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A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2022) | Viewed by 80234

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Alessandra Carrubba

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Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: medicinal and aromatic plants; industrial crops; Mediterranean native plant resources; plant secondary metabolites; non-chemical weed control
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Dr. Mauro Sarno

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Guest Editor

Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: turf grass; forage species; sustainable agriculture systems; biodiversity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The term “medicinal and aromatic plants” (MAPs) includes a large number of species, annual or perennial, herbs, shrubs, and trees, whose common feature is the ability to produce and accumulate one or more secondary metabolites able to generate specific medicinal or aromatic properties. The use of MAPs crosses almost all historical periods and geographical areas, and there is practically no culture on Earth—in the past or the present—that has not relied on MAPs as important natural resources for supplying medicines, aromas, and raw matter for human needs. Today, MAPs are acknowledged as playing a crucial role within the strategic priorities for rural development, according to the basic principles of multifunctionality, sustainability, and diversification. In this scenario, research on MAPs can be approached under many different and equally valuable points of view, including traditional and novel utilizations, ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology, phytochemical and botanical characterization, physiology of metabolic patterns, domestication and crop management, agroforestry, and economic and industrial implications.

This Special Issue accepts contributions covering all research aspects related to MAPs, from the discovery and valorization of plants’ potentialities to their open field cultivation, through the overlapping sectors of botany, agronomy, agroforestry, plant physiology, chemistry, and food technology.

Original research and review papers are welcome. Papers chosen for publication will be selected by a rigorous peer-review procedure with the aim of rapid dissemination of the research results.

Key topics in this Special Issue include but are not limited to the following:

Mapping and characterization of wild populations of MAPs;
Breeding and selection of MAPs;
Propagation and in vitro techniques;
Ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology;
Phytotherapy, phytochemistry, and phytopharmacology;
Essential oils and secondary metabolites;
Organic and conventional cropping management of MAPs;
MAPs in agroforestry;
Novel uses of MAPs: bioherbicides and biopesticides;
MAPs as food additives.

Dr. Alessandra Carrubba
Dr. Mauro Sarno
Guest Editors

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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. Agronomy 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 2600 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

medicinal and aromatic plants
cropping technique (organic, conventional, soilless)
agricultural diversification
plant extracts
allelopathy
natural products
bioactive compounds
herbal products
food and pharmaceutical ingredients

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Published Papers (13 papers)

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9 pages, 947 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Propagation of Calendula maritima Guss. (Asteraceae) through Biotechnological Techniques for Possible Usage in Phytotherapy

by Caterina Catalano, Loredana Abbate, Francesco Carimi, Angela Carra, Alessandro Silvestre Gristina, Antonio Motisi, Salvatore Pasta and Giuseppe Garfì

Agronomy 2022, 12(11), 2788; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12112788 - 9 Nov 2022

Viewed by 2071

Abstract

The genus Calendula (Asteraceae) includes several species that are renowned for their therapeutic properties and/or use as ingredients in the preparation of cosmetics. The rare and critically endangered sea marigold, Calendula maritima Guss., an endemic species from Western Sicily, has also been recognized as a potential “farm plant species” for several important compounds used in cosmetics. However, the few remnant populations of this species are currently threatened with extinction because of several factors, such as hybridization with the congeneric species Calendula suffruticosa subsp. fulgida (Raf.) Guadagno and anthropogenic disturbance of its habitat. Therefore, in order to preserve the genetic integrity from pure genetic lineages, seed-based propagation and seed storage are not recommended for either conservation or massive production purposes. In this paper, we describe a protocol adopted for mass propagation of C. maritima from selected genotypes. Nodal segments collected from selected plants growing in the field were used as starting explants and were cultured for micropropagation on MS medium with and without phloroglucinol. New shoots produced were cultured for rooting under several conditions with the aim of finding the best procedure favoring root induction. The best rooting performance was obtained with zeolite and rooted plants were successfully acclimatized outdoors. The technique described allowed the multiplication of genotypes of interest as well as to overcome the problems of hybridization of this species, hence contributing concretely to the conservation of the sea marigold. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants)

