Plants Volatile Compounds

Dear Colleagues,

One of the most interesting groups of secondary plant metabolites are the volatile compounds (VCs). VCs such as essential oils and hydrosols exhibit a high vapor pressure at room temperature and a low water solubility. They are responsible for the odor of plants and play an important role in the communication between plants and animals. Some of them protect plants from herbivores, while others attract pollinators. VCs show different biological effects such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-parasitic, anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative effect. They are widely used as natural ingredients in herbal cosmetics and in pharmaceutical preparations such as spasmodic, antispasmodic, antipyretic, carminative, bronchodilator or antiseptic agents.

This topic focuses on the different types of VCs, sites of their production in plants, such as glandular trichomes, and their biological activity including antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-parasitic, antioxidant and others.

Dr. Dario Kremer
Prof. Dr. Igor Jerković
Prof. Dr. Valerija Dunkić
Topic Editors