Submit to Molecules Review for Molecules Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Polyphenols in Crops, Medicinal and Wild Edible Plants: From Their Metabolism to Their Benefits for Human Health

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2019) | Viewed by 79104

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special issue Polyphenols in Crops, Medicinal and Wild Edible Plants: From Their Metabolism to Their Benefits for Human Health book cover image

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Marian Brestic

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Plant Physiology, Slovak University of Agriculture, A. Hlinku 2, 94976 Nitra, Slovakia
Interests: plant breeding & genetics; biochemistry; cell signaling; metabolomics; transcriptomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Marek Zivcak

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Plant Physiology, Slovak University of Agriculture, 94976 Nitra, Slovakia
Interests: plant stress physiology; abiotic stress; photosynthesis; crop physiology; chlorophyll fluorescence; non-invasive methods; plant phenotyping
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Oksana Sytar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Plant Biology, Institute Biology and Medicine, Taras Shevchenko national university of Kyiv, 01033 Kyiv, Ukraine
Interests: secondary metabolites; phenolics; novel compounds; applied research
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Marco Landi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa,Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Interests: abiotic stresses; fruit quality; plant nutrition; plant allometry; tree physiology; secondary metabolism; tree species
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Phenolic compounds from crops, medicinal herbs, and wild edible species, including phenolic acids, coumarins, flavonoids, and tannins, may play a crucial role in the prophylaxis of various human diseases. The antioxidant capacity of polyphenols, likely their key prerogative in controlling a plethora of human diseases, varies, sensibly depending on their chemical nature, whose complexity has paralleled the evolution of land plants. The aim of this Special Issue is: (i) to describe polyphenols’ classification, diversification, and occurrence in the plant kingdom, (ii) to report the effect of climate change on their metabolisms, (iii) to establish the potential benefits of polyphenols for human pathologies, testing their antioxidant activity with the attempt to exploit the derived secondary metabolites as drug or nutraceutical compounds in fortified foods. This Special Issue is particularly devoted to studies related to medicinal herbs of different ethnobotanical regions, with the attempt to discover plant resources that can be used for the extraction of targeting polyphenols, leading to the development of new medicaments for treating especially complicated and minor diseases. The plant kingdom is indeed an open-pit mine of chemical compounds which are still waiting to be explored, a task that can be accomplished in the era of “omic” sciences. Special focus is on medicinal herbs of different ethnobotanical regions, with the biochemical characterisation and specification of their antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, etc., potential for the development of medicinal chemical drugs or as nutritional components in functional foods.

Prof. Dr. Marian Brestic
Dr. Marek Zivcak
Dr. Oksana Sytar
Dr. Marco Landi
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. Molecules 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

phenolic acids
coumarins
anthocyanins
flavonoids
catechins
tannins

Published Papers (11 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

15 pages, 3367 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thymoquinone Enhances Paclitaxel Anti-Breast Cancer Activity via Inhibiting Tumor-Associated Stem Cells Despite Apparent Mathematical Antagonism

by Hanan A. Bashmail, Aliaa A. Alamoudi, Abdulwahab Noorwali, Gehan A. Hegazy, Ghada M. Ajabnoor and Ahmed M. Al-Abd

Molecules 2020, 25(2), 426; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25020426 - 20 Jan 2020

Cited by 31 | Viewed by 6150

Abstract

Thymoquinone (TQ) has shown substantial evidence for its anticancer effects. Using human breast cancer cells, we evaluated the chemomodulatory effect of TQ on paclitaxel (PTX). TQ showed weak cytotoxic properties against MCF-7 and T47D breast cancer cells with IC₅₀ values of 64.93 ± 14 µM and 165 ± 2 µM, respectively. Combining TQ with PTX showed apparent antagonism, increasing the IC₅₀ values of PTX from 0.2 ± 0.07 µM to 0.7 ± 0.01 µM and from 0.1 ± 0.01 µM to 0.15 ± 0.02 µM in MCF-7 and T47D cells, respectively. Combination index analysis showed antagonism in both cell lines with CI values of 4.6 and 1.6, respectively. However, resistance fractions to PTX within MCF-7 and T47D cells (42.3 ± 1.4% and 41.9 ± 1.1%, respectively) were completely depleted by combination with TQ. TQ minimally affected the cell cycle, with moderate accumulation of cells in the S-phase. However, a significant increase in Pre-G phase cells was observed due to PTX alone and PTX combination with TQ. To dissect this increase in the Pre-G phase, apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy were assessed by flowcytometry. TQ significantly increased the percent of apoptotic/necrotic cell death in T47D cells after combination with paclitaxel. On the other hand, TQ significantly induced autophagy in MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, TQ was found to significantly decrease breast cancer-associated stem cell clone (CD44+/CD24-cell) in both MCF-7 and T47D cells. This was mirrored by the downregulation of TWIST-1 gene and overexpression of SNAIL-1 and SNAIL-2 genes. TQ therefore possesses potential chemomodulatory effects to PTX when studied in breast cancer cells via enhancing PTX induced cell death including autophagy. In addition, TQ depletes breast cancer-associated stem cells and sensitizes breast cancer cells to PTX killing effects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polyphenols in Crops, Medicinal and Wild Edible Plants: From Their Metabolism to Their Benefits for Human Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 1169 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Changes in Content of Polyphenols and Ascorbic Acid in Leaves of White Cabbage after Pest Infestation

