors providing inputs for cosmetics and health/food supplements industry, generating significant amount of wastewater if applying the steam distillation approach. Rose distillation wastewater (RDW), the major by-product of rose processing, still contains a [...] Read more.
Rose processing into essentials oil is one of the major sectors providing inputs for cosmetics and health/food supplements industry, generating significant amount of wastewater if applying the steam distillation approach. Rose distillation wastewater (RDW), the major by-product of rose processing, still contains a significant load of polyphenolic compounds. This organic burden poses a significant environmental threat for RDW disposal, while, on the other hand, it still contains valuable compounds that could be valorized in the circular economy framework. This study has investigated the possibility of utilizing RDW in various concentrations (10%, 25%, 100% v/v) as a circular tomato growth biostimulant, addressing the existing research gap in the field of circular RDW valorization and its effects on plant growth modulation. LC-MS/MS and antioxidant assays have confirmed a rich antioxidant profile of RDW samples, with gallic acid, quinic acid, quercetin, kaempferol and their glycosides as the most abundant compounds. Tomato germination assays have resulted in significantly improved germination and initial seedling growth parameters when 10% RDW samples PA (‘Pure Aroma’), MA (‘Magic Aroma’) and NA (‘Natural Aroma) had been applied as seed treatment (10 seeds per treatment with each RDW), indicating varying plant growth-promoting potential depending on the RDW chemical composition. The increase in tomato growth parameters compared to the control varied in range 34% (MA)—60% (PA) for root length, 70% (MA)—109% (PA) for shoot length and 43% (MA)—72% (PA) for total seedling length, as well as 43% (MA)—72% (PA) for SVI-I and 40% (NA)—49% (MA) for SVI-II (seedling vigor indices I and II, respectively). Contrarily, the increase in RDW concentration of up to 25% and 100% (v/v) has resulted in inhibition of tomato germination and growth compared to the control (e.g., in range 10–50% (RDW 25%) and 45–87% (RDW 100%) for root length), suggesting the necessity for further optimization of RDW dosage in biostimulant applications. The results of this study open the field of possibilities for further development of circular plant biostimulants based on rose processing by-products, as value-added enrichment of the bio-based solutions portfolio for sustainable agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plants and Plant-Based By-Products as Valuable Sources of Antioxidants: Current Tendencies and Achievements in Their Exploitation)
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19 pages, 2912 KB  
Article
Antioxidant Nanohybrid Materials Derived via Olive Leaf Extract Incorporation in Layered Double Hydroxide: Preparation, Characterization, and Evaluation for Applications
by Achilleas Kechagias, Areti A. Leontiou, Alexios Vardakas, Panagiotis Stathopoulos, Maria Xenaki, Panagiota Stathopoulou, Charalampos Proestos, Emmanuel P. Giannelis, Nikolaos Chalmpes, Constantinos E. Salmas and Aris E. Giannakas
Antioxidants 2025, 14(8), 1010; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14081010 - 18 Aug 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2209
Abstract
In this study, an innovative and sustainable strategy for the valorization of olive leaves, an underutilized agro-industrial byproduct, was developed through enzymatic-assisted aqueous extraction to produce a polyphenol-rich olive leaf extract (OLE). The extract contained notable concentrations of hydroxytyrosol (0.53 mg/L), luteolin-7-o-glucoside (0.70 [...] Read more.
In this study, an innovative and sustainable strategy for the valorization of olive leaves, an underutilized agro-industrial byproduct, was developed through enzymatic-assisted aqueous extraction to produce a polyphenol-rich olive leaf extract (OLE). The extract contained notable concentrations of hydroxytyrosol (0.53 mg/L), luteolin-7-o-glucoside (0.70 mg/L), apigenin-4-o-glucoside (0.18 mg/L), and oleuropein (4.24 mg/L). For the first time, this OLE was successfully nanoencapsulated into layered double hydroxides (LDHs) synthesized at Zn2+/Al3+ molar ratios of 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1, resulting in a series of OLE@LDH_Zn/Al_x/1 nanohybrids. Comprehensive structural characterization confirmed the successful intercalation of OLE within the LDH interlayer galleries. Antioxidant activity (via DPPH assay), total polyphenol content (TPC), and antibacterial tests were conducted to evaluate functionality. Among the nanohybrids, OLE@LDH_Zn/Al_1/1 exhibited the highest TPC (606.6 ± 7.0 mg GAE/L), the lowest EC50,DPPH, EC50,ABTS, and EC50,FRAP values (27.88 ± 1.82, 25.70 ± 0.76, and 39.42 ± 2.16 mg/mL), and superior antibacterial performance against E. coli and S. aureus. Moreover, pH-dependent release revealed targeted polyphenol release under acidic conditions (pH = 1), simulating gastric environments. These results highlight LDHs, particularly with a Zn/Al ratio of 1:1, as promising nanocarriers for the stabilization and controlled release of plant-derived polar phenols, with potential applications in nutrition, food preservation, and biomedicine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plants and Plant-Based By-Products as Valuable Sources of Antioxidants: Current Tendencies and Achievements in Their Exploitation)
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