Submit to Plants Review for Plants Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Plant Polyphenols—from Plants to Human Health

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Related Special Issues
Published Papers

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2021) | Viewed by 56188

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Dunja Šamec

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Ruđer Bošković Institute, Department of Molecular Biology, Bijenička c. 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: plant metabolomics; specialized metabolites; plant–environment interactions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants will publish a Special Issue called “Plant Polyphenols—From Plants to Human Health”. Polyphenols, as a big group of specialized metabolites, play important roles in plant growth, development, and plant–environment interactions. On the other hand, they show beneficiary effects to human health.

This Special Issue will focus on polyphenols roles in plants as well as on their roles in human health. This will include papers dealing with new findings about polyphenols’ roles and mechanisms of action in plants and new findings on how environmental and genetic factors influence their diversity, biosynthesis, homeostasis, and potential health benefits. In addition, the Special Issue will cover papers focused on new methodologies for isolation, identification and quantification of polyphenols from various plants, as well as on in vitro or in vivo biological properties of polyphenols isolated from plants. The use of modern omics tools will be highly appreciated. Original research articles, reviews, and short communications are welcome.

Dr. Dunja Šamec
Guest Editor

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

Polyphenols
Plants
Biosynthesis
Biological activity
Omics

Related Special Issues

Plant Polyphenols - from Plants to Human Health Volume III in Plants (3 articles)
Plant Polyphenols - from Plants to Human Health Volume II in Plants (21 articles)

Published Papers (10 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

10 pages, 1106 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Berry Quality and Anthocyanin Content of ‘Consort’ Black Currants Grown under Artificial Shade

by Eric Wolske, Laura Chatham, John Juvik and Bruce Branham

Plants 2021, 10(4), 766; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10040766 - 14 Apr 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1763

Abstract

The effect of artificial shade on berry quality parameters for the field-grown black currant cultivar ‘Consort’ were investigated over two growing seasons in Urbana, Illinois. Four shade treatments reduced photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) from 37 to 83%. Shade had no effect on soluble solids in up to 65% PAR reduction but decreased 11% in 83% shade in one of two years. Shade increased titratable acidity up to 23% in both years. The effect of shade on anthocyanin content revealed greater variation between years than treatments. Shade influence on anthocyanin content was only observed in 2017, when cyanidin derivatives decreased 13–14% from open-sun to 83% shade. Shade did not affect delphinidin derivatives in either year. Environmental factors other than artificial shade may impact black currant berry quality in an understory environment. The results of our study indicate that black currants can maintain berry quality with PAR reductions up to 65%, but some berry quality parameters may decrease when PAR reductions exceed 65% of full sun. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Polyphenols—from Plants to Human Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 2984 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimizing Conditions for Microwave-Assisted Extraction of Polyphenolic Content and Antioxidant Activity of Barleria lupulina Lindl.

by Noor Wahida Ismail-Suhaimy, Siti Salwa Abd Gani, Uswatun Hasanah Zaidan, Mohd Izuan Effendi Halmi and Paiman Bawon

Plants 2021, 10(4), 682; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10040682 - 01 Apr 2021

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 2838

Abstract

Barleria lupulina Lindl. (Acanthaceae) as an ornamental plant has been widely used in folklore medicine due to its abundancy in polyphenolic compounds. The present study examined conditions for optimal extraction of antioxidants from B. lupulina leaf extracts by using the microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) method. The effects of ethanol concentrations, microwave power, and extraction time on total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and 2,20-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothizoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) were investigated by single-factor experiments. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to observe interactions of three independent variables (ethanol concentrations, microwave power, and extraction time) on the dependent variables (TPC, TFC, DPPH, and ABTS) to establish optimal extraction conditions. Quadratic polynomial equations in all experimental models yielded favorably with fitted models with R² and R²_adj of more than 0.90 and a non-significant lack of fit at p > 0.05. The optimal conditions for the extraction of antioxidant activity were established at 80% (v/v) ethanol, 400 W, and 30 s with TPC (238.71 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g sample), TFC (58.09 mg QE/g sample), DPPH (87.95%), and ABTS (89.56%). Analysis by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF/MS) successfully identified four new phenylethanoid glycoside compounds in the species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Polyphenols—from Plants to Human Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 18328 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Phenolic Compounds and Biological Activity of Selected Mentha Species

by Sanja Ćavar Zeljković, Jana Šišková, Karolína Komzáková, Nuria De Diego, Katarína Kaffková and Petr Tarkowski

