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Advances in Functional Quality of Horticultural, Ornamental, Medicinal and Aromatic...
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Advances in Functional Quality of Horticultural, Ornamental, Medicinal and Aromatic Crops

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Horticultural and Floricultural Crops".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 February 2024) | Viewed by 7944

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Valentina Scariot

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
Interests: ornamental horticulture; floriculture; medicinal and aromatic plants; functional quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Stefania Toscano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, Via Valdisavoia, 5-95123 Catania, Italy
Interests: ornamental plants; abiotic stresses; antioxidant enzymes; biodiversity; product quality; germination; light response
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Horticultural, ornamental, medicinal and aromatic crops possess numerous functional properties attributable to bioactive compounds such as vitamins and polyphenols, to which the antioxidant activity of these products is linked, as well as volatile compounds, which give the characteristic scent and aroma.

Phytochemicals are numerous, and their discovery and quantification are still ongoing. In addition, phytochemicals are present to varying degrees depending on the species, environment and cultivation and processing techniques.

The analysis of constituents and the study of phytochemical profiles can reveal the potential of both wild and cultivated plants, opening up new challenges and perspectives for horticultural production and the entire supply chain.

This Special Issue is open to receiving publications dealing with the phytochemical composition of horticultural, ornamental, medicinal and aromatic crops and the optimization of environmental conditions and cultivation, post-harvest conservation and primary processing techniques to expand the opportunities and foster the horticulture sector.

Prof. Dr. Valentina Scariot
Dr. Stefania Toscano
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. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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

  • agrobiodiversity
  • forgotten or underused species
  • edible flowers
  • bioactive compounds
  • mineral elements
  • vitamins
  • antioxidants
  • agronomic tools
  • post-harvest
  • processing techniques

