Secondary Metabolites and Antioxidant Activities of Medicinal and Edible Plants and Fungi: A Closer Look

Dear Colleagues,

Medicinal and edible plants and fungi have long been valued for their potential health benefits and nutritional properties. Beyond their primary metabolites, plants also produce a diverse array of secondary metabolites, which often possess potent bioactivities, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. Among them, compounds with antioxidant activities have emerged as particularly fascinating due to their ability to combat oxidative stress and protect against cellular damage contributing to overall human well-being. This special issue aims to collect original papers that explore the chemical diversity of medicinal and edible plant and fungi secondary metabolites and delve into their antioxidant activities in vitro and in vivo. By examining their composition, properties, and modes of action, we aim to unravel the biological significance of phytochemicals (polyphenols, terpenoids, glucosinolates, etc.) and their potential as therapeutic agents shedding light on their chemical diversity, biological importance, and potential applications in human health, including their role in preventing chronic diseases, promoting longevity, and supporting overall well-being.

This Special Issue of Plants entitled “Secondary Metabolites and Antioxidant Activities of Medicinal and Edible Plants and Fungi: A Closer Look” welcomes original research papers and reviews, focusing, but not limited, to the following topics:

• Extraction methods, isolation, purification, and phytochemical characterization of secondary metabolites from plants and fungi, foods, and agro-industrial by-products;
• Antioxidant properties and activities of crude extracts, fractions, and isolated compounds in vitro and in vivo;
• Bioactive potential (for the prevention and management of non-communicable disease) of crude extracts, fractions, and isolated compounds and possible mechanisms of action;
• Pharmaceutical technologies and new strategies to improve the bioavailability and activity of secondary metabolites from medicinal and edible plants and fungi. 

Prof. Dr. Francesco Maria Raimondo
Dr. Rosaria Acquaviva
Dr. Giuseppe Antonio Malfa
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. Plants 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.

• plants secondary metabolites
• fungi secondary metabolites
• extraction methods
• phytochemical analysis
• purification and isolation of phytochemicals
• biological activities
• natural compounds and non-communicable diseases
• pharmaceutical technologies and natural compounds
• secondary metabolites and agro-industrial by-products