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Plants
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Emerging Extraction Techniques for Bioactive Compounds Derived from Plant Resources
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Emerging Extraction Techniques for Bioactive Compounds Derived from Plant Resources

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 2618

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Branimir Pavlic

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Technology Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Bulevar cara Lazara 1, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Interests: process engineering; statistical modeling; antioxidant activity; natural product chemistry; extraction; food chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Milica Aćimović

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops Novi Sad, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Interests: medicinal plants; growing technology; postharvest processing; biodiversity; ethnopharmacology; essential oil; hydrolate; climate changes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The decline in the use of synthetic compounds, chemicals, and additives, due to their toxic effects on humans and the environment, has shifted attention toward natural extracts obtained through sustainable and eco-friendly methods. High-pressure technologies and bio-based solvents have both emerged as critical categories of extraction techniques, addressing key challenges in green chemistry. These include reducing energy, time, and resource consumption while maintaining high yields and the quality of the extracts.

This Special Issue is focused on the utilization of emerging extraction techniques (high-pressure processes, such as supercritical fluid extraction, pressurized liquid extraction, and subcritical water extraction, ultrasounds, microwaves, pulsed electric fields, enzymes, and natural deep eutectic solvents) for recovering a diverse range of natural bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, terpenoids, carotenoids, and lipids. These compounds are commonly sourced from plant- and animal-based resources, as well as from under-utilized side streams such as wild-grown medicinal plants, by-products of the food industry, and agricultural waste streams.

This Special Issue welcomes high-quality research contributions that explore innovative approaches to extracting bioactive compounds using green extraction processes and their novel applications in various products. Topics of interest include process optimization, chemical characterization, and the evaluation of bioactive potential. Particular emphasis is placed on the integration of these extracts into food products, either as natural additives or in the creation of functional foods.

Dr. Branimir Pavlic
Dr. Milica Aćimović
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

  • bioactive compounds
  • emerging extraction techniques
  • natural deep eutectic solvents
  • high-pressure processes
  • functional foods

