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Valuable Phytochemicals: Extracts and Extraction Techniques, Analyte Isolation, Bioactive and...
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Valuable Phytochemicals: Extracts and Extraction Techniques, Analyte Isolation, Bioactive and Nutritional Properties

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 6367

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Francisco Radler Aquino Neto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chemistry Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Avenida Horácio Macedo, 1281, Polo de Química, Bloco C, Rio de Janeiro 21941-598, RJ, Brazil
Interests: high-resolution gas chromatography; mass spectrometry; omics sciences; molecular organic geochemistry; geochemical prospecting for crude oil; outdoor–indoor environment; indoor air quality; doping control and other analytical problems concerning natural products; environmental, forensic, pharmacological, toxicological and clinical chemistry; quality control of processes; raw materials and products; characterization and remediation of industrial and urban emissions; residues and effluents
Prof. Dr. Fábio Junior Moreira Novaes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chemistry Department, Federal University of Viçosa, Avenida Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n, Campus Universitário, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil
Interests: analytical problems concerning gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and sample preparation concerning natural products with emphasis on Coffea plants and other food matrices

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The aim of this Special Issue is to document the world of plants through their nature and geographical location, information on major forests and their species, as well as major agricultural products, with a view on biodiversity, risk of extinction, responsible profitability and sustainability of plants use, approached from their molecular composition and biological properties. Due to the market value of these compounds and extracts, conventional and emerging extraction techniques and isolation procedures are of interest in order to increase their extractive yield, as well as reduce production costs and avoid processes harmful to human health and the environment.

The objective of this Special Issue of Plants is to publish studies concerning the improvement of general molecular knowledge of plants and their biological properties; and the commercial value of phytochemicals, exploring their extracts and extractive techniques, isolation and chemical characterization; as well as their application after industrial processing.

Prof. Dr. Francisco Radler Aquino Neto
Prof. Dr. Fábio Junior Moreira Novaes
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

  • allelopathy
  • antioxidant activity
  • bioactives
  • biotic/abiotic stress
  • chromatography
  • consumables
  • environmental stressors
  • essential oils
  • extraction
  • extraction methods
  • food analysis
  • food chemistry
  • functional food products
  • gas chromatography
  • genetics
  • high-performance liquid chromatography
  • industrial applications
  • mass spectrometry
  • natural product chemistry
  • omics
  • phytochemicals
  • plant biology
  • plant extracts
  • plant pathology
  • plant-based drugs of abuse
  • production technology
  • qualitative and quantitative analysis
  • secondary metabolites
  • technical products, fibers and plant polymers
  • therapeutic agents

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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24 pages, 3850 KiB  
Article
Phytochemical Analysis and Biological Activities of Flavonoids and Anthraquinones from Cassia alata (Linnaeus) Roxburgh and Their Implications for Atopic Dermatitis Management
by Sue-Kei Lee, Jing-Wen Keng, Jessica-Ai-Lyn Yon, Chun-Wai Mai, Heng-Chee Lim, Sek-Chuen Chow, Gabriel Akyirem Akowuah, Kai Bin Liew, Siew-Keah Lee, Philip J. Marriott and Yik-Ling Chew
Plants 2025, 14(3), 362; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14030362 - 24 Jan 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1256
Abstract
To study Cassia alata (CA) (Linnaeus) Roxburgh’s effectiveness towards atopic dermatitis (AD), CA leaf extracts were prepared using three methanol-based extraction solvent systems. Bioactive constituents were characterized and quantified via high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. Antioxidant properties and antimicrobial activities against [...] Read more.
To study Cassia alata (CA) (Linnaeus) Roxburgh’s effectiveness towards atopic dermatitis (AD), CA leaf extracts were prepared using three methanol-based extraction solvent systems. Bioactive constituents were characterized and quantified via high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. Antioxidant properties and antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, a major AD exacerbation factor, were assessed. Four polyphenols (two flavonoids, two anthraquinones) beneficial in AD control were detected (rhein > aloe-emodin > astragalin > kaempferol). The 75% v/v MeOH/water extract had the most polyphenols and the best antioxidant profile (total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-hydrate radical scavenging activity, ascorbic acid equivalent antioxidant capacity), with excellent S. aureus inhibition (minimum inhibitory concentration = 0.625 mg/mL; minimum bactericidal concentration = 1.25 mg/mL). Hence, it was selected for the in vitro examination of cytotoxicity and wound healing activity towards human epidermal keratinocyte cells using a 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2h-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and wound scratch assay. The extract showed no cytotoxicity (IC50 > 100 µg/mL) without significant reduction in cell viability up to 200 µg/mL compared to the vehicle control. An amount of 50 μg/mL extract concentration showed the best wound-healing activity (p < 0.05), with a cell migration rate of 5.89 ± 0.80 µm/h over 96 h post-treatment. Such antioxidant, antimicrobial, and wound-healing activities suggest CA and its polyphenols to be promising natural, long-term AD remedies for skin health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Valuable Phytochemicals: Extracts and Extraction Techniques, Analyte Isolation, Bioactive and Nutritional Properties)
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16 pages, 1618 KiB  
Article
Direct Hot Solid–Liquid Extraction (DH-SLE): A High-Yield Greener Technique for Lipid Recovery from Coffee Beans
by Daliane Cláudia de Faria, Maria Eliana Lopes Ribeiro de Queiroz and Fábio Junior Moreira Novaes
Plants 2025, 14(2), 185; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14020185 - 11 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 814
Abstract
Soxhlet extraction is a method recommended by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) to determine the lipid content in plant samples. Generally, n-hexane (toxicity grade 5) is used as the solvent (≈300 mL; ≈30 g sample) at boiling temperatures (69 °C) for [...] Read more.
Soxhlet extraction is a method recommended by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) to determine the lipid content in plant samples. Generally, n-hexane (toxicity grade 5) is used as the solvent (≈300 mL; ≈30 g sample) at boiling temperatures (69 °C) for long times (≤16 h) under a chilled water reflux (≈90 L/h), proportionally aggravated by the number of repetitions and samples determined. In this sense, the technique is neither safe nor sustainable for the analyst or the environment. This article presents the development of an alternative and more sustainable procedure for determining the lipid content in raw Arabica coffee beans. A 33 full factorial design was used to perform direct hot solid–liquid extractions in 4 mL vials, varying the ground grains and solvent ratios, temperatures, and times. An optimal condition resulted in an extractive yield statistically equivalent to Soxhlet, without variation in the composition of the oil fatty acids determined by GC-MS after hole oil transesterification. This procedure was presented as a sustainable alternative to Soxhlet extraction because it does not require water for cooling and needs a smaller volume of solvent (2 mL) and sample mass (0.2 g); it also has a smaller generated residue, as well as requiring a shorter time (1.5 h) and less energy expenditure for extraction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Valuable Phytochemicals: Extracts and Extraction Techniques, Analyte Isolation, Bioactive and Nutritional Properties)
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17 pages, 4469 KiB  
Article
Compliance Testing of Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Cultivars for Total Delta-9 THC and Total CBD Using Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detection
by Terri L. Arsenault, Kitty Prapayotin-Riveros, Michael A. Ammirata, Jason C. White and Christian O. Dimkpa
Plants 2024, 13(4), 519; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13040519 - 14 Feb 2024
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2056
Abstract
The United States Agriculture Improvement Act passed in December of 2018 legalized the growing of Cannabis sativa containing not more than 0.3% total Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the country. While Cannabis sativa has been cultivated for hundreds of years, the illegal status of [...] Read more.
The United States Agriculture Improvement Act passed in December of 2018 legalized the growing of Cannabis sativa containing not more than 0.3% total Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the country. While Cannabis sativa has been cultivated for hundreds of years, the illegal status of the plant in the United States, and elsewhere, has hindered the development of plant cultivars that meet this legal definition. To assess sampling strategies, and conformance to the THC limit, 14 cultivars of hemp were grown and tested by using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection for total delta-9 THC and total cannabidiol (CBD) during 2020, 2021 and 2022. Each year, samples of fresh plant material were collected from each cultivar weekly, beginning in mid-August and ending in late October, to examine the rate of increase in THC and CBD for different cultivars and select individual plants. The sampling demonstrated that both CBD and THC increase rapidly over a 1–2-week time frame with maximum concentrations (about 16% and 0.6%, respectively) around late September to early October. The testing of individual plants on the same day for select cultivars showed that while the ratio of CBD to THC remains constant (about 20:1 in compliant hemp) during the growing season, the individual plants are highly variable in concentration. Whereas previous studies have shown cultivar-dependent variability in THC production, this study demonstrated a novel plant-to-plant variability in the levels of THC within the same hemp cultivar. Understanding variability within and between hemp cultivars is useful to determine field sampling strategies and to assess the risk of crop embargoes to growers by compliance regulators. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Valuable Phytochemicals: Extracts and Extraction Techniques, Analyte Isolation, Bioactive and Nutritional Properties)
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Other

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10 pages, 915 KiB  
Brief Report
Chemical Profile of Ocotea delicata (Lauraceae) Using Ultra High-Performance Liquid Chromatography–High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry–Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking Workflow
by Ananda da Silva Antonio, Gustavo Ramalho Cardoso dos Santos, Henrique Marcelo Gualberto Pereira, Valdir Florêncio da Veiga-Junior and Larissa Silveira Moreira Wiedemann
Plants 2024, 13(6), 859; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13060859 - 16 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1453
Abstract
Ocotea, the largest genus in the Lauraceae family, encompasses numerous species of scientific interest. However, most Ocotea species have only been described morphologically. This study used an untargeted metabolomics workflow with UHPLC-HRMS and GNPS-FBMN to provide the first chemical evaluation of the [...] Read more.
Ocotea, the largest genus in the Lauraceae family, encompasses numerous species of scientific interest. However, most Ocotea species have only been described morphologically. This study used an untargeted metabolomics workflow with UHPLC-HRMS and GNPS-FBMN to provide the first chemical evaluation of the polar specialized metabolites of O. delicata leaves. Leaves from three O. delicata specimens were extracted using ultrasound-assisted extraction with 70% ethanol. Among the examined samples, 44 metabolites, including alkaloids and flavonoids, were identified. In contrast to other Ocotea species, O. delicata has a wider diversity of kaempferol derivatives than quercetin. The biomass of the specimens showed a significant correlation with the chemical profile. The similarity among specimens was mostly determined by the concentrations of quinic acid, kaempferol glycosides, and boldine. The evaluated specimens exhibited chemical features similar to those of species classified as New World Ocotea, with the coexistence of aporphine and benzylisoquinoline alkaloids. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Valuable Phytochemicals: Extracts and Extraction Techniques, Analyte Isolation, Bioactive and Nutritional Properties)
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