by Zuzana Kovalikova, Jan Kubes, Milan Skalicky, Nikola Kuchtickova, Lucie Maskova, Jiri Tuma, Pavla Vachova and Vaclav Hejnak

Molecules 2019, 24(14), 2622; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24142622 - 18 Jul 2019

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 3575

Abstract

Crops, such as white cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata (L.) f. alba), are often infested by herbivorous insects that consume the leaves directly or lay eggs with subsequent injury by caterpillars. The plants can produce various defensive metabolites or free radicals that repel the insects to avert further damage. To study the production and effects of these compounds, large white cabbage butterflies, Pieris brassicae and flea beetles, Phyllotreta nemorum, were captured in a cabbage field and applied to plants cultivated in the lab. After insect infestation, leaves were collected and UV/Vis spectrophotometry and HPLC used to determine the content of stress molecules (superoxide), primary metabolites (amino acids), and secondary metabolites (phenolic acids and flavonoids). The highest level of superoxide was measured in plants exposed to fifty flea beetles. These plants also manifested a higher content of phenylalanine, a substrate for the synthesis of phenolic compounds, and in activation of total phenolics and flavonoid production. The levels of specific phenolic acids and flavonoids had higher variability when the dominant increase was in the flavonoid, quercetin. The leaves after flea beetle attack also showed an increase in ascorbic acid which is an important nutrient of cabbage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polyphenols in Crops, Medicinal and Wild Edible Plants: From Their Metabolism to Their Benefits for Human Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 2093 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Polyphenolic Profiling, Quantitative Assessment and Biological Activities of Tunisian Native Mentha rotundifolia (L.) Huds.

by Imen Ben Haj Yahia, Yosr Zaouali, Maria Letizia Ciavatta, Alessia Ligresti, Rym Jaouadi, Mohamed Boussaid and Adele Cutignano

Molecules 2019, 24(13), 2351; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24132351 - 26 Jun 2019

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3666

Abstract

Phenolic profiling of ten plant samples of Mentha rotundifolia (L.) Huds. collected from different bioclimatic areas of Tunisia, was for the first time carried out by using a fast ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC)-high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (HRMS/MS) method on a Q Exactive platform equipped with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source. An intraspecific, interpopulation variability was evidenced and a total of 17 polyphenolic metabolites were identified and quantified by using the UHPLC-HRESIMS/MS method, here validated for specificity, linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantitation, accuracy and precision. The quantitative method resulted sensitive at the nM level and reliable for rapid polyphenol quantification in vegetal matrices. The metabolomic study allowed us to identify a new compound, named salvianolic acid W, which was isolated and characterized mainly by NMR and MS analysis. A statistical correlation of the phenolic composition with antioxidant and anti-acetylcholinesterase activities was provided. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polyphenols in Crops, Medicinal and Wild Edible Plants: From Their Metabolism to Their Benefits for Human Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 1964 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Discerning between Two Tuscany (Italy) Ancient Apple cultivars, ‘Rotella’ and ‘Casciana’, through Polyphenolic Fingerprint and Molecular Markers

by Ermes Lo Piccolo, Ambra Viviani, Lucia Guidi, Damiano Remorini, Rossano Massai, Rodolfo Bernardi and Marco Landi

Molecules 2019, 24(9), 1758; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24091758 - 07 May 2019

