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Emerging Phytochemicals: Novel Compounds, Extraction Techniques, and Potential Therapeutic Applications
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Emerging Phytochemicals: Novel Compounds, Extraction Techniques, and Potential Therapeutic Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2025) | Viewed by 4073

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Felipe Moura de Moura Souza

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Ciência e Tecnologia Goiano, Campus Rio Verde, Instituto Federal de Educação, Morrinhos, Brazil
Interests: phytochemicals; green chemistry; essential oils; electrochemistry; electroanalytics
Dr. Antonella Smeriglio

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences (CHIBIOFARAM), University of Messina, Via SS Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
Interests: natural compounds; polyphenols; plant extracts; pharmacognosy; functional foods; nutraceuticals; pharmacology; toxicology; antioxidant activity; anti-inflammatory activity; cytoprotective activity; clinical studies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue "Emerging Phytochemicals: Novel Compounds, Extraction Techniques, and Potential Therapeutic Applications", aims to explore the frontier of phytochemical research, focusing on novel compounds, advanced extraction techniques, and their potential therapeutic applications. With the rapid development of natural product chemistry, new phytochemicals with significant biological activities are being discovered, offering promising avenues for therapeutic intervention. This issue seeks contributions that highlight innovative methodologies for the extraction and characterization of these compounds, as well as studies elucidating their mechanisms of action and potential benefits in treating various diseases. By bringing together cutting-edge research, this Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state and future perspectives in the field of phytochemicals, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange among researchers and practitioners.

Dr. Felipe Moura de Moura Souza
Dr. Antonella Smeriglio
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

  • phytochemicals
  • extraction techniques
  • therapeutic applications
  • nature compounds

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 11907 KiB  
Article
Unlocking the Unique Potential of Thymus pannonicus: Exploring the Efficacy of Supercritical CO2 Extraction, with and Without Pre-Treatments
by Siniša Simić, Senka Vidović, Stela Jokić, Nataša Milić, Krunoslav Aladić, Zoran Maksimović, Jovana Drljača Lero and Aleksandra Gavarić
Plants 2024, 13(24), 3457; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13243457 - 10 Dec 2024
Viewed by 746
Abstract
Since ancient times, many plant species within the Thymus genus have been used due to their numerous health benefits, such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, or diuretic activity. While many of the species within this genus were well known and described, Thymus pannonicus All. [...] Read more.
Since ancient times, many plant species within the Thymus genus have been used due to their numerous health benefits, such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, or diuretic activity. While many of the species within this genus were well known and described, Thymus pannonicus All. or Pannonian thyme remains relatively unexplored despite its unique chemical composition and activity. T. pannonicus is a small shrub, spread over central and eastern Europe, with a diverse, location-dependent chemical composition. Within this study, the citral chemotype of T. pannonicus was used, which up to our knowledge was found and described only in Northern Serbia. Therefore, in order to explore the composition of T. pannonicus low-polar extracts and to present a preliminary insight into their bioactivity, supercritical carbon dioxide (ScCO2) extraction was applied (with and without pre-treatments), followed by GC-MS analysis. Different ScCO2 extraction pressures were tested (100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 bar) in order to determine the most suitable conditions for the extraction of T. pannonicus’s low-polar fraction. Additionally, in order to maximize the yield of the extraction, two types of ScCO2 extraction pre-treatments were investigated (enzymatic and microwave). The highest extraction yield obtained from untreated plant material was 3.01% (w/w), and it was obtained at conditions of 150 bar and 40 °C, while the 4% (v/w) enzymatic pre-treatment, with the same conditions, provided a yield of 3.89%. For all of the obtained extracts, the GC-MS analysis showed that oxygenated monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes were the two most dominant groups with principal bioactive compounds such as (E)-citral (18.95–38.17%), (Z)-citral (6.68–14.66%), β-bisabolene (8.2–14.4%), and nerol (6.08–9.67%). The extracts that exhibited the highest concentration of principal bioactive compounds ((Z)-citral, and (E)-citral) were further analyzed for anticancer potential, using short- and long-term cell viability observations on liver cancer cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Phytochemicals: Novel Compounds, Extraction Techniques, and Potential Therapeutic Applications)
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17 pages, 1322 KiB  
Article
Comparative Study of Phenolic Content and Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Activities of Unifloral Quillay Tree (Quillaja saponaria Molina) and Multifloral Honeys from Chile
by Paula Núñez-Pizarro, Gloria Montenegro, Gabriel Núñez, Marcelo E. Andia, Christian Espinosa-Bustos, Adriano Costa de Camargo, Juan Esteban Oyarzún and Raquel Bridi
Plants 2024, 13(22), 3187; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13223187 - 13 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1054
Abstract
Honey is a natural sweet element that bees make with flower nectar, revered for its distinct flavor, nutritional value, and potential health benefits. Chilean beekeeping has a diverse range of honey varieties, many of which are unique. The quillay (Quillaja saponaria Molina, [...] Read more.
Honey is a natural sweet element that bees make with flower nectar, revered for its distinct flavor, nutritional value, and potential health benefits. Chilean beekeeping has a diverse range of honey varieties, many of which are unique. The quillay (Quillaja saponaria Molina, soapbark tree) is a Chilean endemic tree whose honey has not been studied in depth. We characterized various Chilean honeys with different botanical origins, with a particular focus on quillay tree honey, analyzing its total phenolic and flavonoid content and its antioxidant activities. Cytotoxicity and hepatoprotective activity were also evaluated using HuH-7 cells. The Spearman correlation between the percentage of quillay pollen in the honey samples and the total phenolic content (R = 0.72; p < 0.05), plus the oxygen radical absorbance capacity, suggests that compounds from quillay contribute to the overall antioxidant capacity of honey. Unifloral quillay honey extracts also protect hepatic cells from oxidative damage induced by peroxyl radicals generated by AAPH. This analysis sheds light on the potential of quillay tree honey, underscoring its significance as a natural source of bioactive phenolic compounds with possible hepatoprotective effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Phytochemicals: Novel Compounds, Extraction Techniques, and Potential Therapeutic Applications)
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Review

