Plant Chemical Diversity: Analysis, Biological Functions and Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2027 | Viewed by 547

Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute for Agriculture and Forestry Systems in the Mediterranean, National Research Council (ISAFOM-CNR), Via Empedocle 58, 95128 Catania, Italy
Interests: phytochemistry; plant bioactive compounds; natural products; polyphenols; phenolic acids; flavonoids; antioxidant activity; plant extracts; Mediterranean plants; food chemistry; functional foods; nutraceuticals; carbohydrate analysis; minerals; plant secondary metabolites; bioactive compound extraction; agricultural by-product valorization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Agriculture and Forestry Systems in the Mediterranean, National Research Council (ISAFOM-CNR), Via Empedocle 58, 95128 Catania, Italy
Interests: phytochemicals; polyphenols; flavonoids; antioxidant activity; bioactive compounds; functional foods; nutraceuticals; nutritional quality; volatile organic compounds (VOCs); fatty acids; free fatty acids (FFAs); fructans and other fructose-based polymers; metabolomics; food quality; bioavailability; plant extracts; natural antioxidants; micropropagation; seed germination

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants are remarkable reservoirs of chemical diversity, producing a vast array of primary and secondary metabolites that are essential for growth, development, adaptation, and interaction with the environment. These compounds encompass carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, minerals, volatile compounds, phenolic compounds, alkaloids, terpenoids, and many other molecules that contribute to plant physiology and represent valuable resources for food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, agricultural, and industrial applications. The high variability of these compounds among species, genotypes, tissues, and environmental conditions represents an important source of biological and functional diversity.

The growing interest in plant-derived compounds has stimulated significant advances in analytical methodologies and interdisciplinary research aimed at understanding their chemical composition, biological functions, and potential applications. Comprehensive characterization of plant constituents is crucial not only for elucidating plant metabolism and ecological roles but also for supporting the development of innovative products and the sustainable utilization of plant resources.

This Special Issue aims to gather original research articles, reviews, and communications addressing all aspects of plant chemical diversity. Contributions are welcome that investigate the identification, characterization, quantification, extraction, functionality, and application of plant-derived compounds and plant-based products.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Chemical composition of plant materials and plant-derived products;
  • Primary and secondary metabolites;
  • Polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, and other bioactive compounds;
  • Carbohydrates, organic acids, fatty acids, and lipid profiling;
  • Mineral composition, inorganic ions, and nutrient characterization;
  • Volatile compounds and aroma profiling;
  • Phytochemical analysis and metabolomics;
  • Advanced analytical methodologies for plant characterization;
  • Biological activities and functional properties of plant compounds;
  • Quality assessment, authentication, and standardization of plant products;
  • Sustainable extraction and processing technologies;
  • Valorization of plant resources and agricultural by-products.

By bringing together contributions from phytochemistry, analytical chemistry, plant science, food science, biotechnology, and related disciplines, this Special Issue seeks to provide an updated overview of current advances and future perspectives in the study of plant chemical diversity and its practical applications.

We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions.

Dr. Claudia Genovese
Dr. Simona Tringali
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-anonymized 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

  • biodiversity
  • plant metabolites
  • phytochemicals
  • nutraceuticals
  • natural products
  • bioactive compounds
  • carbohydrates
  • polyphenols
  • flavonoids
  • fatty acids
  • volatile organic compounds
  • fatty acids
  • mineral composition
  • metabolomics
  • analytical chemistry
  • plant extracts
  • agricultural by-products
  • sustainable valorization

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 894 KB  
Article
Safety Assessment of Selenium-Biofortified Broccoli Seedlings: Insights from Repeated-Dose Toxicity and Genotoxicity Evaluation in Mice
by Patricia Bachiega, Jocelem Mastrodi Salgado, Karin Maia Monteiro, Tuany Zambroti Cândido, Ana Lúcia Tasca Gois Ruiz, Amílcar Sabino Damazo, Gabrielle Barcelo Paes, João Ernesto de Carvalho, Gisele Goulart da Silva, Adriano Costa de Camargo and Maressa Caldeira Morzelle
Plants 2026, 15(15), 2277; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15152277 - 25 Jul 2026
Viewed by 344
Abstract
Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element; however, excessive exposure may cause adverse effects because of its narrow safety margin. This study evaluated the toxicological and genotoxic effects of Se-biofortified broccoli seedlings in male and female Swiss mice. Animals received control or Se-enriched [...] Read more.
Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element; however, excessive exposure may cause adverse effects because of its narrow safety margin. This study evaluated the toxicological and genotoxic effects of Se-biofortified broccoli seedlings in male and female Swiss mice. Animals received control or Se-enriched broccoli seedlings orally for 40 days (15, 45, or 70 µg Se/kg body weight (BW)). General toxicity (body weight gain), hematological (complete blood count), biochemical (creatinine, bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and urea), histopathological, and micronucleus evaluations were performed. No significant changes in body weight or hematological parameters were detected. Biochemical alterations were restricted to males, with increased urea (51.90 ± 2.14 mg/dL) and decreased aspartate aminotransferase (128.4 ± 14.45 U/L) after 45 µg Se/kg BW. The highest Se dose increased spleen (0.60 ± 0.04 g/100 g BW) and ovary (0.29 ± 0.03 g/100 g BW) weights in females, decreased liver weight (5.82 ± 0.10 g/100 g BW), increased testis weight (0.76 ± 0.04 g/100 g BW) in males, induced renal and splenic histological alterations, and increased micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (0.46 ± 0.04). These findings indicate that 15 µg Se/kg BW was the safest dose evaluated. Future studies should investigate Se speciation and sex-dependent toxicological responses. Full article
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