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Phytochemicals in Plants: Recent Developments on the Occurrence, Composition, Stability,...
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Phytochemicals in Plants: Recent Developments on the Occurrence, Composition, Stability, Health, Food and Pharmaceutical Applications—2nd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 9034

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Nicoleta-Gabriela Hădărugă

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food Science, University of Life Sciences “King Mihai I” from Timişoara, Aradului Str. 119, 300645 Timişoara, Romania
Interests: food quality; plant extracts; antioxidant activity; micro- and nanoencapsulation; cyclodextrins
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

New trends in the use of natural compounds in many fields, such as food and pharmaceuticals, increasingly make phytochemicals the focus of researchers' attention. Phytochemicals are biologically active compounds from plants. They are primary and secondary metabolites that provide a wide range of valuable bioactivities including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, antiparasitic, and antifungal effects, as well as anticancer and chemotherapeutic properties. Additionally, some phytochemicals are toxic or have detrimental effects to humans. This Special Issue, “Phytochemicals in Plants: Recent Developments On The Occurrence, Composition, Stability, Health, Food And Pharmaceutical Applications—2nd Edition”, focuses on the most recent findings regarding the identification and quantification of new and/or highly bioactive phytochemicals in various plants, including green algae and land plants (e.g., flowering plants, cereals, fruits, and vegetables), as well as their separation, purification, and structural characterization. Modern and recent developments in the methods of separation and analysis can be highlighted. Moreover, the degradation and stability of such compounds, including innovative stabilization techniques, are accepted. The mechanisms involved in phytochemical biosynthesis and biological activities (e.g., antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, or anticancer effects) are accepted. Finally, studies on phytochemical applications, especially in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic fields, are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Nicoleta-Gabriela Hădărugă
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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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.

Keywords

  • plant phytochemicals
  • antioxidants
  • flavonoids
  • anthocyanins
  • terpenoids
  • carotenoids
  • alkaloids
  • tannins
  • saponins
  • phytosterols
  • vitamins
  • biological activity
  • food applications
  • pharmaceutical applications