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 1361 KB  
Article
A Preliminary Insight into Under-Researched Plants from the Asteraceae Family in the Balkan Peninsula: Bioactive Compound Diversity and Antioxidant Potential
by Sanja Vojvodić, Danica Božović, Milica Aćimović, Uroš Gašić, Zoran Zeković, Anica Bebek Markovinović, Danijela Bursać Kovačević, Bojan Zlatković and Branimir Pavlić
Plants 2025, 14(18), 2904; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14182904 - 18 Sep 2025
Viewed by 235
Abstract
Natural resources rich in polyphenols from plants belonging to the Asteraceae family remain largely unexplored. The main goal of this study was to characterize under-studied Asteraceae plants in terms of different bioactive compounds, antioxidant potential, and chemical profile. Twenty-three samples from 19 plant [...] Read more.
Natural resources rich in polyphenols from plants belonging to the Asteraceae family remain largely unexplored. The main goal of this study was to characterize under-studied Asteraceae plants in terms of different bioactive compounds, antioxidant potential, and chemical profile. Twenty-three samples from 19 plant species were analyzed using conventional solid/liquid extraction, and the contents of total phenolics (TP), flavonoids (TF), flavonols (FL), hydroxycinnamic acids (HCA) and condensed tannins (CT), as well as extraction yield were determined. Antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays, and five plant samples were subjected to LC-MS analysis. Extraction yields ranged from 0.57% to 1.74%. Solidago virgaurea had the highest TP and FL contents, while Tanacetum vulgare showed the highest TF and HCA levels. The highest CT content was found in the roots of Helianthus tuberosus. Asteraceae species such as S. virgaurea, Tussilago farfara, Cota tinctoria, T. vulgare, and Inula ensifolia demonstrated the greatest antioxidant potential, with about 130 different identified compounds. Given the promising chemical richness of these under-researched species, future studies should focus on enhancing extraction of bioactive compounds using novel techniques and incorporating extracts as natural, non-synthetic preservatives in various products to improve their nutritional and biological properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Extraction Techniques for Bioactive Compounds Derived from Plant Resources)
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11 pages, 1710 KB  
Article
Optimization of Seed Oil Extraction from Asphodelus tenuifolius Cav. Using Response Surface Methodology
by Fatima Ezzahra Eddaoudi, Chakir El Guezzane, Hamza El Moudden, Ayoub Badi, Yousra El Idrissi, Hicham Harhar, Agnese Santanatoglia, Filippo Maggi, Giovanni Caprioli, Abdelhakim Bouyahya and Mohamed Tabyaoui
Plants 2025, 14(15), 2298; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14152298 - 25 Jul 2025
Viewed by 444
Abstract
Two solvents, n-hexane and ethyl acetate, were employed to extract oil from Asphodelus tenuifolius Cav. seeds using the Soxhlet extraction technique. The process was optimized using Central Composite Design (CCD) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM). ANOVA and a second-order polynomial equation were [...] Read more.
Two solvents, n-hexane and ethyl acetate, were employed to extract oil from Asphodelus tenuifolius Cav. seeds using the Soxhlet extraction technique. The process was optimized using Central Composite Design (CCD) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM). ANOVA and a second-order polynomial equation were applied to evaluate the effects of key operational factors, including extraction time (20–60 min) and solvent-to-solid ratio (0.2–0.6 g/mL), on oil yield. The physicochemical properties, fatty acid composition, and functional groups of the extracted oil were analyzed. While both solvents influenced oil yield and quality, the fatty acid composition remained consistent, with unsaturated fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid, identified as the main components. Under optimized conditions, the highest oil yields were 22% with n-hexane and 19.91% with ethyl acetate. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of ester groups, suggesting potential applications in biodiesel production. These findings offer valuable insights for producing oils rich in unsaturated fatty acids for food, cosmetic and renewable energy industries. These findings pave the way for further advancements in industrial applications by promoting the sustainable use of plant-derived oils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Extraction Techniques for Bioactive Compounds Derived from Plant Resources)
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17 pages, 3114 KB  
Article
An Efficient Extraction, Characterization and Antioxidant Study of Polysaccharides from Peucedani Decursivi Radix
by Qian Li, Zeyu Li, Chaogui Hu, Chenyue Wang, Feng Yang and Xiaoqin Ding
Plants 2025, 14(14), 2188; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14142188 - 15 Jul 2025
Viewed by 474
Abstract
Hot water extraction (HE), enzyme-assisted hot water extraction (EAHE), ultrasonic-assisted extraction with NADES (UAE-NADES) and ultrasonic-assisted extraction with NADES and enzyme pretreatment (UAE-NADES-E) were employed to extract polysaccharides from Peucedani Decursivi Radix (PDR) and their structures were characterized for the first time. UAE-NADES-E [...] Read more.
Hot water extraction (HE), enzyme-assisted hot water extraction (EAHE), ultrasonic-assisted extraction with NADES (UAE-NADES) and ultrasonic-assisted extraction with NADES and enzyme pretreatment (UAE-NADES-E) were employed to extract polysaccharides from Peucedani Decursivi Radix (PDR) and their structures were characterized for the first time. UAE-NADES-E was found to be the most effective extraction method, and the extraction process was optimized by Box–Behnken design (BBD)-response surface methodology (RSM) experiments. The optimal extraction process was determined by using a NADES system with a molar ratio of betaine to 1,3-butanediol of 1:3, a water content of 30%, a liquid/solid ratio of 40:1 mL/g, an ultrasound time of 30 min, an ultrasound temperature of 45 °C and an alcohol precipitation time of 6 h; the polysaccharide extraction yield reached 19.93%. Further, the structures of polysaccharides from PDR extracted by the above four methods were characterized by FT-IR, SEM, gel and anion-exchange chromatography. Eight monosaccharides were detected in the PDR polysaccharides extracted by the four methods. The PDR polysaccharides extracted by the UAE-NADES-E method had lower molecular weights compared with those extracted by the other methods. Moreover, the PDR polysaccharides exhibited obvious antioxidant activity, as revealed by DPPH, ABTS+ and hydroxyl radical scavenging experiments, meaning they have the potential to be developed as natural antioxidants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Extraction Techniques for Bioactive Compounds Derived from Plant Resources)
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29 pages, 2069 KB  
Article
Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from Larrea cuneifolia Cav. Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents: A Contribution to the Plant Green Extract Validation of Its Pharmacological Potential
by Agostina Conta, Mario Juan Simirgiotis, José Martínez Chamás, María Inés Isla and Iris Catiana Zampini
Plants 2025, 14(7), 1016; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14071016 - 24 Mar 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 914
Abstract
A sustainable alternative to replace the use of toxic and non-biodegradable conventional solvents for the extraction of active principles from plants is natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs). Larrea cuneifolia Cav. (Zygophyllaceae) is a plant widely distributed in semiarid areas of western Argentina. Several [...] Read more.
A sustainable alternative to replace the use of toxic and non-biodegradable conventional solvents for the extraction of active principles from plants is natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs). Larrea cuneifolia Cav. (Zygophyllaceae) is a plant widely distributed in semiarid areas of western Argentina. Several studies validate its popular medicinal use by demonstrating its biological activities such as antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic properties, among others. The aim of this work was to compare the bioactive compounds and the in vitro antioxidant and antibacterial activity of L. cuneifolia extracts using non-conventional vs. conventional solvents. Aqueous, ethanolic, and four NADES extracts were prepared. The extracts were phytochemically characterized, and extracted compounds were identified by UHPLC-MS/MS. Antioxidant activity was determined by evaluating the hydrogen peroxide and free radical scavenging capacity using ABTS•+. The antibacterial activity of the extracts and NADESs was evaluated against Gram-positive and Gram-negative multidrug-resistant strains. The extracts of L. cuneifolia presented a variable content of total phenolic compounds between 4163.4 and 24,371.63 µg GAE/mL. Phenolic acids, flavonoid glycosides, flavanones, flavones, flavonols, alkaloids, lignans (nordihydroguaiaretic acid and its derivatives), and other compounds were tentatively identified in extracts of L. cuneifolia obtained with conventional and non-conventional solvents. A heatmap cluster and a bubble plot were created to compare the diversity and relative abundance of identified compounds, and the extracts were classified into two major groups. All extracts were able to scavenge > 40% of hydrogen peroxide and the ABTS radical cation (ABTS•+) (CD50 = 3.15–5.13 µg GAE/mL). The LAS extract exhibited the highest bacterial growth inhibition (MIC = 75–37.5 µg GAE/mL). In conclusion, the results show that NADESs represent a sustainable alternative for the extraction of compounds with antioxidant and antibacterial activity and could therefore replace traditional solvents in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, or food industries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Extraction Techniques for Bioactive Compounds Derived from Plant Resources)
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