Antioxidants in Natural Plant Products: From Biological Activities to Applied Efficiency Evaluation

Dear Colleagues,

Antioxidants are becoming increasingly important in the diet because of their many health benefits. Plants are a natural source of antioxidants, and the use of medicinal plants to maintain human health is of vital interest. The synthesis of antioxidants as a natural source of plant metabolism serves as a means of defence against biotic and abiotic agents in the environment. Environmental stressors, such as pollutants, nutrient deficiencies, water availability (drought/irrigation), temperatures, light intensity, photoperiod, radiation, etc., can increase the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS); these lead to an imbalance in their production and scavenging, causing oxidative stress. As a defence mechanism, plants activate enzymatic and non-enzymatic systems in their metabolism to prevent damage to proteins, membranes and DNA. Reduced glutathione, vitamins (vitamins E and C), carotenoids (xanthophylls and carotenes) and polyphenols (such as phenolic compounds, particularly the flavonoid subclass, anthocyanins, lignans and stilbenes) are examples of antioxidant compounds produced by plants to scavenge ROS. Some of the most important antioxidant enzymes are glutathione, ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase. These antioxidants not only help plants adapt to environmental changes but also protect the human body against oxidative stress and related diseases, such as Alzheimer's, neurological disorders, ageing, cancer and diabetes. Plants produce more antioxidants to help them withstand environmental stress, and the quantity and quality of these antioxidants are determined by intrinsic plant characteristics and external influences. Therefore, it is crucial to increase our knowledge of natural products that increase the production capacity of plant secondary metabolites, as well as their phytoantioxidant potential, as a means to improve crop protection and production and human health due to their pharmacological and nutraceutical power.

Authors are therefore invited to submit original research articles, review articles and clinical case reports on antioxidants from plants. Antioxidant evaluation and the mechanisms of action may be addressed in silico, in vitro and/or in vivo. However, in cases where the source of antioxidants is unknown, it is essential to characterise their constituents using chemical analysis techniques.

Dr. Ricardo Gil-Ortiz
Dr. Raphaël Morillon
Guest Editors

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• antioxidants in plants
• natural products
• biostimulants
• medicinal plants
• capacity and response to antioxidants
• antioxidant analysis
• quality indicators
• nutraceutical and pharmacological use
• antioxidant metabolic reactions