Plants 2021, 10(3), 550; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10030550 - 15 Mar 2021

Cited by 57 | Viewed by 5970

Abstract

Mentha species are widely used as food, medicine, spices, and flavoring agents. Thus, chemical composition is an important parameter for assessing the quality of mints. In general, the contents of menthol, menthone, eucalyptol, and limonene comprise one of the major parameters for assessing the quality of commercially important mints. Building further on the phytochemical characterization of the quality of Mentha species, this work was focused on the composition of phenolic compounds in methanolic extracts. Thirteen Mentha species were grown under the same environmental conditions, and their methanolic extracts were subjected to the LC–MS/MS (liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry) profiling of phenolics and the testing their biological activities, i.e., antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibition activities, which are important features for the cosmetic industry. The total phenolic content (TPC) ranged from 14.81 ± 1.09 mg GAE (gallic acid equivalents)/g for Mentha cervina to 58.93. ± 8.39 mg GAE/g for Mentha suaveolens. The antioxidant activity of examined Mentha related with the content of the phenolic compounds and ranged from 22.79 ± 1.85 to 106.04 ± 3.26 mg TE (Trolox equivalents)/g for M. cervina and Mentha x villosa, respectively. Additionally, Mentha pulegium (123.89 ± 5.64 mg KAE (kojic acid equivalents)/g) and Mentha x piperita (102.82 ± 15.16 mg KAE/g) showed a strong inhibition of the enzyme tyrosinase, which is related to skin hyperpigmentation. The most abundant compound in all samples was rosmarinic acid, ranging from 1363.38 ± 8323 to 2557.08 ± 64.21 μg/g. In general, the levels of phenolic acids in all examined mint extracts did not significantly differ. On the contrary, the levels of flavonoids varied within the species, especially in the case of hesperidin (from 0.73 ± 0.02 to 109. 39 ± 2.01 μg/g), luteolin (from 1.84 ± 0.11 to 31.03 ± 0.16 μg/g), and kaempferol (from 1.30 ± 0.17 to 33.68 ± 0.81 μg/g). Overall results indicated that all examined mints possess significant amounts of phenolic compounds that are responsible for antioxidant activity and, to some extent, for tyrosinase inhibition activity. Phenolics also proved to be adequate compounds, together with terpenoids, for the characterization of Mentha sp. Additionally, citrus-scented Mentha x villosa could be selected as a good candidate for the food and pharmaceutical industry, especially due its chemical composition and easy cultivation, even in winter continental conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Polyphenols—from Plants to Human Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 1316 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phenolic Compounds from Leaves and Flowers of Hibiscus roseus: Potential Skin Cosmetic Applications of an Under-Investigated Species

by Luana Beatriz dos Santos Nascimento, Antonella Gori, Andrea Raffaelli, Francesco Ferrini and Cecilia Brunetti

Plants 2021, 10(3), 522; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10030522 - 10 Mar 2021

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 6794

Abstract

The use of plant extracts in skin-care cosmetics is a modern trend due to their richness in polyphenols that act as anti-aging molecules. Hibiscus roseus is a perennial species naturalized in Italy, with beautiful soft pink flowers; its phenolic composition and biological activities have not been studied yet. The aim of this study was to characterize and quantify the phenolics and to evaluate the antioxidant, sun protection factor (SPF), and anti-collagenase activities of the ethanolic extracts of H. roseus leaves (HL) and flowers (HF). p-Coumaric, chlorogenic, and trans-ferulic acids derivatives as well as quercetin and kaempferol flavonoids were the main phenolic compounds detected. Catechin, epicatechin, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, kaempferol-7-O-glucoside, tiliroside, oenin, and peonidin-3-O-glucoside were detected only in HF, while phloridzin was exclusive from HL, which also showed greater amounts of hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives. HF was richer in flavonoids and total phenolics, also exhibiting greater antioxidant capacity. The SPF and anti-collagenase activity of both extracts were similar and comparable to those of synthetic standards. The overall results demonstrate that H. roseus extracts are promising sources of bioactive phenolic compounds that could be potentially applied as anti-aging agents in skin-care cosmetics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Polyphenols—from Plants to Human Health)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

20 pages, 3249 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Determination of the Variability of Biophenols and Mineral Nutrients in Olive Leaves with Respect to Cultivar, Collection Period and Geographical Location for Their Targeted and Well-Timed Exploitation

by Igor Lukić, Igor Pasković, Paula Žurga, Valerija Majetić Germek, Mia Brkljača, Šime Marcelić, Dean Ban, Kristina Grozić, Marina Lukić, Zoran Užila and Smiljana Goreta Ban

Plants 2020, 9(12), 1667; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9121667 - 27 Nov 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2643

Abstract

The interactive effects of cultivar, collecting period, and geographical location on the content and composition of biophenols and macro and micronutrients in olive (Olea europaea L.) leaf were investigated. Leaves of six cultivars were collected at three periods in two locations in Croatia. The leaves of Istarska bjelica cultivar had the greatest biophenol (oleuropein) potential, especially those sampled in January and in March at the location of Pag. All the cultivars yielded leaves with the highest concentration of biophenols in March, which coincided with the pruning period. Except for high oleuropein concentration in Istarska bjelica, flavonoids were found to be most useful for differentiating olive leaves according to cultivar. Verbascoside turned out to be the most potent differentiator of collecting periods, while phosphorus and zinc turned out to be most useful for differentiating locations. Despite different agroecological conditions at the two locations, cultivar exhibited a significant effect on olive leaf nutrient composition, which was certainly causally related to that of the biophenols. The results obtained showed that it is possible to plan more well-timed and efficient exploitation of biophenols from olive leaf based on the knowledge about the interactive effects of the three studied factors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Polyphenols—from Plants to Human Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 1551 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Temporal Variation of Phenolic and Mineral Composition in Olive Leaves Is Cultivar Dependent

by Igor Pasković, Igor Lukić, Paula Žurga, Valerija Majetić Germek, Mia Brkljača, Olivera Koprivnjak, Nikola Major, Kristina Grozić, Mario Franić, Dean Ban, Šime Marcelić and Smiljana Goreta Ban

Plants 2020, 9(9), 1099; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9091099 - 27 Aug 2020

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 3826

Abstract

In order to investigate the potential of various olive cultivars and leaf sampling times for phytochemical farming practice in Croatia, phenolic and mineral composition was determined in olive leaves of four Croatian cultivars and Italian cultivar Leccino collected at three occasions, in October 2017, January 2018, and March 2018. Istarska bjelica turned out to have the largest phytochemical potential among the investigated cultivars due to steady high oleuropein concentrations found in its leaves. The concentration of main phenolic components in Istarska bjelica leaves changed only slightly during the sampling period, suggesting the possibility of its higher capability for low air temperatures stress resistance and different metabolic response compared to the other studied cultivars. Low air temperatures increased the oleuropein level and antioxidant activity in leaves of Leccino, Oblica, Levantinka, and Drobnica cultivars, which may be of crucial phytochemical farming interest. Each of the investigated olive cultivars was characterized by a specific leaf mineral nutrient composition, which could have had a specific role in their interplay with phenols. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Polyphenols—from Plants to Human Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 2143 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Crocus sativus L. Extract Containing Polyphenols Modulates Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Response against Anti-Tuberculosis Drugs-Induced Liver Injury

by Adil Farooq Wali, Jayachithra Ramakrishna Pillai, Yusra Al Dhaheri, Muneeb U. Rehman, Ambreen Shoaib, Omar Sarheed, Salma Jabnoun, Maryam Razmpoor, Saiema Rasool, Bilal Ahmad Paray and Parvaiz Ahmad

Plants 2020, 9(2), 167; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9020167 - 30 Jan 2020

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3923

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the polyphenolic rich extract of Crocus sativus L. petals (CSP) in modulating liver oxidative stress and inflammatory response status against rifampicin isoniazid (INH-RIF) drug-induced liver injury. The INH-RIF was administered for 14 days with varying doses in Wistar rats, while silymarin was administered as standard dose. We report the defensive impacts of CSP against INH-RIF induced liver oxidative stress and proinflammatory cytokine. The CSP treatment at both doses significantly controlled all modulating biochemical hepatic injury indicators and resulted in the attenuation of arbitral INH-RIF damage. The components present in CSP identified by LC–ESI-Q-TOF–MS were found to be flavonoids and fatty acids. It can be inferred that CSP possesses a hepatoprotective capacity against INH-RIF-mediated hepatic injury, which may prove to be a medically beneficial natural product for the management of drug-induced liver injury. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Polyphenols—from Plants to Human Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 2709 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Insight into Composition of Bioactive Phenolic Compounds in Leaves and Flowers of Green and Purple Basil

by Bhakti Prinsi, Silvia Morgutti, Noemi Negrini, Franco Faoro and Luca Espen

Plants 2020, 9(1), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9010022 - 23 Dec 2019

Cited by 59 | Viewed by 7599

Abstract

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is a culinary, medicinal, and ornamental plant appreciated for its antioxidant properties, mainly attributed to high content of rosmarinic acid. This species also includes purple varieties, characterized by the accumulation of anthocyanins in leaves and flowers. In this work, we compared the main morphological characteristics, the antioxidant capacity and the chemical composition in leaves, flowers, and corollas of green (‘Italiano Classico’) and purple (‘Red Rubin’ and ‘Dark Opal’) basil varieties. The LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis of individual compounds allowed quantifying 17 (poly)phenolic acids and 18 flavonoids, differently accumulated in leaves and flowers of the three varieties. The study revealed that in addition to rosmarinic acid, basil contains several members of the salvianolic acid family, only scarcely descripted in this species, as well as, especially in flowers, simple phenolic acids, such as 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and salvianic acid A. Moreover, the study revealed that purple leaves mainly contain highly acylated anthocyanins, while purple flowers accumulate anthocyanins with low degree of decoration. Overall, this study provides new biochemical information about the presence of not yet characterized bioactive compounds in basil that could contribute to boosting the use of this crop and to gaining new knowledge about the roles of these compounds in plant physiology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Polyphenols—from Plants to Human Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

24 pages, 2843 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Role of Polyphenols in Abiotic Stress Response: The Influence of Molecular Structure

by Dunja Šamec, Erna Karalija, Ivana Šola, Valerija Vujčić Bok and Branka Salopek-Sondi

Plants 2021, 10(1), 118; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10010118 - 08 Jan 2021

Cited by 301 | Viewed by 11755

Abstract

Abiotic stressors such as extreme temperatures, drought, flood, light, salt, and heavy metals alter biological diversity and crop production worldwide. Therefore, it is important to know the mechanisms by which plants cope with stress conditions. Polyphenols, which are the largest group of plant-specialized metabolites, are generally recognized as molecules involved in stress protection in plants. This diverse group of metabolites contains various structures, from simple forms consisting of one aromatic ring to more complex ones consisting of large number of polymerized molecules. Consequently, all these molecules, depending on their structure, may show different roles in plant growth, development, and stress protection. In the present review, we aimed to summarize data on how different polyphenol structures influence their biological activity and their roles in abiotic stress responses. We focused our review on phenolic acids, flavonoids, stilbenoids, and lignans. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Polyphenols—from Plants to Human Health)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

22 pages, 18291 KiB

Open AccessReview

Multi-Therapeutic Potential of Naringenin (4′,5,7-Trihydroxyflavonone): Experimental Evidence and Mechanisms

by Azher Arafah, Muneeb U. Rehman, Tahir Maqbool Mir, Adil Farooq Wali, Rayeesa Ali, Wajhul Qamar, Rehan Khan, Ajaz Ahmad, Syed Sameer Aga, Saeed Alqahtani and Nada M. Almatroudi

Plants 2020, 9(12), 1784; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9121784 - 16 Dec 2020

Cited by 52 | Viewed by 7282

Abstract

Extensive research has been carried out during the last few decades, providing a detailed account of thousands of discovered phytochemicals and their biological activities that have the potential to be exploited for a wide variety of medicinal purposes. These phytochemicals, which are pharmacologically important for clinical use, primarily consist of polyphenols, followed by terpenoids and alkaloids. There are numerous published reports indicating the primary role of phytochemicals proven to possess therapeutic potential against several diseases. However, not all phytochemicals possess significant medicinal properties, and only some of them exhibit viable biological effects. Naringenin, a flavanone found in citrus fruits, is known to improve immunity, repair DNA damage, and scavenge free radicals. Despite the very low bioavailability of naringenin, it is known to exhibit various promising biological properties of medicinal importance, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. This review focuses on the various aspects related to naringenin, particularly its physicochemical, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic properties. Furthermore, various pharmacological activities of naringenin, such as anticancer, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, nephroprotective, and gastroprotective effects, have been discussed along with their mechanisms of action. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Polyphenols—from Plants to Human Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Plant Polyphenols—from Plants to Human Health

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Related Special Issues

Published Papers (10 papers)

Research

Review

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI