Submit to Horticulturae Review for Horticulturae Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Special Issue "Natural Products from Fruits and Vegetables: Analysis and Biological Activities"

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

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Postharvest Biology, Quality, Safety, and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 September 2023) | Viewed by 4755

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Barbara Krochmal-Marczak

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Plant Production and Food Safety, Carpathian State College in Krosno, 38-400 Krosno, Poland
Interests: food chemistry; plant raw materials; functional foods; biological activity; organic farming; herbal raw materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Renata Tobiasz-Salach

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Crop Production, University of Rzeszow, Zelwerowicza 4, 35-601 Rzeszow, Poland
Interests: plants; development; chemical composition; abiotic stresses

Dr. Tomasz Cebulak

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Food Technology and Human Nutrition, Institute of Food Technology and Nutrition, College of Natural Sciences, University of Rzeszów, 35-601 Rzeszów, Poland
Interests: functional foods; antioxidants in foods; polyphenols; impact of stress factors on the quality of fruits and vegetables

Dr. Małgorzata Stryjecka

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Institute of Human Nutrition and Agriculture, State School of Higher Education Chełm, 22-100 Chełm, Poland
Interests: biochemistry; microbiology; food analysis; oils; honeys

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fruits and vegetables are fundamental ingredients of everyday human diets. They are food commodities with a high nutrient density due to their low food energy, high dietary fibre content, beneficial minerals, and high levels of biologically active substances.

In the human body, they are the basic substances that act as the regulators of our metabolic processes, protect organisms from oxidative stress, and decrease the risk of a number of diet-related chronic disorders.

Fruits and vegetables are also a valuable source of phytochemicals that act similarly to vitamins, i.e., they are not synthesised in the body and have to be supplied with food. Fruit- and vegetable-based products are an invaluable resource for improving human well-being and health; however, a great deal of therapeutic properties of fruits and vegetables, and in particular their derivatives, are yet to be discovered.

The aim of this Special Issue is to promote some of the recent and significant contributions to the research of natural products, in terms of both the chemical and biological activity of fruits and vegetables

Therefore, contributions to our current Special Issue, “Natural Products from Fruits and Vegetables: Analysis and Biological Activities”, in the form of original research papers, short communications, and focused reviews are highly encouraged.

Dr. Barbara Krochmal-Marczak
Dr. Renata Tobiasz-Salach
Dr. Tomasz Cebulak
Dr. Małgorzata Stryjecka
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. Horticulturae 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 2000 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

fruits
vegetables
natural products
polyphenols
antioxidants
analytical methods
biological activity
nutrients
functional foods

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

19 pages, 12278 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Antioxidant Capacity Variation among Thai Holy Basil Cultivars (Ocimum tenuiflorum L.) Using Density-Based Clustering Algorithm

and

Horticulturae 2023, 9(10), 1094; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9101094 - 01 Oct 2023

