Plant Extracts—Chemical Composition, Biological Activity and Prospective Applications

Dear Colleagues,

For centuries, numerous plant species have been known for their stimulating, therapeutic, or poisonous properties. They continue to provide a rich source of bioactive, including a wide range of aromatic and nonaromatic, compounds with diverse biological activities. Among them, phenolic compounds, alkaloids, terpenes, and tannins are the most studied antioxidant and antimicrobial agents. Plant extracts are utilized in various applications, including pharmacology, the food industry, cosmetics, and agriculture. However, their composition and activity may vary due to plant genetics, climatic and soil factors, the time of harvesting, as well as the method of extraction. Studies on plant extracts mainly concern their chemical composition and biological activity as pharmacological agents, i.e., their antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer, or anti-inflammatory properties. Novel studies concern the application of plant extracts for the biological protection of cereals and fruits against fungal infection or as antidecay wood protectants. However, the plant extracts used as therapeutic agents or crop protectants are often poorly standardized and controlled. Thus, the analysis of contaminants that may occur in plant raw materials, such as pesticides, heavy metals, or PAHs, is an important issue.

Thus, in this Special Issue, research articles, reviews, or short communications that focus on the composition and bioactivity of plant extracts, the genetic and environmental factors influencing these features, their applications, contamination analysis, and the evaluation of extraction methods are all welcome.

Dr. Magdalena Woźniak
Dr. Kinga Drzewiecka
Dr. Karolina Hoppe
Guest Editors

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• antimicrobial
• antioxidant
• anti-inflammatory
• application
• bioactive compounds
• biological activity
• chemical composition
• contaminants
• crop bioprotection
• extraction methods
• efficiency
• natural-based extracts 
• plant extracts
• wood bioprotection