Value Added Products from Unused Plant Biomass

Dear Colleagues,

Plant biomass residues are an important yet so far underexploited resource. Research on plant biomass residues has been developing rapidly in recent years. One of the ways of development is the extraction of biologically active substances from unused plant biomass. The largest and best-known group of these compounds is the plant polyphenols. However, due to the different structures of polyphenolic compounds, their extraction efficiency depends on the plant material and extraction methods. Thus, depending on the desired structures of polyphenolic compounds and the properties of the products and the plant material, it is necessary to develop an individual extraction methodology. Currently, only a small part of the world's plant biomass is processed into value-added products. In order to obtain this added value for unused plant biomass in the production of fuels and various valuable chemical compounds, it is necessary to find the best extraction methods for the release of these compounds and to obtain products with versatile properties for their application in various fields. Many organic materials, foods, human health products, cosmetics, etc. are subject to oxidative degradation. Almost all oxidizable organic substrates require the addition of antioxidants to protect their properties and extend their shelf life. There is a growing global interest in extracting biologically active antioxidants from plant biomass. Nowadays, it is becoming more and more popular not only to use individual, plant-derived, and purified polyphenol compounds but also to use complex plant extracts based on the incorporation of naturally occurring polyphenol compositions into various systems as functional components. Valorization of plant biomass by-products, including the extraction and use of polyphenols, makes it possible to maximize the added value of the total raw material. This Special Issue aims to expand our knowledge about the possibilities of valorization of unused plant biomass with an emphasis on the obtaining of biologically active substances and their properties.

Dr. Maris Lauberts
Guest Editor

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• plant biomass
• extraction
• analytical chemistry
• antioxidant activity
• phytochemical screening
• analytical approaches
• chemical characterization
• target compounds
• method development