Viewed by 777

Abstract

Holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum L.) is a widely renowned herb for its abundance of bioactive compounds and medicinal applications. Nevertheless, there exists a dearth of knowledge regarding the variability among holy basil cultivars capable of yielding substantial bioactive compounds. This study aims to address this gap by shedding light on the diversity of antioxidant capacities within different accessions of Thai holy basil by employing a density-based clustering algorithm to categorize the holy basil cultivars that demonstrate notable antioxidant potential. The study involves the analysis of the anthocyanin, flavonoid, phenolic, and terpenoid content, as well as DPPH antioxidant activity, in 26 Thai holy basil accessions collected from diverse locations in Thailand. Among the 26 tested Thai holy basil cultivars, terpenoids were found to be the dominant class of compounds, with average values of 707 mg/gDW, while the levels of flavonoids and phenolic compounds remained below 65 mg rutin/gDW and 46 mg GAE/gDW, respectively. The DPPH assay in holy basil cultivars demonstrated that the antioxidant activity ranged between 50% and 93%. After standardizing the data, the clustering results revealed four distinct groups of cultivars: the first group, with low antioxidant levels; the second group, with high terpenoid content; the third group, with high flavonoid, DPPH antioxidant activity, and phenolic content; and the fourth group, with elevated levels of anthocyanin, DPPH antioxidant activity, and phenolic content. A strong positive correlation was observed among DPPH antioxidant activity, flavonoids, and phenolics. Specific cultivars: The Red, OC108, and OC106 holy basil cultivars in cluster 4 exhibited high anthocyanin and phenolic production. In cluster 3, the accessions OC113, OC057, OC063, and OC059 showed high DPPH antioxidant activity, flavonoids, and phenolics, while, in cluster 2, only accessions from Udon Thani, Thailand—namely OC194 and OC195—displayed high terpenoid content. Ultimately, this study significantly contributes to the inherent diversity in the antioxidant capacities among various Thai holy basil cultivars. It lays the foundation for targeted breeding strategies and informed choices regarding consumption. The comprehensive insights from this analysis hold the potential to accurately identify holy basil cultivars with promising applications in medicine, functional foods, and the nutraceutical industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products from Fruits and Vegetables: Analysis and Biological Activities)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 2045 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Yield, Antioxidant Activity and Total Polyphenol Content of Okra Fruits Grown in Slovak Republic

and

Horticulturae 2022, 8(10), 966; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8100966 - 18 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1706

Abstract

Climate change, linked with an increase in temperature, contributes to the possibility growing of non-typical and lesser-known vegetable species in the Slovak Republic, including okra. Seven okra cultivars were tested as part of this study, which focused on the basic yield parameters, antioxidant activity and total polyphenol content in okra fruits. The statistical analysis of obtained results revealed significant differences in all monitored parameters of okra. The selection of “plastic” crop cultivars that can produce a steadier yield in each growing year is required due to the significant climate variations between growing seasons. In this regard, the okra cultivar ‘Baby Bubba’ can be recommended. The results also showed the high antioxidant activity and polyphenol content of okra pulp and seeds. Okra has a higher nutritional quality than other vegetable species frequently grown in the Slovak Republic. Okra cultivars ‘Burgundy’, ‘Pure Luck F1′ and ‘Jing Orange’ can be suggested from a nutritional perspective. Finally, it is possible to state that okra cultivars showed good yield potential and nutritional quality compared to the studies realized in countries in which okra is known and commonly used by the human population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products from Fruits and Vegetables: Analysis and Biological Activities)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 3156 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Harvesting in Different Ripening Stages on the Content of the Mineral Elements of Rosehip (Rosa spp.) Fruit Flesh

and

Horticulturae 2022, 8(6), 467; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8060467 - 24 May 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1683

Abstract

Studies on the mineral content of different rosehip species/cultivars during the ripening period are very limited. Therefore, the objective of this research was to evaluate the content and composition of the mineral elements of two species and two rosehip cultivars growing on an organic farm. The rosehip fruits were harvested at different ripening stages, five time per season. Mineral composition (K, Ca, Mg, P, Fe, Na, Ti, Cu, B, Mn, Al, Zn, Cr, Co, Ni, As, Mo, Cd and Pb) was analyzed by means inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP–MS). The results showed that the ripening stage and species/cultivars had an effect on the contents of the mineral elements. Significantly, the highest content of mineral elements was determined at ripening stage I (Ca, Mg, Ti, Mn, Al and Cr) and IV (K, P, Fe, Cu and B). Species of the Rosa canina accumulated the highest content of mineral elements. Correlation analysis showed that the hue angle had a positive and very strong relationship with six mineral elements: K (r = 0.909), Ca (r = 0.962), Mg (r = 0.965), P (r = 0.945), Fe (r = 0.929) and Ti (r = 0.944). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products from Fruits and Vegetables: Analysis and Biological Activities)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Special Issue "Natural Products from Fruits and Vegetables: Analysis and Biological Activities"

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (3 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI