Plant Extracts: Bioactive Substances and Active Ingredient

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2025) | Viewed by 1640

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Department of Biochemistry and Applied Biosciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan
Interests: plant breeding; genetics; citrus; blueberry; raspberry; polyploid; chromosome
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The relevance of food components to human health has led to increased consumer interest in fruits and vegetables, as well as foods rich in bioactive compounds and nutraceuticals. Fruits and vegetables are rich in micronutrients and bioactive compounds (including non-nutrients), consisting of phytochemicals such as polyphenols, dietary fiber, carotenoids and vitamins. There is also strong scientific evidence to suggest that the regular consumption of fruits and vegetables is negatively correlated with an risk of developing chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and age-related functional decline.

This Special Issue summarizes the potential of bioactive compounds derived primarily from fruits, edible grains, vegetables, cereals and medicinal plants, and provides researchers with valuable information for devising future strategies, including efficient selection strategies for promising bioactive ingredients to create a variety of functional foods.

Prof. Dr. Hisato Kunitake
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • plant agronomic purpose
  • antioxidants
  • bioactive compound
  • secondary metabolite biosynthesis
  • industry
  • phenolic compounds

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2942 KiB  
Article
Optimization of Ultrasound-Assisted Obtention of Bluish Anthocyanin Extracts from Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea) Petal Powders Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents
by Nicole Marina Almeida Maia, Irene Andressa, Jeferson Silva Cunha, Nataly de Almeida Costa, Larissa Lorrane Rodrigues Borges, Edimar Aparecida Filomeno Fontes, Eduardo Basílio de Oliveira, Bruno Ricardo de Castro Leite Júnior, Leonardo Lopes Bhering, Marleny Doris Aranda Saldaña and Érica Nascif Rufino Vieira
Plants 2025, 14(7), 1042; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14071042 - 27 Mar 2025
Viewed by 525
Abstract
This study focused on improving the extraction of anthocyanins from medicinal plants using green solvents, which is important for the food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics industries. The goal was to optimize the time (15–50 min), temperature (40–80 °C), and petal/solvent ratio (2.5/7%) for the [...] Read more.
This study focused on improving the extraction of anthocyanins from medicinal plants using green solvents, which is important for the food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics industries. The goal was to optimize the time (15–50 min), temperature (40–80 °C), and petal/solvent ratio (2.5/7%) for the ultrasound-assisted extraction of anthocyanins from Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea), using a natural deep eutectic solvent (choline chloride/glycerol, ChCl:Gly). The extraction was compared with a simple water extraction. To assess stability, we analyzed the anthocyanin content, antioxidant capacity, and color changes over 21 days. The optimal results were achieved using a temperature of 80 °C for 50 min and a 7% petal/solvent ratio. The CHCl:Gly solvent resulted in higher anthocyanin levels (374.65 mg DGE/L) compared to water (211.63 mg DGE/L). After storing the CHCl:Gly extract at 5 °C, only 16% of anthocyanins were lost, while the water extract lost 38%. The CHCl:Gly extract also showed better antioxidant capacity (156.43 µmol/mL). Color changes were less noticeable in the CHCl:Gly extract, especially when refrigerated. These findings demonstrate the method’s effectiveness for producing bioactive extracts, with potential for the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Extracts: Bioactive Substances and Active Ingredient)
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17 pages, 942 KiB  
Article
Phytochemical Characterization and Biological Activity of Two Anacardiaceae Species from Guinea-Bissau
by Quintino Malú, Maryam Malmir, Gonçalo Infante Caldeira, Sofia Encarnação, Katelene Lima, Luís Catarino, Beatriz Silva Lima, João Rocha and Olga Silva
Plants 2025, 14(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14010008 - 24 Dec 2024
Viewed by 692
Abstract
The dried leaves of Lannea velutina A.Rich. and Sorindeia juglandifolia Planch. ex Oliv. are commonly used in traditional medicine throughout West Africa to treat inflammatory diseases. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of the standardized hydroethanolic (70%) [...] Read more.
The dried leaves of Lannea velutina A.Rich. and Sorindeia juglandifolia Planch. ex Oliv. are commonly used in traditional medicine throughout West Africa to treat inflammatory diseases. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of the standardized hydroethanolic (70%) extracts of these plants and to investigate the underlying mechanisms, with a focus on their antioxidant properties. The anti-inflammatory effects were evaluated using a rat model of induced paw edema, while the antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH radical scavenging and iron-reducing antioxidant power assays. Chemical fingerprint was achieved by LC-UV/DAD-ESI/MS and the main classes of secondary metabolites were quantified by colorimetric analysis. The results showed that Sorindeia juglandifolia extract significantly inhibited the increase in paw edema volume, with the maximum effect observed at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg (20.51 ± 1.07% and 35.50 ± 6.90%, respectively). For L. velutina, the strongest inhibition was observed at 200 and 400 mg/kg (47.48 ± 11.37% and 35.40 ± 1.70%, respectively). Both extracts also showed remarkable antioxidant activity. Phenol derivatives were identified as the main classes of secondary metabolites, with L. velutina containing 350.1 ± 20.6 mg GAE/g DE and S. juglandifolia containing 463.4 ± 29.4 mg GAE/g DE. Ten phenolic markers were identified in L. velutina and six in S. juglandifolia extracts. The main components of L. velutina include myricetin-3-O-glucuronide, quercetin-3-O-glucuronide, catechin, and gallic acid, while S. juglandifolia contains gallic acid, isoquercitrin, and ethyl gallate. These results confirm the anti-inflammatory potential of L. velutina and S. juglandifolia and highlight their prospects as candidates for the development of standardized anti-inflammatory herbal medicines based on their chemical and biological properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Extracts: Bioactive Substances and Active Ingredient)
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