Advanced Extraction and Chromatographic Methodologies for the Analysis of Plant Secondary Metabolites and Contaminants in Crops: Innovative Analytical Strategies
A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Analytical Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 52
Special Issue Editors
Interests: miniaturized separation techniques; liquid chromatography; mass spectrometry; food and natural product extract characterization; bioactive compounds; polyphenols; contaminants; sustainable extraction techniques
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: liquid chromatography; gas-chromatography; mass spectrometry; plant secondary metabolite characterization; bioactive compounds; contaminants
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Plants and crops are complex biological systems containing large amounts of nutrients that are useful for the human diet, together with biologically active compounds that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. The investigation of these compounds makes it possible to evaluate the quality, safety and traceability of agro-food products as well as select plant species as a source of nutraceuticals. In addition to naturally occurring substances, potentially harmful contaminants such as pesticides, toxins, and environmental pollutants may also be found in plants. Substances like these need to be monitored closely because they can reach humans and animals through the food chain. Accurate and sensitive analytical approaches are then required for their identification, quantification and monitoring in complex matrices. The complexity of plant extracts also demands the development of advanced, sensitive, and selective analytical workflows integrated with sophisticated data processing.
Within this framework, the characterization of the phytochemical profile as well as the determination of contaminants in plants are among the most challenging issues in modern analytical chemistry. This Special Issue aims to bring together high-quality research papers and review articles on the latest advancements in the extraction and separation of plant secondary metabolites and contaminants.
We particularly invite contributions exploring innovative sample preparation protocols (e.g., SPME, QuEChERS, and membrane-based clean-up); green extraction technologies based on sustainable approaches, including Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction (UAE) and Microwave-Assisted Extraction (MAE); and advanced chromatographic platforms such as LC/UPLC-MS/MS, multidimensional chromatography (2D-LC), and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) combined with multivariate analysis (PCA, PLS-DA) and experimental design (DoE). We also welcome papers on the characterization of the phytocomplex and determination of contaminants in agro-food matrices.
Dr. Zeineb Aturki
Dr. Enrica Donati
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- sample preparation
- green extraction technologies
- advanced analytical techniques
- high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS)
- plant secondary metabolites
- contaminants
- chemometrics
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