Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Plants Edit a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Special Issue "Phytochemicals in Plants – Recent Developments on the Occurrence, Composition, Stability, Health, Food and Pharmaceutical Applications"

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 24 September 2023 | Viewed by 2862

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Nicoleta-Gabriela HĂDĂRUGĂ

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Food Science, University of Life Sciences “King Mihai I” from Timişoara, Aradului Str. 119, 300645-Timişoara, Romania
Interests: food quality; plant extracts; antioxidant activity; micro- and nanoencapsulation; cyclodextrins

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

New trends in the use of natural compounds in many fields, such as food and pharmaceuticals, increasingly make phytochemicals the focus of researchers' attention. Phytochemicals are biologically active compounds from plants. They are primary and secondary metabolites that provide a wide range of valuable bioactivities including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, antiparasitic and antifungal effects, as well as anticancerigene and chemotherapeutic properties. Additionally, some phytochemicals are toxic or have detrimental effects to humans. The Special Issue “Phytochemicals in Plants – recent developments on the occurrence, composition, stability, health, food and pharmaceutical applications” focuses on the most recent findings regarding the identification and quantification of new and/or highly bioactive phytochemicals in various plants including green algae and land plants (e.g., flowering plants, cereals, fruits and vegetables), their separation, purification, and structural characterization. The modern and recent developments on the methods of separation and analysis can be highlighted. Moreover, the degradation and stability of such compounds, including innovative stabilization techniques, are accepted. The mechanisms involved in phytochemical biosynthesis and biological activities (e.g., antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral or anticancer effects) are accepted. Finally, the studies on phytochemical applications, especially on food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic fields, are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Nicoleta-Gabriela HĂDĂRUGĂ
Guest Editor

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 2400 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

plant phytochemicals
antioxidants
flavonoids
anthocyanins
terpenoids
carotenoids
alkaloids
tannins
saponins
phytosterols
vitamins
biological activity
food applications
pharmaceutical applications

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

Open AccessArticle

Green Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Viscum album Extracts: Unveiling Bioactive Compounds, Antibacterial Potential, and Antioxidant Activities

Waheeda Mushtaq

Muhammad Ishtiaq

Mehwish Maqbool

Muhammad Waqas Mazhar

Ryan Casini

Ahmed M. Abd-ElGawad

and

Hosam O. Elansary

Plants 2023, 12(11), 2130; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12112130 - 27 May 2023

Viewed by 488

Abstract

The current study explored the antioxidant and antibacterial capabilities of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) synthetized using methanolic leaf extracts of the medicinal herb Viscum album. Through TEM investigation and UV–Vis analysis, which peaked at 406 nm, the synthesis of ZnONPs was verified. TEM analyses showed that the synthesized ZnONPs had a size distribution with an average of 13.5 nm and a quasi-spherical shape. Forty-four phytoconstituents were found in the methanolic leaf extracts of V. album. Additionally, a comparison of the antibacterial effectiveness and antioxidant capacity of aqueous and methanolic extracts of wild-grown V. album phytomedicine and green-manufactured ZnONPs was conducted. The green-generated ZnONPs were examined against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and shown to have superior antibacterial activity by 22%, 66%, and 44%, respectively, as compared to wild herbal medicinal extracts. Since the ZnONPs’ aqueous extracts had higher concentrations of DNA gyrase-B inhibitory components, they were shown to be more effective in limiting bacterial growth. In contrast to the percentages of 49% and 57% for a wild plant extract, the aqueous- and methanolic-extract-mediated green ZnONPs, with a 100 g/mL concentration, showed 94% and 98% scavenging capacity for DPPH free radicals, respectively. However, methanolic extracts were more effective than aqueous extracts in terms of the antioxidant analyses. This study establishes that greenly produced ZnONPs have the potential to be used in nanomedicine to treat bacteria that are resistant to a variety of drugs, as well as those with reactive oxygen species toxicity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals in Plants – Recent Developments on the Occurrence, Composition, Stability, Health, Food and Pharmaceutical Applications)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

Keeping Healthy in Your Skin—Plants and Fungi Used by Indigenous Himalayan Communities to Treat Dermatological Ailments

and

Hosam O. Elansary

Plants 2023, 12(7), 1575; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12071575 - 06 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1132