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

32 pages, 19603 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity, Cytotoxic, and Anti-Migratory Properties of the Essential Oils Obtained from Cultivated Medicinal Lamiaceae Species
by Gabriela Valentina Ciobotaru, Iacob-Daniel Goje, Cristina Adriana Dehelean, Corina Danciu, Ioana Zinuca Magyari-Pavel, Elena-Alina Moacă, Delia Muntean, Ilinca Merima Imbrea, Veronica Sărățeanu and Georgeta Pop
Plants 2025, 14(6), 846; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14060846 - 8 Mar 2025
Viewed by 701
Abstract
This study aims to highlight the therapeutic potential of some Lamiacea essential oils (EOs). For this purpose, eight EOs, including two from Lavandula angustifolia Mill. cultivated in Romania and Spain (LA1 and LA2), Salvia officinalis L. (SO), Lavandula hybrida Balb. ex Ging (LH), [...] Read more.
This study aims to highlight the therapeutic potential of some Lamiacea essential oils (EOs). For this purpose, eight EOs, including two from Lavandula angustifolia Mill. cultivated in Romania and Spain (LA1 and LA2), Salvia officinalis L. (SO), Lavandula hybrida Balb. ex Ging (LH), Salvia sclarea L. (SS), Mentha smithiana L. (MS), Perovskia atriplicifolia Benth. (PA), and Mentha x piperita L. (MP), were evaluated in vitro in terms of antioxidant, cytotoxic, antimicrobial, and anti-migratory activities. As regards the antioxidant capacity, expressed as the EO concentration that produces 50% of the maximum effect (IC50 value), the EOs obtained from the cultivated plants of the Lamiaceae family are ordered as follows: LA2 ˃ LA1 ˃ LH > MP > MS > SO > SS > PA. For the determination of antimicrobial activity, the reference strains used for testing were Salmonella enterica serotype typhimurium, Shigella flexneri serotype 2b, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, and Candida parapsilosis. The most intense inhibitory effect was observed in EOs of MS and MP on all tested microbial strains. The cytotoxic and anti-migratory activity of EOs was tested on two melanoma cell lines (A375 and B164A5) and on a healthy keratinocyte line (HaCaT). EOs LA1 and MP manifested the highest selectivity on the analysed tumoural cells, by reducing their migration in comparison with the control, proving to have therapeutic potential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals in Plants: Recent Developments on the Occurrence, Composition, Stability, Health, Food and Pharmaceutical Applications—2nd Edition)
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24 pages, 4643 KiB  
Article
Rapeseed—An Important Oleaginous Plant in the Oil Industry and the Resulting Meal a Valuable Source of Bioactive Compounds
by Ancuţa Petraru and Sonia Amariei
Plants 2024, 13(21), 3085; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13213085 - 1 Nov 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1422
Abstract
Rapeseeds (Brassica napus), cultivated widely as a source of oil, generate substantial by-products after oil extraction. Unfortunately, rapeseed meal is considered a waste product and as such is discharged into environment as compost or used as animal feed. However, this meal [...] Read more.
Rapeseeds (Brassica napus), cultivated widely as a source of oil, generate substantial by-products after oil extraction. Unfortunately, rapeseed meal is considered a waste product and as such is discharged into environment as compost or used as animal feed. However, this meal is rich in bioactive compounds (proteins, minerals, fibers and polyphenols), indicating its potential for the development of value-added products. The meal shows a higher content of minerals, total dietary fibers and proteins. Rapeseed meal contains a proportion of oil rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, predominately linoleic and α-linolenic acid. The amino acid proportion in the meal is higher than that in the seeds and contains essential amino acids, predominately valine. The analyses show the presence of valuable components in the cake, which makes it suitable for use in obtaining value-added products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals in Plants: Recent Developments on the Occurrence, Composition, Stability, Health, Food and Pharmaceutical Applications—2nd Edition)
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14 pages, 1058 KiB  
Article
Aristolochia clematitis L. Ethanolic Extracts: In Vitro Evaluation of Antioxidant Activity and Cytotoxicity on Caco-2 Cell Line
by Maria-Alexandra Pricop, Alexandra Teodora Lukinich-Gruia, Iustina-Mirabela Cristea, Virgil Păunescu and Călin Adrian Tatu
Plants 2024, 13(21), 2987; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13212987 - 25 Oct 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1233
Abstract
Aristolochia sp. plants are used in traditional medicine because of their immunostimulatory and anticarcinogenic properties, despite their content of aristolochic acids (AAs), carcinogenic and nephrotoxic agents. Therefore, ethanolic extracts of Aristolochia clematitis leaves, a specie growing in Western Romania, were obtained to study [...] Read more.
Aristolochia sp. plants are used in traditional medicine because of their immunostimulatory and anticarcinogenic properties, despite their content of aristolochic acids (AAs), carcinogenic and nephrotoxic agents. Therefore, ethanolic extracts of Aristolochia clematitis leaves, a specie growing in Western Romania, were obtained to study antioxidant and cytotoxic effects. The antioxidant capacity of the extract was evaluated by five in vitro chemical-based assays, proving that ABTS assay was a better method for this type of evaluation showing an IC50 of 160.89 ± 0.21 µg/mL. Furthermore, the cytotoxic effects of the extract were established by an IC50 of 216 µg/mL for 24 h by MTT assay, followed by a cell-based assay on Caco-2 cells by the ABTS method. The antioxidant effects of the A. clematitis extract demonstrate potential therapeutic applications in complementary medicine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals in Plants: Recent Developments on the Occurrence, Composition, Stability, Health, Food and Pharmaceutical Applications—2nd Edition)
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13 pages, 1849 KiB  
Article
Effects of Gamma Irradiation on Changes in Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Euphorbia maculata Callus
by Gyeong Han Jeong, Shubhpreet Kaur, Youngchul Yoo, Young Bae Ryu, Seo Jun Lee, Kwang-Woo Jung, Moon-Soo Chung, Hyoung-Woo Bai, Jin-Hong Kim, Sungbeom Lee, Tae Hoon Kim, Byung Yeoup Chung and Seung Sik Lee
Plants 2024, 13(16), 2306; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13162306 - 19 Aug 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1501