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12 pages, 2481 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Long-Term Field Evaluation of Conventional vs. Micropropagated Plants of Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium

by Caterina Catalano, Angela Carra, Francesco Carimi, Antonio Motisi, Loredana Abbate, Mauro Sarno and Alessandra Carrubba

Agronomy 2022, 12(11), 2756; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12112756 - 5 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1758

Abstract

Pyrethrum is a perennial herbaceous plant endemic to the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, and introduced in large areas of nearly all continents, where it is cultivated for the industrial extraction of pyrethrins. Pyrethrins are a group of six closely related monoterpene esters, widely used as natural insecticides. The world production of natural pyrethrins is lower than the market demand, and a wider introduction of this crop within the Mediterranean agrosystems could be an appealing opportunity for farmers and manufacturers. The availability of adequate amounts of selected plant material to bring into cultivation is, however, one of the major issues. Therefore, the in vitro propagation of elite pyrethrum genotypes could be a suitable alternative to conventional propagation methods. In this paper, we present the results of a 9-year field comparison between pyrethrum plants coming from an in vitro propagation protocol and plants obtained by cutting from the same mother plants. Furthermore, since plantlets derived from in vitro regeneration may experience ploidy changes, we evaluated the stability of the ploidy level of pyrethrum-micropropagated plants by flow cytometry (FCM) analysis. FCM screening revealed no differences among the morphotypes and between them and the mother plant. Likewise, the field evaluation of plants gave no significant differences between flower yields in both groups. Hence, micropropagation was confirmed as an easy, efficient and reproducible method to obtain large quantities of selected pyrethrum genotypes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants)

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13 pages, 2442 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synergized Toxicity of Promising Plant Extracts and Synthetic Chemicals against Fall Armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Pakistan

by Kanwer Shahzad Ahmed, Atif Idrees, Muhammad Zeeshan Majeed, Muhammad Irfan Majeed, Mehar Zubair Shehzad, Muhammad Irfan Ullah, Ayesha Afzal and Jun Li

Agronomy 2022, 12(6), 1289; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12061289 - 27 May 2022

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4860

Abstract

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a destructive pest of a wide array of agricultural and horticultural crops worldwide. This in vitro research assessed the combined effect of methanolic extracts of indigenous flora of Soone Valley (Khushab, Pakistan) and nine commonly used synthetic insecticides against 3rd instar larvae of S. frugiperda using the leaf-dip bioassay method. Toxicity bioassays with twelve plant extracts revealed that the extracts of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, Sophora mollis (Royle) Baker and Rhazya stricta Decne. were the most effective, exhibiting minimum LC₅₀ and LT₅₀ values. Bioassays with synthetic insecticides revealed a significantly higher mortality of S. frugiperda larvae by emamectin benzoate (45%), chlorpyrifos (40%) and chlorantraniliprole (38%). Further bioassays with 10 binary combinations of these most effective botanical and synthetic insecticides showed that seven pesticidal combinations exhibited synergistic toxicity, and three combinations comprising emamectin benzoate exhibited an additive effect on the mortality of S. frugiperda larvae. GC–MS analyses of methanolic extracts of W. somnifera, S. mollis and R. stricta revealed 1,2,4-trimethyl-benzene and 3,5-dimethyl-octane, 1-ethyl-2-methyl-benzene, and 1-monolinoleoylglycerol trimethylsilyl ether, decane, and lupeol as major bioconstituents, respectively. Our results demonstrated that combining botanicals with synthetic insecticides can synergize their toxicity against S. frugiperda larvae, suggesting their potential incorporation into future IPM programs against S. frugiperda and other lepidopterous pests. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants)

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11 pages, 751 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Hormonal Priming and Osmopriming on Germination of Winter Savory (Satureja montana L.) Natural Population under Drought Stress

by Monika Vidak, Boris Lazarević, Monika Nekić, Zlatko Šatović and Klaudija Carović-Stanko

Agronomy 2022, 12(6), 1288; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12061288 - 27 May 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2776

Abstract

Winter savory (Satureja montana L.) is an important medicinal, aromatic, and honey plant. In Croatia, it is widely distributed along the Adriatic coast, where it is frequently exposed to droughts. First, the winter savory natural population with the highest germination across different drought treatments after hydropriming was selected. Nine hundred seeds from each of the three natural populations (P1, P2, and P3) were hydroprimed (dH₂O) for 48 h. The seeds were then germinated in drought treatments with different concentrations of polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000) (−0, −0.2, −0.4, −0.8, −1.2, −1.6, −2, −2.5, −3.0 MPa). Since P1 showed the best results in germination parameters, it was used for the second phase of the experiment, where the effect of hormonal priming (100 and 400 ppm GA3, 48 h in the dark) and osmopriming (0.2% and 0.6% w/v KNO₃, 72 h in the dark) on seed germination and seedling morphological parameters of the selected winter savory population under drought stress conditions (−0.8 and −2.5 MPa) was evaluated. Although winter savory grows in dry areas, this study showed that extremely dry conditions (−3.0 and −2.5 MPa) negatively affected seed germination, but this effect can be mitigated by priming treatments, especially with the hormonal priming (GA3 400 ppm). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants)

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21 pages, 6843 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Potassium (K) Supply on Cannabinoids, Terpenoids and Plant Function in Medical Cannabis

by Avia Saloner and Nirit Bernstein

Agronomy 2022, 12(5), 1242; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12051242 - 23 May 2022

Cited by 38 | Viewed by 26195

Abstract

We have demonstrated in previous studies that the essential macro-nutrients nitrogen (N) and phosporous (P) have profound effects on the production of cannabinoids and terpenoids in the cannabis plant. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the hypothesis that potassium (K) supply, which is known to substantially affect plant development and function, affects the secondary metabolism of the cannabis plant. Two cultivars of medical cannabis were grown in controlled environment conditions, under five levels of K supply: 15, 60, 100, 175, and 240 mg L⁻¹ K. The results revealed that the development and function of plants that received the low K supply of 15 mg L⁻¹ K were impaired, as the plants suffered from visual chlorosis, and the inflorescence yield was reduced in both cultivars. Plants that received higher K inputs in the range of −175 mg L⁻¹ K demonstrated optimal plant function and high yield, and one cultivar demonstrated over-supply symptoms under the high K level of 240 mg L⁻¹. The concentrations of most cannabinoids and terpenoids declined with the elevation of K supply, thus supporting the hypothesis. As secondary metabolite concentrations decreased with the increase in K supply, and higher K levels had no positive effects, 60 mg L⁻¹ K is the suggested application level to maintain high function and yield combined with high secondary metabolism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants)

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17 pages, 23590 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chemical Profile, Elemental Composition, and Antimicrobial Activity of Plants of the Teucrium (Lamiaceae) Genus Growing in Moldova

by Alexandru Ciocarlan, Ion Dragalin, Aculina Aricu, Lucian Lupascu, Nina Ciocarlan, Konstantin Vergel, Octavian G. Duliu, Gergana Hristozova and Inga Zinicovscaia

Agronomy 2022, 12(4), 772; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12040772 - 23 Mar 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2819

Abstract

Teucrium L. is a widely distributed genus often used for the treatment of digestive disorders and respiratory problems. The aim of the present study was to determine the chemical composition of essential oils and elemental content of the plant species Teucrium polium, Teucrium hircanicum, Teucrium botrys, Teucrium chamaedrys, Teucrium flavum, Teucrium orientale, and Teucrium scordium of Moldovan origin, as well as to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of their extracts. The composition of essential oils was determined using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and neutron activation analysis (NAA) was used to assess the elemental composition of plants. Antimicrobial tests were performed in vitro on the Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Xanthomonas campestris, Erwinia amylovora, Erwinia carotovora, and Candida utilis strains using the double-dilution method. GC–MS allowed the identification of 59 components of the analyzed essential oils, and showed that the analyzed species belong to four different chemotypes. Using NAA, 18 major and minor elements, the contents of which fell within the value ranges reported for other medicinal herbs of this genus, were identified. The hydroalcoholic extracts from Teucrium spp. exhibited in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activity at 0.03–0.06% and 0.015–0.03%, respectively. The extracts from Teucrium spp. exhibited high antibacterial and antifungal activity, enabling their application for medical purposes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants)

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18 pages, 3394 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antimicrobial Potential of Essential Oils from Aromatic Plant Ocimum sp.; A Comparative Biochemical Profiling and In-Silico Analysis

by Prafull Salvi, Gulshan Kumar, Nishu Gandass, Kajal, Ashish Verma, Sivasubramanian Rajarammohan, Nilesh Rai and Vibhav Gautam

Agronomy 2022, 12(3), 627; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12030627 - 4 Mar 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4275

Abstract

Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are a rich source of bioactive compounds that are immensely important due to their potential use in pharmacological and agricultural applications. Here, we have evaluated the antimicrobial activity of essential oils (EOs) from three different species of Ocimum: O. gratissimum (EO1), O. tenuiflorum (EO2), and O. sanctum (EO3). The EOs were screened for antibacterial activity against pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The essential oils EO1 and EO3 showed significant growth inhibition of the tested bacteria. Likewise, all EOs exhibited antifungal potential against the broad-spectrum plant fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum that causes white-mould disease in plants. Moreover, the antimicrobial potential of the EOs correlates well with their antioxidant activity determined by DPPH free radical scavenging activity. The biochemical analysis of the EOs employing high-performance thin-layer chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, revealed the presence of distinct phytoconstituents that might be responsible for their differential bioactivity. Furthermore, an in-silico evaluation of the candidate phytoconstituents using molecular docking analysis suggests their potential for antimicrobial applications. Altogether, our results clearly show that EO1 and EO3 possess promising antimicrobial properties, and therefore could be utilized as a potential antimicrobial agent. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants)

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18 pages, 781 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

HPLC/MS Phytochemical Profiling with Antioxidant Activities of Echium humile Desf. Extracts: ADMET Prediction and Computational Study Targeting Human Peroxiredoxin 5 Receptor

by Kaïss Aouadi, Hafedh Hajlaoui, Soumaya Arraouadi, Siwar Ghannay, Mejdi Snoussi and Adel Kadri

Agronomy 2021, 11(11), 2165; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11112165 - 27 Oct 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3224

Abstract

Plant-based antioxidants such as polyphenols have gained significance in primary health care needs, due to their potential and therapeutic use in modern medicine. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate, for the first time, the effect of solvents on extraction yield, polyphenolics, phytoconstituents and antioxidant properties of various extracts (aqueous, methanol, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, hexane) of Echium humile Desf. (E. humile Desf.) through in vitro and in silico studies. Statistically, among the various solvents, both methanol (443.05 ± 0.50 mg GAE/g extract) and aqueous (440.59 ± 0.50 mg GAE/g extract) extracts displayed equipotent and highest total phenolics content (TPC), while dichloromethane extract had the maximum total flavonoid content (TFC) (151.69 ± 0.60 mg QE/g extract), total flavonol content (TFlC) (97.39 ± 0.19 mg QE/g extract) and total carotenoids content (TCC) (537.85 ± 5.06 mg β-CE/g). Meanwhile, the highest total condensed tannin content (TCTC) was recorded together with hexane (131.50 ± 0.1 mg GAE/g extract) and dichloromethane (125.74 ± 5.72 GAE/g extract) extracts. The results of antioxidant studies revealed that ethyl acetate extract exhibited a potent scavenging effect through 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH^•) (IC₅₀ = 17.25 ± 1.76 µg/mL) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS^•+) (1433.30 ± 1.78 µg/mL), while dichloromethane extract displayed significant (p < 0.05) ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) activity (375.00 ± 0.02 µg/mL) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (1999.00 ± 2.05 µg AAE/g). In addition, the quantification of the polyphenolics content of the most active E. humile Desf. extract, ethyl acetate has been assessed by HPLC/MS, leading to the identification of p-coumaric, trans-ferulic acids and cirsiliol as major constituents. Additionally, molecular docking analysis showed that among the selected phytocompounds, naringin (−7.0 kcal/mol) followed by 1,3-di-O-caffeoyquinic acid (−6.6 kcal/mol), rosmarinic acid (−6.6 kcal/mol), rutin (−6.5 kcal/mol) and apigenin-7-O-glucoside (−6.5 kcal/mol) showed the lowest binding potential. Furthermore, ADME and toxicity parameters justify that identified compounds from ethyl acetate extract are safer to replace the synthetic drugs with side effects. The obtained results can provide valuable information on the medical and therapeutic potential use of E. humile Desf. as a potent antioxidant agent to improve immunity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants)

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16 pages, 648 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don Essential Oil from Serbia: Chemical Composition, Classification and Biological Activity—May It Be a Suitable New Crop for Serbia?

by Milica Aćimović, Jovana Ljujić, Jelena Vulić, Valtcho D. Zheljazkov, Lato Pezo, Ana Varga and Vesna Tumbas Šaponjac

Agronomy 2021, 11(7), 1282; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11071282 - 24 Jun 2021

Cited by 31 | Viewed by 4767

Abstract

H. italicum essential oil (EO) is one of the most popular ingredients utilized by the cosmetic industry, and it is also used as natural antioxidant and as a value-added ingredient in food products. The chemical composition of the EO H. italicum cultivated in Serbia was analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The quantitative structure–retention relationship was used to predict the retention indices of the EO constituents acquired by GC-MS data, applying five molecular descriptors selected by factor analysis and a genetic algorithm. Also, antimicrobial activity, and biological activity by four common antioxidant tests (DPPH and ABTS assays, reducing power, and β-carotene bleaching test), and in vitro antihyperglycemic and anti-inflammatory capacities were evaluated. A total of 70 EO constituents were detected, of which 17 (8.5%) could not be identified. The H. italicum EO in this study belonged to γ-curcumene chemotype. The coefficients of determination reached the value of 0.964, demonstrating that this model could be used for prediction purposes. All applied tests showed that H. italicum EO possesses good biological activity and an interesting chemical composition. Therefore, the EO of H. italicum grown in Serbia has a potential to be used in food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants)

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13 pages, 1167 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preliminary Predictive Model of Termiticidal and Repellent Activities of Essential Oil Extracted from Ocotea quixos Leaves against Nasutitermes corniger (Isoptera: Termitidae) Using One-Factor Response Surface Methodology Design

by Yasiel Arteaga-Crespo, Diego Ureta-Leones, Yudel García-Quintana, Mayra Montalván, Gianluca Gilardoni and Omar Malagón

Agronomy 2021, 11(6), 1249; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11061249 - 20 Jun 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3248

Abstract

Termites are one of the most challenging pests that agriculture and urban environments are faced with. They bring substantial losses in annual and perennial crops and damage wood components at construction sites. The development of natural products with biological activity for termite control is an ecological alternative in the search to replace conventional products. Hence, the aim of this research was to predict the termiticidal and repellent effects of the essential oil from Ocotea quixos leaves on Nasutitermes corniger using a one-factor response surface methodology design. The variable analysed was the concentration of essential oil in ethanol at an interval of 0.3–0.05% for anti-termite activity and between 0.12 and 0.01% for repellent action. A 100% mortality rate was found at concentrations higher than 0.12% and at the minimum concentration analysed, the effect was 22.2%. As for the repellent action, the concentration of 0.12% was able to repel 100% of the termites and at 0.01% it repelled 48.9%. The analysis of the essential oil from Ocotea quixos leaves by GC-MS resulted in the presence of 42 compounds, 39 of them elucidated. The main compounds were (E)-cinnamyl acetate (36.44%), (E)-cinnamaldehyde (27.03%), (E)-β-caryophyllene (5.21%) and (E)-methyl isoeugenol (4.18%). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants)

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19 pages, 1161 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quantification of Total Phenols, Tannins, Anthocyanins Content in Myrtus communis L. and Antioxidant Activity Evaluation in Function of Plant Development Stages and Altitude of Origin Site

by Silvia Medda, Angela Fadda, Leonarda Dessena and Maurizio Mulas

Agronomy 2021, 11(6), 1059; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11061059 - 25 May 2021

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4282

Abstract

Most of the biological properties of myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) are linked to the antioxidant activity of the phenolic compounds present in the extracts. In this study, the content of total phenols, tannins, and anthocyanins of acidified ethanol extracts of berries and leaves of five myrtle cultivars was quantified during the whole fruit development. In some development stages, the antioxidant activity (AA) of both tissues was evaluated with FRAP, ABTS, DPPH, β-carotene assays, and spectroscopic method (EPR). The trend of AA in leaf and berry extracts was different among genotypes and evaluation assays. In general, leaves showed with DPPH assay, the highest AA during autumn season, while with FRAP and β-carotene was higher at 120 DAF (days after flowering) corresponding to summer season. In berries, the AA with DPPH, ABTS, and EPR assays was the highest for all cultivars at 150 DAF and 210 DAF, while with β-carotene assay was higher in the first development stage. Both in leaf and berry, the total phenols and tannins contents influence the AA depending on the assay used, while the berries anthocyanins seem to play a minor role. The altitude of the site of origin differently affected the AA of myrtle leaf and berry. The study showed the potentiality to use the studied myrtle genotypes for further evaluation on biological applications of antioxidant activity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants)

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16 pages, 1477 KiB

Open AccessReview

Biological Activities of Zingiber officinale Roscoe Essential Oil against Fusarium spp.: A Minireview of a Promising Tool for Biocontrol

by Matteo Radice, Naga Raju Maddela and Laura Scalvenzi

Agronomy 2022, 12(5), 1168; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12051168 - 12 May 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3038

Abstract

Zingiber officinale Roscoe is an herbal plant native to Asia that can be found in all tropical countries. It is used in folk medicine, food, and cosmetics. A chemical characterization and some agronomic experiments have been carried out on Z. officinale essential oil, showing promising findings for the biological control of fungal pathogens belonging to the genus Fusarium. The aim of this review is to collect and update the literature covering its phytochemistry and biological activities as a Fusarium spp. plant-based biocide. The present research was conducted using the following bibliographic databases: Scifinder, Pubmed, and Science Direct. Thirteen papers were selected based on the adopted criteria. Data were independently extracted by the three authors of this work, and the final article selections were completed in a manner that avoided the duplication of data. The main chemical compounds were α-zingiberene, geranial, and aryl-curcumene, but a remarkable difference was found concerning the chemical compositions. Z. officinale essential oil was shown to possess promising biological functions against Fusarium spp. These findings offer new research approaches and potential applications as a biocontrol ingredient for Z. officinale essential oil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants)

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25 pages, 1600 KiB

Open AccessReview

Milk Thistle (Silybum Marianum L.) as a Novel Multipurpose Crop for Agriculture in Marginal Environments: A Review

by Roberto Marceddu, Lucia Dinolfo, Alessandra Carrubba, Mauro Sarno and Giuseppe Di Miceli

Agronomy 2022, 12(3), 729; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12030729 - 17 Mar 2022

Cited by 45 | Viewed by 14385

Abstract

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.) is a versatile crop that has adapted to the broadly different soil and environmental conditions throughout all continents. To date, the fruits (“seeds”) of the plant are the only reliable source of silymarin, which, given its recognized therapeutic effects and its many present and potential uses, has led to a significant re-discovery and enhancement of the crop in recent years. Overall, although many studies have been carried out globally on the bioactivity, phytochemistry, and genetics of milk thistle, few and discontinuous research activity has been conducted on its basic agronomy as well as on the farm opportunities offered by the cultivation of this species. However, the multiple potential uses of the plant and its reduced need for external inputs suggest that milk thistle can perfectly fit among the most interesting alternative crops, even for marginal environments. The growing interest in natural medicine, the increasing popularity of herbal dietary supplements, and the multiple possibilities for livestock feeding are all arguments supporting the idea that in many rural areas, this crop could represent a significant tool for enhancing and stabilizing farm income. However, several issues still have to be addressed. The species retains some morphological and physiological traits belonging to non-domesticated plants, which make the application of some common agronomic practices challenging. Furthermore, the lack of reliable field data devoted to the definition of suitable cropping protocols represents a major constraint on the spread of this crop among farmers. This review has therefore focused on updating information on the main morphological and phytochemical traits of the crop and its agronomic characteristics and novel uses. Several gaps in technical knowledge have been addressed, and further goals for experimental activity have been outlined in order to guide farmers eager to cope with the cultivation of such a challenging and resource-rich crop. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants)

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