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 1335 KiB  
Article
Effects of the Combined Application of Nitrogen and Selenium on Tea Quality and the Expression of Genes Involved in Nitrogen Uptake and Utilization in Tea Cultivar ‘Chuancha No.2’
by Shenxin Zhao, Yanling Bai, Zhen Jin, Lu Long, Wantian Diao, Wei Chen, Liqiang Tan, Qian Tang and Dandan Tang
Agronomy 2023, 13(12), 2997; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13122997 (registering DOI) - 06 Dec 2023
Viewed by 784
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) and selenium (Se) are beneficial for tea growth and tea quality; however, it is unknown how the combined application of N and Se affects tea quality and N uptake and utilization in tea plants. In the present study, a hydroponic experiment [...] Read more.
Nitrogen (N) and selenium (Se) are beneficial for tea growth and tea quality; however, it is unknown how the combined application of N and Se affects tea quality and N uptake and utilization in tea plants. In the present study, a hydroponic experiment with three N levels (0, 2 and 4.5 mmol/L) and three Se levels (0, 0.3 and 3 mg/L) was carried out with ‘Chuancha No.2’ as the material, and the contents of tea polyphenols, amino acids and caffeine as well as the expression levels of genes related to N uptake and utilization in tea plants were tracked. The findings reveal that the contents of tea polyphenols, AAs and caffeine in new shoots were the highest when supplied with 0.3 mg/L Se and 4.5 mmol/L N, while the contents of total N, AAs and tea polyphenols in mature leaves were the highest at the concentrations of 3 mg/L Se and 2 mmol/L N. Se supply (0.3 and 3 mg/L) induced an increase in amino acid and tea polyphenol contents in tea shoots under N deficiency conditions, whereas total N content, tea polyphenols and AAs in mature leaves and total N content in tea roots decreased significantly. When supplied with N (2 mmol/L and 4.5 mmol/L), the contents of tea polyphenols and caffeine in new shoots first increased and then decreased with the increase in Se concentration, while the total N content in mature leaves and roots increased. In leaves, CsAMT1.1, CsAMT1.2 and CsAMT3.1 had similar trends, and their expression levels were remarkably upregulated when supplied with 0.3 mg/L Se or 2 mmol/L N, respectively; the expression level of CsGS1.1 was significantly induced by N and Se, while CsGS1.2 and CsTS1 were mainly induced by N. In roots, CsAMT1.1 could play a major role in N uptake under the combined application of N and Se; CsGS1.2 expression was significantly induced compared to CsGS1.1 under the combined application of N and Se. This study explored the potential of the interaction of Se and N to promote tea quality and N uptake and utilization in tea plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Functional Quality of Horticultural, Ornamental, Medicinal and Aromatic Crops)
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15 pages, 1293 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Far-Red Light and Nutrient Level on the Growth and Secondary Metabolites of the In Vitro Culture of Prunella vulgaris
by Cai-Lin Chen, Jing-Ping Yang, Wen-Dar Huang and Chang-Chang Chen
Agronomy 2023, 13(9), 2250; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13092250 - 27 Aug 2023
Viewed by 902
Abstract
Prunella vulgaris, a medicinal plant with antioxidant capacity, was investigated for its response to varying intensities of far-red light and nutrient levels. Plantlets were cultured for 30 d under low far-red light (LFR) or high far-red light (HFR) conditions and different nutrient [...] Read more.
Prunella vulgaris, a medicinal plant with antioxidant capacity, was investigated for its response to varying intensities of far-red light and nutrient levels. Plantlets were cultured for 30 d under low far-red light (LFR) or high far-red light (HFR) conditions and different nutrient levels (full, half, and quarter). HFR reduced leaf and branch number, dry weight, and accumulation of chlorophylls (Chl) and carotenoids (Car), while increasing plant height. Lower nutrient levels increased plant height and leaf number, but decreased branch number, Chl, and Car. HFR significantly increased total phenolic content (TPC), rutin, and rosmarinic acid levels, while total flavonoid content decreased. As nutrient levels decreased, TPC and rosmarinic acid declined. HFR induced significant DPPH scavenging activity, while reducing power increased with higher far-red light and nutrient levels. The ferrous ion chelating effect under LFR reduced with lower nutrient levels. There were strong correlations among TPC, rosmarinic acid, DPPH scavenging activity, and reducing power. In conclusion, HFR inhibited plantlet growth but enhanced secondary metabolite accumulation and antioxidant capacity. Different nutrient levels stimulated diverse growth responses, while elevated nutrient levels promoted secondary metabolite production. This study demonstrated the responses of growth, secondary metabolite accumulation, and antioxidant activity in the in vitro cultured P. vulgaris to supplemental far-red light and various nutrient levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Functional Quality of Horticultural, Ornamental, Medicinal and Aromatic Crops)
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30 pages, 41961 KiB  
Article
Floristic Inventory of Ethnobotanically Important Halophytes of North-Western Mediterranean Coastal Brackish Areas, Tuscany, Italy
by Tiziana Lombardi, Irene Ventura and Andrea Bertacchi
Agronomy 2023, 13(3), 615; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13030615 - 21 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1654
Abstract
Plants have always been used by people for multiple purposes, but over the centuries knowledge of useful plants has largely been lost. Through ethnobotanical studies it is possible to retrieve information on the uses of plants and renew the ancient attention to plants [...] Read more.
Plants have always been used by people for multiple purposes, but over the centuries knowledge of useful plants has largely been lost. Through ethnobotanical studies it is possible to retrieve information on the uses of plants and renew the ancient attention to plants which could be useful to apply in modern applications. In this context, the ethnobotanical use of halophytes has not been explored in depth. The present study focused on the flora of two brackish areas of the north-western Mediterranean sited in Tuscany, Italy. This research aimed to identify the halophyte species of ethnobotanical interest and create a relative map database of the study areas. The floristic list of the two areas, including 78 halophyte and non-halophyte species, was created following periodic field sampling, localization of the species by GPS, and taxonomic identification. The ethnobotanical information was acquired through a bibliographic survey. Botanical, geographic, and ethnobotanical information was filed and included in floristic maps produced using the free Open Source QGIS software. Of the total wild species surveyed, 50% were halophytes with ethnobotanical properties, with a predominance for medicinal ones. Some of them are the subject of numerous studies today such as those on antioxidants. Both investigated areas showed a high floristic and ethnobotanical value. This makes them interesting as potential germplasm banks to be used in various application contexts of ethnobotany. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Functional Quality of Horticultural, Ornamental, Medicinal and Aromatic Crops)
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11 pages, 588 KiB  
Article
Heat Pump Drying of Lavender Flowers Leads to Decoctions Richer in Bioactive Compounds
by Nicole Mélanie Falla, Matteo Caser, Sonia Demasi and Valentina Scariot
Agronomy 2022, 12(12), 3162; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12123162 - 13 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4007
Abstract
Lavandula angustifolia Mill. (Lamiaceae family) is commonly exploited in different sectors, such as cosmetics, perfumery, and medicine because of its phytochemicals. More recently it has gained attention as an edible flower in the food and beverage industry. Post-harvest technologies can help producers to [...] Read more.
Lavandula angustifolia Mill. (Lamiaceae family) is commonly exploited in different sectors, such as cosmetics, perfumery, and medicine because of its phytochemicals. More recently it has gained attention as an edible flower in the food and beverage industry. Post-harvest technologies can help producers to increase the functional beverages market, where there is a growing demand for new products rich in bioactive molecules with beneficial health effects. To maintain lavender flower properties, bioactive compounds have to be effectively preserved after harvesting and processing. This study compared an emerging technology, heat pump drying, with a classical drying approach, i.e., hot air drying, focusing on differences in the total phenolic content, the anthocyanin content, the phenolic profile, and in antioxidant activity of the dried lavender flowers. Three different Italian local lavender flower selections (i.e., Susa, Stura, and Tanaro) were analyzed by means of decoction extraction. Results showed that each one was better preserved in its phytochemical composition by heat-pump drying. Among the lavender selections, Stura and Tanaro showed the highest values for phenolics (2200.99 and 2176.35 mg GAE/100 g DW, respectively), anthocyanins (59.30 and 60.74 mg C3G/100 g DW respectively) and antioxidant activity, assessed through three assays (FRAP, DPPH, ABTS). Four bioactive compounds were detected by means of HPLC, three in the heat pump dried flowers’ decoction (quercitrin, ellagic acid, gallic acid), and one in the hot air-dried flowers’ decoction (epicatechin). Overall, heat pump drying allowed to obtain decoctions richer in bioactive compounds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Functional Quality of Horticultural, Ornamental, Medicinal and Aromatic Crops)
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