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the effects of gamma irradiation on the antioxidant activity and metabolite profiles of Euphorbia maculata calli (PC3012). Gamma irradiation at various doses (0, 0.05, 0.5, and 10 kGy) significantly enhanced the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid [...] Read more.
In this study, we investigated the effects of gamma irradiation on the antioxidant activity and metabolite profiles of Euphorbia maculata calli (PC3012). Gamma irradiation at various doses (0, 0.05, 0.5, and 10 kGy) significantly enhanced the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS+) radical scavenging activities of the callus extracts of PC3012 in a dose-dependent manner. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight/mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) analyses revealed that irradiation increased the lysophospholipid content, although no new antioxidant compounds were formed. Furthermore, a PLS-DA analysis revealed evident metabolic differences between non-irradiated and irradiated samples, which were further verified by statistical validation. These findings suggest that gamma irradiation induces specific biochemical modifications that enhance the bioactive properties of PC3012 calli. This technology exhibits potential for utilization in the natural product and food sectors, particularly in the development of functional foods and nutraceuticals with improved health benefits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals in Plants: Recent Developments on the Occurrence, Composition, Stability, Health, Food and Pharmaceutical Applications—2nd Edition)
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11 pages, 2685 KiB  
Article
Phytochemical Characterization and Bioactivity Evaluation of Extracts Obtained via Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Medicinal Plant Phedimus aizoon
by Jeongho Lee, Minji Kim, Hyerim Son, Seunghee Kim, Sangjin Jo, Agiimaa Janchiv, Soo-Yong Kim, Taek Lee and Hah Young Yoo
Plants 2024, 13(14), 1915; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13141915 - 11 Jul 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1833
Abstract
Phedimus aizoon has been utilized as a medicinal plant in Asia. However, the production of phytochemical-rich extracts from P. aizoon and the evaluation of their bioactivity are limited. Herein, phytochemical-rich extracts were prepared by ultrasound-assisted extraction of P. aizoon, with a high [...] Read more.
Phedimus aizoon has been utilized as a medicinal plant in Asia. However, the production of phytochemical-rich extracts from P. aizoon and the evaluation of their bioactivity are limited. Herein, phytochemical-rich extracts were prepared by ultrasound-assisted extraction of P. aizoon, with a high extraction yield of 16.56%. The extracts contained about 126 mg of phenolics and 31 mg of flavonoids per g of the extracts. The chromatographic analysis (GC-MS and HPLC analyses) identified 19 notable phytochemicals of the extracts from P. aizoon, including pentacosane, hexadecanoic acid, gallic acid, vanillic acid, and quercetin. The gallic acid content of the extracts was relatively high at 2.75 mg/g. The identified compounds are known to have various bioactivities, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal activities. In fact, the prepared extracts exhibited antioxidant activity at 24–28% of that of ascorbic acid. In addition, it showed antibacterial activity against both Escherichia coli (Gram-negative bacteria) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive bacteria). This study highlights that P. aizoon deserves attention as a natural bioactive substance and emphasizes the need for applications of the extracts from P. aizoon. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals in Plants: Recent Developments on the Occurrence, Composition, Stability, Health, Food and Pharmaceutical Applications—2nd Edition)
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12 pages, 1186 KiB  
Article
Quantitative Determination of Biogenic Element Contents and Phytochemicals of Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) Cooked Using Different Techniques
by Fahad AlJuhaimi, Isam A. Mohamed Ahmed, Mehmet Musa Özcan, Nurhan Uslu and Zainab Albakry
Plants 2024, 13(10), 1283; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13101283 - 7 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1514
Abstract
In this study, the effect of different cooking techniques on broccoli moisture, total phenolic, total flavonoid, and radical scavenging capacity results, polyphenol contents, and their quantitative values was investigated. The total phenolic quantities of fresh and cooked broccoli samples were assessed to be [...] Read more.
In this study, the effect of different cooking techniques on broccoli moisture, total phenolic, total flavonoid, and radical scavenging capacity results, polyphenol contents, and their quantitative values was investigated. The total phenolic quantities of fresh and cooked broccoli samples were assessed to be between 36.32 (conventional boiling) and 423.39 mg GAE/100 g (microwave heating). The radical scavenging activities of the broccoli samples were reported between 2.55 (conventional boiling) and 4.99 mmol/kg (microwave heating). In addition, catechin and rutin quantities of the fresh and cooked broccoli samples were measured to be between 2.24 (conventional boiling) and 54.48 mg/100 g (microwave heating), and between 0.55 (conventional boiling) and 16.33 mg/100 g (microwave heating), respectively. The most abundant elements in fresh and cooked broccoli samples were K, Ca, P, S, and Mg. The results showed some changes depending on cooking techniques compared to the control. The bioactive properties of broccoli samples cooked by means of conventional boiling, boiling in vacuum bag, and high-pressure boiling were established to be lower compared to the fresh sample. Catechin, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, rutin, and gallic acid were the key phenolic compounds of fresh and cooked broccoli samples. The phenolic components of broccoli were significantly affected by the applied cooking techniques. The highest protein in broccoli samples was determined in the broccoli sample cooked by boiling in a vacuum bag. There were statistically significant changes among the mineral results of broccoli cooked with different cooking methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals in Plants: Recent Developments on the Occurrence, Composition, Stability, Health, Food and Pharmaceutical Applications—2nd Edition)
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