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3517

Abstract

Ancient apple cultivars usually have higher nutraceutical value than commercial ones, but in most cases their variability in pomological traits does not allow us to discriminate among them. Fruit of two Tuscany ancient apple cultivars, ‘Casciana’ and ‘Rotella’, picked from eight different orchards (four for each cultivar) were analyzed for their pomological traits, organoleptic qualities, polyphenolic profile and antiradical activity. The effectiveness of a polyphenol-based cluster analysis was compared to molecular markers (internal transcribed spacers, ITS1 and ITS2) to unequivocally discern the two apples. ‘Casciana’ and ‘Rotella’ fruit had a higher nutraceutical value than some commercial cultivars, in terms of phenolic abundance, profile and total antiradical activity. Although pedo-climatic conditions of different orchards influenced the phenolic profile of both apples, the polyphenolic discriminant analysis clearly separated the two cultivars, principally due to higher amounts of procyanidin B2, procyanidin B3 and p-coumaroylquinic acid in ‘Casciana’ than in ‘Rotella’ fruit. These three polyphenols can be used proficiently as biochemical markers for distinguishing the two apples when pomological traits cannot. Conversely, ITS1 and ITS2 polymorphism did not allow us to distinguish ‘Casciana’ from ‘Rotella’ fruit. Overall, the use of polyphenolic fingerprint might represent a valid tool to ensure the traceability of products with a high economic value. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polyphenols in Crops, Medicinal and Wild Edible Plants: From Their Metabolism to Their Benefits for Human Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 1039 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Variability in Catechin and Rutin Contents and Their Antioxidant Potential in Diverse Apple Genotypes

by Wajida Shafi, Sheikh Mansoor, Sumira Jan, Desh Beer Singh, Mohsin Kazi, Mohammad Raish, Majed Alwadei, Javid Iqbal Mir and Parvaiz Ahmad

Molecules 2019, 24(5), 943; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24050943 - 07 Mar 2019

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 3197

Abstract

Catechins and rutin are among the main metabolites found in apple fruit. Sixty apple genotypes, harvested in 2016 and 2017, were analyzed for their phenolic content and antioxidant activity. The HPLC analysis showed that the catechin concentration ranged from 109.98 to 5290.47 µg/g, and the rutin concentration ranged from 12.136 to 483.89 µg/g of apple fruit. The level of DPPH activity ranged from 9.04% to 77.57%, and almost half of the 15 genotypes showed below 30–40% DPPH activity. The apple genotypes ‘Lal Ambri’, ‘Green Sleeves’, and ‘Mallus floribunda’ showed the highest DPPH activity of between 70% and 80%, while ‘Schlomit’, ‘Luxtons Fortune’, ‘Mayaan’, ‘Ananas Retrine’, and ‘Chaubatia ambrose’ showed the lowest ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) activity (0.02–0.09%). Statistical analysis showed a correlation between DPPH activity and catechin content (r = 0.7348) and rutin content (r = 0.1442). Regarding antioxidant activity, fractionated samples of apple genotypes revealed significant activity comparable to that of ascorbic acid. There was also a consistent trend for FRAP activity among all apple genotypes and a significant positive correlation between FRAP activity and rutin content (r = 0.244). Thus, this study reveals a significant variation in antioxidant potential among apple genotypes. This data could be useful for the development of new apple varieties with added phytochemicals by conventional and modern breeders. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polyphenols in Crops, Medicinal and Wild Edible Plants: From Their Metabolism to Their Benefits for Human Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 5965 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Molecular Docking Studies of Coumarins Isolated from Extracts and Essential Oils of Zosima absinthifolia Link as Potential Inhibitors for Alzheimer’s Disease

by Songul Karakaya, Mehmet Koca, Serdar Volkan Yılmaz, Kadir Yıldırım, Nur Münevver Pınar, Betül Demirci, Marian Brestic and Oksana Sytar

Molecules 2019, 24(4), 722; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24040722 - 17 Feb 2019

Cited by 44 | Viewed by 6946

Abstract

Coumarins and essential oils are the major components of the Apiaceae family and the Zosima genus. The present study reports anticholinesterase and antioxidant activities of extracts and essential oils from aerial parts, roots, flowers, fruits and coumarins—bergapten (1); imperatorin (2), pimpinellin (3) and umbelliferone (4)—isolated of the roots from Zosima absinthifolia. The investigation by light and scanning electron microscopy of the structures of secretory canals found different chemical compositions in the various types of secretory canals which present in the aerial parts, fruits and flowers. The canals, present in the aerial parts, are characterized by terpene hydrocarbons, while the secretory canals of roots, flowers and fruits include esters. Novel data of a comparative study on essential oils constituents of aerial parts, roots, flowers and fruits of Z. absinthfolia has been presented. The roots and fruits extract showed a high content of total phenolics and antioxidant activity. The GC-FID and GC-MS analysis revealed that the main components of the aerial parts, roots, flowers and fruits extracts were octanol (8.8%), octyl octanoate (7.6%), octyl acetate (7.3%); trans-pinocarvyl acetate (26.7%), β-pinene (8.9%); octyl acetate (19.9%), trans-p-menth-2-en-1-ol (4.6%); octyl acetate (81.6%), and (Z)-4-octenyl acetate (5.1%). The dichloromethane fraction of fruit and flower essential oil was characterized by the highest phenolics level and antioxidant activity. The dichloromethane fraction of fruit had the best inhibition against butyrylcholinesterase enzyme (82.27 ± 1.97%) which was higher then acetylcholinesterase inhibition (61.09 ± 4.46%) of umbelliferone. This study shows that the flowers and fruit of Z. absinthifolia can be a new potential resource of natural antioxidant and anticholinesterase compounds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polyphenols in Crops, Medicinal and Wild Edible Plants: From Their Metabolism to Their Benefits for Human Health)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

