Synthesis, Quantification and NMR Characterization of Bioactive Compounds

Dear Colleagues,

The term “bioactive compound” simply defines a substance that has a biological activity. As the name suggests (the Greek bios refers to life, and the Latin activus means “dynamic, or full of energy, or involving an activity”), a bioactive compound has the ability to interact with one or more components of the living tissue. These compounds have a wide range of effects. Some definitions bind the bioactivity just for the positive effects in the body that may promote good health. In this way, bioactivity can be beneficial for humans. Nevertheless, researching different bioactive effects (including the "negative" effects) for human benefit was always, and will remain, a large area of the scientist research, not only in terms of health, but also in various fields, such as agriculture, industry, or cosmetics aspiring to improve the quality of human life at the end.

The origin of these substances can be natural, from plants, fruit, vegetables, animals or from other living organisms such as microorganisms, bacteria, and fungi. Examples of these include lycopene, resveratrol, flavonoids, anthocyanins, tannins, betalains, and carotenoids.

However, thanks to the development of pharmaceutical chemistry and new tools for chemical synthesis, it has made it possible to add a synthetic source, either partially or in total.

In this regard, clarifying the structure of bioactive compounds, both natural and synthetic, is a fundamental objective of research in this field and NMR spectroscopy has proven to be a powerful tool.

Finally, quantification of bioactive compounds in plants, fruit, vegetables, or other living organisms is essential for their possible application not only as a preventive role for human health but also for understanding, for example, of their nutraceutical potential and future application in the food industry.

Author contributions, whether in the form of original research or review articles, covering all aspects of both natural and/or synthetic "bioactive compounds," applied not only to human health but also to agrochemicals, cosmetics, food industry, nano-bio-science, etc., are topics of concern for this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Pierangela Ciuffreda
Prof. Dr. Diego Colombo
Guest Editors

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