Forty Years after the Foundation of SIF: The Impressive Growing Networking Role of Phytochemistry

Dear Colleagues,

The S.I.F.—Italian Society of Phytochemistry and Sciences of Medicinal, Food and Perfume Plants celebrate in 2021 forty years of scientific activity with a Special Issue dedicated to an interdisciplinary vision of phytochemistry as the link between knowledge of plants and their applications. The Special Issue is focused on traditional and innovative approaches involving phytochemistry as tools for deep investigations of botanical, agronomic, ecological, phytochemical, biochemical, pharmacognostic, pharmacological, toxicological, food, cosmetic, and technological-pharmaceutical aspects.

The Special Issue aims to highlight the multidisciplinary use and application of phytochemical methods in the study of plant metabolites, exploring both classical and innovative methods.

Studies on chemodiversity are welcome, including investigations on plant composition and qualitative and quantitative plant metabolite variability in wild and cultivated plants as playing key roles for the relative applicative aspects, as well as investigations on the effects of extraction and the manipulation process.

Experimental approaches to the valorization of the plants as resources, including plants from wild flora, with emphasis on endemic or unexplored species, and the traditional knowledge and uses of plant and extracts, such as medicinal, culinary, cosmetic, and dye extracts, including their rational use validation and the exploration of new applications, are also encouraged.

The Special Issue will also focus on extraction, manipulation, and technological formulation of extracts and isolated metabolites and studies of the eco-toxicological, biocompatibility, biological activities, pharmacological, and toxicological effects.

Conventional and innovative approaches applied to the qualitative and quantitative chemical characterization of plants and extracts is encouraged, including isolation and characterization of selected metabolites, phytochemical fingerprinting and chemometry. Investigations on biosynthesis and accumulation of natural products in in vitro cell cultures and alternative systems for secondary metabolites production as strategies for conservation and sustainability purposes are also invited.

Special emphasis for applicative effects on the valorization of waste products as well as to valorize local resources and productive chains for a sustainable and ethical use of plants is given.

Prof. Dr. Luigi Menghini
Prof. Dr. Angela Bisio
Dr. Maria Pia Argentieri
Guest Editors

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