18 pages, 2322 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Changes of Phytochemical Components (Urushiols, Polyphenols, Gallotannins) and Antioxidant Capacity during Fomitella fraxinea–Mediated Fermentation of Toxicodendron vernicifluum Bark

by Da-Ham Kim, Min-Ji Kim, Dae-Woon Kim, Gi-Yoon Kim, Jong-Kuk Kim, Yoseph Asmelash Gebru, Han-Seok Choi, Young-Hoi Kim and Myung-Kon Kim

Molecules 2019, 24(4), 683; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24040683 - 14 Feb 2019

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3705

Abstract

The stem bark of Toxicodendron vernicifluum (TVSB) has been widely used as a traditional herbal medicine and food ingredients in Korea. However, its application has been restricted due to its potential to cause allergies. Moreover, there is limited data available on the qualitative and quantitative changes in the composition of its phytochemicals during fermentation. Although the Formitella fraxinea-mediated fermentation method has been reported as an effective detoxification tool, changes to its bioactive components and the antioxidant activity that takes place during its fermentation process have not yet been fully elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the dynamic changes of urushiols, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant properties during the fermentation of TVSB by mushroom F. fraxinea. The contents of urushiols, total polyphenols, and individual flavonoids (fisetin, fustin, sulfuretin, and butein) and 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose (PGG) significantly decreased during the first 10 days of fermentation, with only a slight decrease thereafter until 22 days. Free radical scavenging activities using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6- sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) as an antioxidant function also decreased significantly during the first six to nine days of fermentation followed by a gentle decrease up until 22 days. These findings can be helpful in optimizing the F. fraxinea–mediated fermentation process of TVSB and developing functional foods with reduced allergy using fermented TVSB. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polyphenols in Crops, Medicinal and Wild Edible Plants: From Their Metabolism to Their Benefits for Human Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 5402 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study of Interactions between Amlodipine and Quercetin on Human Serum Albumin: Spectroscopic and Modeling Approaches

by Zuzana Vaneková, Lukáš Hubčík, José Luis Toca-Herrera, Paul Georg Furtműller, Jindra Valentová, Pavel Mučaji and Milan Nagy

Molecules 2019, 24(3), 487; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24030487 - 30 Jan 2019

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 5409

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the binding interactions between a common antihypertensive drug (amlodipine besylate—AML) and the widely distributed plant flavonoid quercetin (Q), in the presence of human serum albumin (HSA). Fluorescence analysis was implemented to investigate the effect of ligands on albumin intrinsic fluorescence and to define the binding and quenching properties. Further methods, such as circular dichroism and FT-IR, were used to obtain more details. The data show that both of these compounds bind to Sudlow’s Site 1 on HSA and that there exists a competitive interaction between them. Q is able to displace AML from its binding site and the presence of AML makes it easier for Q to bind. AML binds with the lower affinity and if the binding site is already occupied by Q, it binds to the secondary binding site inside the same hydrophobic pocket of Sudlow’s Site 1, with exactly the same affinity. Experimental data were complemented with molecular docking studies. The obtained results provide useful information about possible pharmacokinetic interactions upon simultaneous co-administration of the food/dietary supplement and the antihypertensive drug. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polyphenols in Crops, Medicinal and Wild Edible Plants: From Their Metabolism to Their Benefits for Human Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

8 pages, 1644 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Methyl Salicylate Enhances Flavonoid Biosynthesis in Tea Leaves by Stimulating the Phenylpropanoid Pathway

by Xin Li, Li-Ping Zhang, Lan Zhang, Peng Yan, Golam Jalal Ahammed and Wen-Yan Han

Molecules 2019, 24(2), 362; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24020362 - 21 Jan 2019

