Phytochemical Profiling, Antioxidant Activity and Therapeutic Properties of Medicinal Plants

A special issue of Antioxidants (ISSN 2076-3921). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural and Synthetic Antioxidants".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2026 | Viewed by 977

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Medicinal plants are among the most valuable natural resources for human health, providing structurally diverse secondary metabolites with expressed antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and therapeutic properties. In the frame of increasing interest in natural products, functional foods, and nutraceuticals, scientific investigation is crucial to validate traditional knowledge, ensure quality and safety, and translate phytochemicals into clinically relevant applications. Recent advances in analytical technologies, extraction optimization, and bioactivity assays have enabled more precise profiling of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, proanthocyanidins, essential oils, and other pytochemicals. This Special Issue seeks to highlight innovative research addressing the optimized extraction to maximize yield, bioactivity, and stability of key phytochemicals; comprehensive profiling of underutilized, invasive, and regionally important species as novel sources of antioxidants and therapeutic agents; mechanistic insights into antioxidant and pharmacological activities, especially in models of oxidative stress-related disorders; emerging applications of phytochemicals in functional foods, nutraceuticals, and novel biomaterials; and quality control, sustainability, and standardization to ensure safety, reproducibility, and ecological responsibility in phytotherapy. The aim of this Special Issue lies in bridging the gap between traditional knowledge and modern science, laboratory research and real-world applications, and biodiversity and sustainable resource use. By uniting phytochemistry, pharmacology, and applied biotechnology, this Special Issue aims to stimulate the discovery of new natural health products, promote the sustainable utilization of medicinal plants, and provide scientific evidence supporting their integration into modern healthcare and food systems.

Prof. Dr. Lina Raudonė
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • medicinal plants
  • phytochemicals
  • antioxidant activity
  • extraction optimization
  • functional foods and nutraceuticals
  • sustainability in phytotherapy

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 1323 KB  
Article
Extraction, Phytochemical Analysis, and Bioactivity Evaluation of Polyphenols from Kunzea ericoides (Kanuka) Plant
by Harmandeep Dhaliwal, Yan Li and Michelle Yoo
Antioxidants 2025, 14(11), 1319; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14111319 - 31 Oct 2025
Viewed by 310
Abstract
Kunzea ericoides (kanuka), a native plant of New Zealand, has a significant role in traditional medicine due to the presence of essential oils. Apart from these oils, this plant also is a source of many bioactive compounds, majority of which are polyphenols. However, [...] Read more.
Kunzea ericoides (kanuka), a native plant of New Zealand, has a significant role in traditional medicine due to the presence of essential oils. Apart from these oils, this plant also is a source of many bioactive compounds, majority of which are polyphenols. However, there is lack of sufficient data supporting the extraction of polyphenols from kanuka plant leaves and investigating its bioactivity and phytochemical properties. The study aims to extract polyphenols from kanuka plant leaves with a conventional solvent-based method and determine the phytochemical analysis as well as bioactive potential. Extraction was performed with methanol and acetone as solvents. Polyphenolic prolife was analyzed with LC-MS. Bioactive analysis of kanuka leaf extract was carried out to determine total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. We investigated the cytotoxic effect of kanuka leaf extract on two triple-negative breast cancer cells—MDA-MB-231 and BT-549. LC-MS analysis confirmed kanuka leaf extract is a source of many polyphenols, some giving very prominent signals on TIC scan. Ten polyphenolic compounds were confirmed to be present in kanuka leaf extract based on MRM analysis. FRAP-CUPRAC analysis indicated significant antioxidant activity in the kanuka leaf extract. Antiproliferative analysis has confirmed cytotoxicity of the kanuka leaf extract on the triple-negative breast cancer cell lines. This study indicates that Kunzea ericoides leaf extract, rich in polyphenols, shows promising antioxidant and antiproliferative potential, warranting further investigation for therapeutic applications. Full article
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19 pages, 1189 KB  
Article
Genus Veronica—Antioxidant, Cytotoxic and Antibacterial Activity of Phenolic Compounds from Wild and Cultivated Species
by Ivana Vrca, Antonija Mikrut, Željana Fredotović, Karla Akrap, Dario Kremer, Stjepan Orhanović, Katarina Bačić, Valerija Dunkić and Marija Nazlić
Antioxidants 2025, 14(11), 1308; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14111308 - 30 Oct 2025
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Abstract
(1) Background: The conservation of plant resources is important because many wild plant populations are threatened by various influences. Growing plants from seeds is one way to ensure their survival. Comparing the biological potential of extracts between plants cultivated from seeds and wild [...] Read more.
(1) Background: The conservation of plant resources is important because many wild plant populations are threatened by various influences. Growing plants from seeds is one way to ensure their survival. Comparing the biological potential of extracts between plants cultivated from seeds and wild plants provides information about their specialized metabolites. For this reason, this study compared the biological potential of phenolic extracts from four wild-collected species of the genus Veronica and the same four cultivated species. The studied species of the genus Veronica are V. anagallis-aquatica L., V. persica Poir., V. polita Fr. and V. hederifolia L. (2) Methods: The phenolic composition was investigated with LC-QTOF (Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole Time-of-Flight). The main methods for biological activities were as follows: ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical for antioxidant activity, the disk diffusion test for antibacterial activity and the MTS test of cytotoxic activity. (3) Results: The major compound in all extracts was apigenin. Cultivated species showed higher antioxidative activity. Phenolic compounds isolated from the V. anagallis-aquatica species showed the highest cytotoxic effect on all tested lines. The extracts showed antibacterial activity on three bacterial strains: Streptococcus pyogenes, Listeria monocytogenes and L. innocua. Extracts of V. anagallis-aquatica showed the highest antibacterial activity, both from the natural habitat and cultivated habitat. (4) Conclusions: A comparison of the different activities tested for phenolic extracts between wild and cultivated species of the genus Veronica showed that cultivated species also have significant biological activity and are suitable for further research and applications. Full article
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