Advanced Research on Sprouts and Microgreens as a Source of Bioactive Compounds—2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

Following the success of the first edition, this second edition of the Special Issue of Plants focuses on "Advanced Research on Sprouts and Microgreens as a Source of Bioactive Compounds—2nd Edition". In recent years, sprouts and microgreens have gained increasing attention as valuable sources of bioactive compounds with potential applications in the agricultural, food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical industries.

Although the field is rapidly expanding, much remains to be explored. There is a significant need for multidisciplinary studies to deepen our understanding of the biological, biochemical, and molecular aspects underlying the production and enhancement of health-promoting metabolites in these young edible plants.

To this purpose, this Special Issue aims to collect advanced and innovative research contributions on topics including, but not limited to, the following:

• exploration of plant species diversity (including local or underutilized genetic resources) to identify those with optimal germination and nutritional traits for sprouting and microgreen production;
• understanding the genetic diversity of sprouts and microgreens, as the genotype plays a crucial role in determining their nutritional profile and associated health benefits;
• application of elicitation techniques to enhance the accumulation of secondary metabolites with health-promoting properties;
• epigenetic effects on phytochemicals due to stressful conditions applied to mother plants;
• effects on bioactive compounds given by combinations of elicitors;
• mineral biofortification of sprouts and microgreens;
• implementation of genetic and molecular strategies to boost metabolite biosynthesis and improve stress responses in edible sprouts.

We welcome original research articles, reviews, and short communications that contribute to advancing this emerging and multidisciplinary field.

Dr. Angelica Galieni
Dr. Beatrice Falcinelli
Dr. Sara Sestili
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 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.