Cited by 53 | Viewed by 5293

Abstract

The phytohormone salicylic acid (SA) is a secondary metabolite that regulates plant growth, development and responses to stress. However, the role of SA in the biosynthesis of flavonoids (a large class of secondary metabolites) in tea (Camellia sinensis L.) remains largely unknown. Here, we show that exogenous methyl salicylate (MeSA, the methyl ester of SA) increased flavonoid concentration in tea leaves in a dose-dependent manner. While a moderate concentration of MeSA (1 mM) resulted in the highest increase in flavonoid concentration, a high concentration of MeSA (5 mM) decreased flavonoid concentration in tea leaves. A time-course of flavonoid concentration following 1 mM MeSA application showed that flavonoid concentration peaked at 2 days after treatment and then gradually declined, reaching a concentration lower than that of control after 6 days. Consistent with the time course of flavonoid concentration, MeSA enhanced the activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL, a key enzyme for the biosynthesis of flavonoids) as early as 12 h after the treatment, which peaked after 1 day and then gradually declined upto 6 days. qRT-PCR analysis of the genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis revealed that exogenous MeSA upregulated the expression of genes such as CsPAL, CsC4H, Cs4CL, CsCHS, CsCHI, CsF3H, CsDFR, CsANS and CsUFGT in tea leaves. These results suggest a role for MeSA in modulating the flavonoid biosynthesis in green tea leaves, which might have potential implications in manipulating the tea quality and stress tolerance in tea plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polyphenols in Crops, Medicinal and Wild Edible Plants: From Their Metabolism to Their Benefits for Human Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

22 pages, 1569 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Role of Salicylic Acid in Plants Exposed to Heavy Metals

by Anket Sharma, Gagan Preet Singh Sidhu, Fabrizio Araniti, Aditi Shreeya Bali, Babar Shahzad, Durgesh Kumar Tripathi, Marian Brestic, Milan Skalicky and Marco Landi

Molecules 2020, 25(3), 540; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25030540 - 26 Jan 2020

Cited by 211 | Viewed by 13711

Abstract

Salicylic acid (SA) is a very simple phenolic compound (a C₇H₆O₃ compound composed of an aromatic ring, one carboxylic and a hydroxyl group) and this simplicity contrasts with its high versatility and the involvement of SA in several plant processes either in optimal conditions or in plants facing environmental cues, including heavy metal (HM) stress. Nowadays, a huge body of evidence has unveiled that SA plays a pivotal role as plant growth regulator and influences intra- and inter-plant communication attributable to its methyl ester form, methyl salicylate, which is highly volatile. Under stress, including HM stress, SA interacts with other plant hormones (e.g., auxins, abscisic acid, gibberellin) and promotes the stimulation of antioxidant compounds and enzymes thereby alerting HM-treated plants and helping in counteracting HM stress. The present literature survey reviews recent literature concerning the roles of SA in plants suffering from HM stress with the aim of providing a comprehensive picture about SA and HM, in order to orientate the direction of future research on this topic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polyphenols in Crops, Medicinal and Wild Edible Plants: From Their Metabolism to Their Benefits for Human Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 2006 KiB

Open AccessReview

Response of Phenylpropanoid Pathway and the Role of Polyphenols in Plants under Abiotic Stress

by Anket Sharma, Babar Shahzad, Abdul Rehman, Renu Bhardwaj, Marco Landi and Bingsong Zheng

Molecules 2019, 24(13), 2452; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24132452 - 04 Jul 2019

Cited by 995 | Viewed by 23041

Abstract

Phenolic compounds are an important class of plant secondary metabolites which play crucial physiological roles throughout the plant life cycle. Phenolics are produced under optimal and suboptimal conditions in plants and play key roles in developmental processes like cell division, hormonal regulation, photosynthetic activity, nutrient mineralization, and reproduction. Plants exhibit increased synthesis of polyphenols such as phenolic acids and flavonoids under abiotic stress conditions, which help the plant to cope with environmental constraints. Phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway is activated under abiotic stress conditions (drought, heavy metal, salinity, high/low temperature, and ultraviolet radiations) resulting in accumulation of various phenolic compounds which, among other roles, have the potential to scavenge harmful reactive oxygen species. Deepening the research focuses on the phenolic responses to abiotic stress is of great interest for the scientific community. In the present article, we discuss the biochemical and molecular mechanisms related to the activation of phenylpropanoid metabolism and we describe phenolic-mediated stress tolerance in plants. An attempt has been made to provide updated and brand-new information about the response of phenolics under a challenging environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polyphenols in Crops, Medicinal and Wild Edible Plants: From Their Metabolism to Their Benefits for Human Health)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Polyphenols in Crops, Medicinal and Wild Edible Plants: From Their Metabolism to Their Benefits for Human Health

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (11 papers)

Research

Review

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI