Chemical Signatures, Biological Functions, and Valorization Potential of Plant Extracts
A special issue of International Journal of Plant Biology (ISSN 2037-0164). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Biochemistry and Genetics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 1324
Editors
Interests: plant extracts; chemical signatures; extraction and analytical approaches; plant-derived compounds and phytochemicals; chromatographic and spectroscopic characterization; antioxidant and antibacterial activities; biological functions; valorization strategies; food and nutrition
Interests: plant physiology; soil fertility; crop water requirements; open-field and protected cultivation; water management strategies; low-pressure drip irrigation; low-cost irrigation for smallholders; horticultural soilless systems; greenhouse climate management; ventilation, shading, heating, and lighting; water-energy optimization; photovoltaic greenhouses; biosaline agriculture; alternative crops; conservation agriculture; mountainous farming systems
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Plant extracts are a rich and renewable source of structurally diverse natural compounds, whose chemical profiles are governed by a complex interplay of plant genetic background, environmental and edaphic factors, geographical origin, extraction methodologies, and long-established traditional practices. The traditional uses of crop and medicinal plants reflect a deep co-evolution between plant species and local knowledge systems, resulting in metabolite profiles that are both conserved and environmentally responsive and have been historically shaped to support plant defense, ecological adaptation, and stress tolerance. These phytochemical matrices rarely exert their effects through single-compound mechanisms; instead, they act through synergistic and multitarget interactions that underpin essential biological processes, including redox regulation, allelopathic effects, microbial community modulation, and plant signaling pathways. Recent advances in extraction technologies and analytical chemistry, particularly chromatographic, spectroscopic, and metabolomics-based approaches, have markedly improved the accuracy and depth of phytochemical characterization, enabling a more precise understanding of the relationships between chemical diversity, biosynthetic pathways, ecological function, and traditional use, while clarifying the influence of environmental, agronomic, and processing conditions on secondary metabolite composition and variability. By bridging fundamental research with applied and technological perspectives, this Special Issue seeks to highlight the importance of plant extracts as sustainable natural resources and promote their scientific, industrial, and socio-economic valorization.
Dr. Mohamed Ouknin
Dr. Ahmed Wifaya
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 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
- plant extracts
- phytochemicals
- antioxidants
- antimicrobial activity
- traditional knowledge
- synergistic bioactivity
- natural preservation
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