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28 pages, 782 KiB  
Review
New Strategies for the Extraction of Antioxidants from Fruits and Their By-Products: A Systematic Review
by Kaio Vinicius Lira da Silva Bastos, Adriana Bezerra de Souza, Alessandra Cristina Tomé and Felipe de Moura Souza
Plants 2025, 14(5), 755; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14050755 - 1 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1677
Abstract
This review highlights the recent advancements in extraction techniques for bioactive compounds from natural sources, focusing on methodologies that enhance both efficiency and sustainability. Techniques such as pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE), solid-state fermentation (SSF), ionic liquids (ILs), and electrohydrodynamic (EHD) methods have [...] Read more.
This review highlights the recent advancements in extraction techniques for bioactive compounds from natural sources, focusing on methodologies that enhance both efficiency and sustainability. Techniques such as pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE), solid-state fermentation (SSF), ionic liquids (ILs), and electrohydrodynamic (EHD) methods have shown significant potential in improving extraction yields while preserving the bioactivity of target compounds. These innovative approaches offer significant advantages over traditional methods, including reduced energy consumption, minimal environmental impact, and the ability to extract thermosensitive compounds. PHWE and EHD are particularly effective for extracting antioxidants and thermosensitive compounds, whereas SSF provides an environmentally friendly alternative by valorizing agro-industrial waste. Ionic liquids, although promising for extracting complex phytochemicals, face challenges related to scalability and economic feasibility. The adoption of these advanced techniques represents a shift toward more sustainable and cost-effective extraction processes, promoting the discovery and utilization of high-value compounds. These methods also contribute to the development of eco-friendly, cost-effective strategies that align with green chemistry principles and regulatory standards. However, further research and technological advancements are required to address existing limitations and ensure the widespread application of these methods in industrial and pharmaceutical sectors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Phytochemicals: Novel Compounds, Extraction Techniques, and Potential Therapeutic Applications)
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