Abstract

Dermatological ailments are a major health problem, especially when related to human immune deficiency syndrome and acquired immune deficiency. The goal of this study was to identify the medicinal plants used by the indigenous peoples of the Northwestern Himalayas to treat dermatological diseases. Several field trips were conducted in the spring and summer seasons of 2020–2021 to collect the plants of dermatological value and information about their use through open-ended semi-structured interviews (n = 53) and group discussions (n = 33). The current investigation found 64 ethnomedicinal plants belonging to 34 families commonly used to treat a variety of dermatological ailments. The main growth form was herbs (80%), followed by trees (8%) and ferns (6%). It was found that leaves (51%) were the most commonly used plant part, followed by roots and the whole plant. Wound healing was the most dominant application, with 18 plant species used, followed by skin burns cured by 11 plant species and skin boils by eight plant species. Out of the total (18%) of medicinal plants with cosmetic uses, i.e., roots of Jurinea dolomiaea, Rheum webbianum, and Rheum spiciforme were crushed into powder and mixed with turmeric, and the paste is applied topically for glowing skin. Among the various preparation methods, paste (38%) was the most common way of preparation, followed by poultice (29%) and infusion (9%). Between ethnic groups, the maximum homogeneity was between Gujjar and Bakarwal ethnic groups (23 species, 36%), followed by Gujjars and Kashmiri (14 species, 22%). Bakarwals and Gujjar people live in the same geographical location, and they graze their animals in pastures, practice extensive transhumance pastoralism, and pass through different ecological landscapes, thus having sufficient experiences with certain plants and retaining more knowledge. The species identified with the highest utilization based on the number of citations and use value included Ficus carica, Cichorium intybus, Euphorbia wallichii, Pinus wallichiana, Plantago major, Jurinea dolomiaea, and Artemisia absinthium. The findings of this study demonstrate that people who reside in the Northwestern Himalayas region still rely on medicinal plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals in Plants – Recent Developments on the Occurrence, Composition, Stability, Health, Food and Pharmaceutical Applications)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

Phytochemical Profiling, Biological Activities, and In Silico Molecular Docking Studies of Causonis trifolia (L.) Mabb. & J.Wen Shoot

and

Chowdhury Habibur Rahaman

Plants 2023, 12(7), 1495; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12071495 - 29 Mar 2023

Viewed by 971

Abstract

Causonis trifolia (L.) Mabb. & J.Wen, commonly known as “fox grape”, is an ethnomedicinally important twining herb of the Vitaceae family, and it is used by ethnic communities for its wide range of therapeutic properties. Our research aims to investigate the chemical composition; antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic activities; and mechanisms of interaction between the identified selective chemical compounds and the target proteins associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic effects of the optimised phenolic extract of Causonis trifolia (L.) Mabb. & J.Wen, shoot (PECTS) to endorse the plant as a potential drug candidate for a future bioprospecting programme. Here, we employed the response surface methodology (RSM) with a Box–Behnken design to enrich the methanolic extract of C. trifolia shoot with phenolic ingredients by optimising three key parameters: solvent concentration (% v/v, methanol:water), extraction temperature (°C), and extraction duration (hours). From the quantitative phytochemical estimation, it was evident that the PECTS contained good amounts of phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, and alkaloids. During the HPLC analysis, we identified a total of eight phenolic and flavonoid compounds (gallic acid, catechin hydrate, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, sinapic acid, coumarin, and kaempferol) and quantified their respective contents from the PECTS. The GC-MS analysis of the PECTS highlighted the presence of 19 phytochemicals. In addition, the bioactivity study of the PECTS showed remarkable potentiality as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic agents. In silico molecular docking and computational molecular modelling were employed to investigate the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antidiabetic properties of the putative bioactive compounds derived from the PECTS using the GC-MS technique to understand the drug–receptor interactions, including their binding pattern. Out of the 19 phytocompounds identified by the GC-MS analysis, one compound, ergosta-5,22-dien-3-ol, acetate, (3β,22E), exhibited the best binding conformations with the target proteins involved in anti-inflammatory (e.g., Tnf-α and Cox-2), antioxidant (SOD), and antidiabetic (e.g., α-amylase and aldo reductase) activities. The nontoxic nature of this optimised extract was also evident during the in vitro cell toxicity assay against the Vero cell line and the in vivo acute toxicity study on BALB/c mice. We believe the results of the present study will pave the way for the invention of novel drugs efficacious for several ailments using the C. trifolia plant. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals in Plants – Recent Developments on the Occurrence, Composition, Stability, Health, Food and Pharmaceutical Applications)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Special Issue "Phytochemicals in Plants – Recent Developments on the Occurrence, Composition, Stability, Health, Food and Pharmaceutical Applications"

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (3 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI