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The Bioactivity of Natural Products and Extracts from Horticultural Plants
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The Bioactivity of Natural Products and Extracts from Horticultural Plants

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Horticultural Science and Ornamental Plants".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2024) | Viewed by 6473

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Filomena Monica Vella

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Biosciences and BioResources (IBBR), Via P. Castellino, 80131 Naples, Italy
Interests: plant-waste valorization; food-processing byproducts; eco-friendly extraction; bioactive compounds; polyphenols; antioxidants; essential oils
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Horticultural plants can be found all around the world and, among them, fruit and vegetables are regarded as the most important sources of nutrients and health-promoting compounds for human health. In particular, horticultural elements (seeds, skins, rinds, pulps, roots, leaves, kernels, stems, and flowers) are excellent sources of pigments, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, carotenoids, terpenes, flavouring agents, aromas, essential oils, and iridoids. All these natural products are characterized by their valuable biological properties, such as antibacterial, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumor, and antimutagenic activities.

The screening of horticultural plants for novel biologically active metabolites is an important research topic because these high-value-added biomolecules can be employed for the development of functional or enriched foods in the food and beverage industry, as well for cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and textile applications.

As, nowadays, numerous research groups are focusing on the study and characterization of plant extracts, this Special Issue aims to collect reviews and original papers on natural bioactive compounds from horticultural plants, related biological activities, and potential applications.

Dr. Filomena Monica Vella
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 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

  • horticultural plants
  • fruit and vegetables
  • natural products
  • phytochemicals
  • high-value-added compounds
  • antioxidants
  • biological activities

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 1170 KiB  
Article
Discovery of Isograndidentatin D, a Novel Phenolic Glycoside, and Anti-Helicobacter pylori Phenolics from Salix koreensis Twigs
by Yoon Seo Jang, Dong-Min Kang, Yoon-Joo Ko, Moon-Jin Ra, Sang-Mi Jung, Mi-Jeong Ahn, Seulah Lee and Ki Hyun Kim
Plants 2024, 13(24), 3603; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13243603 - 23 Dec 2024
Viewed by 504
Abstract
Salix koreensis Anderss (Salicaceae), commonly referred to as Korean willow, is native to East Asia, particularly Korea and China, and it has been used in traditional Korean folk medicine for its potent anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antioxidant properties. In our ongoing research efforts to [...] Read more.
Salix koreensis Anderss (Salicaceae), commonly referred to as Korean willow, is native to East Asia, particularly Korea and China, and it has been used in traditional Korean folk medicine for its potent anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antioxidant properties. In our ongoing research efforts to discover biologically new natural products, phytochemical analysis on an ethanolic extract of S. koreensis twigs yielded the isolation and identification of ten phenolic compounds (1–10), including a newly discovered phenolic glycoside (1) named isograndidentatin D, isolated via HPLC purification. The structure of compound 1 was determined through extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectral data analysis and high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESIMS). Its absolute configuration was established using DP4+ probability analysis combined with gauge-including atomic orbital NMR chemical shift calculations and chemical reaction methods. The other known compounds were identified as isograndidentatin B (2), trichocarposide (3), glanduloidin C (4), tremuloidin (5), 3-O-acetylsalicin (6), 2-O-acetylsalicin (7), salicin (8), salireposide (9), and coumaric acid (10), confirmed by comparing their NMR spectra with previously reported data and further verified through liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) analysis. The isolated compounds 1–10 were tested for their anti-Helicobacter pylori activities. Among these, compounds 4 and 5 demonstrated moderate anti-H. pylori activity at a concentration of 100 μM. Specifically, compound 5 showed an inhibitory activity of 35.9 ± 5.4%, making it slightly more potent than compound 4, with 34.0 ± 1.0% inhibition. These results were comparable to that of quercetin, a known anti-H. pylori agent used as a positive control in this study, which showed 38.4 ± 2.3% inhibition. The remaining compounds exhibited very weak inhibitory effects. This study highlights the potential of S. koreensis twigs as a valuable natural source of bioactive compounds for therapeutic applications against H. pylori. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Bioactivity of Natural Products and Extracts from Horticultural Plants)
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18 pages, 1144 KiB  
Article
Eugenol, Isoeugenol, Thymol, Carvacrol, and Ester Derivatives as an Ecofriendly Option to Control Glomerella Leaf Spot and Bitter Rot on Apple
by Renan R. Schorr, Meira J. Ballesteros Garcia, Debora Petermann, Rafaele R. Moreira, Beatriz H. L. N. Sales Maia, Francisco A. Marques and Louise L. May-De Mio
Plants 2024, 13(22), 3196; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13223196 - 14 Nov 2024
Viewed by 902
Abstract
Glomerella leaf spot (GLS) and bitter rot (BR) are severe diseases of apple. Colletotrichum nymphaeae and Colletotrichum chrysophillum are the main species in Brazil. To control GLS and BR in Brazilian apple orchards, mancozeb and thiophanate-methyl fungicides are still used despite reported Colletotrichum [...] Read more.
Glomerella leaf spot (GLS) and bitter rot (BR) are severe diseases of apple. Colletotrichum nymphaeae and Colletotrichum chrysophillum are the main species in Brazil. To control GLS and BR in Brazilian apple orchards, mancozeb and thiophanate-methyl fungicides are still used despite reported Colletotrichum resistance to these active ingredients. In addition, mancozeb has been banned from apple-importing countries and it has been a great challenge for apple producers to find products for its replacement that are eco-friendly. So, this study aimed to search for alternatives to control the diseases. We assessed the antifungal activity of eugenol, isoeugenol, thymol, carvacrol, and some of their ester derivatives. The best products to inhibit the pathogen in in vitro assays were thymol, thymol butyrate, and carvacrol, completely inhibiting mycelial growth at 125 mg L−1 and conidial germination at 100 mg L−1. In detached apple fruit, eugenol, eugenyl acetate, carvacryl acetate, and thymol butyrate, significantly reduced BR symptoms caused by Colletotrichum species with some variation between experiments and species, decreasing the risk of BR with the time compared to control. In detached leaves, all tested compounds significantly reduced the risk of development of GLS symptoms with disease control varying from 30 to 100%. The compounds tested are promising alternatives to replace fungicides to control bitter rot and Glomerella leaf spot on apple culture and should be tested for field conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Bioactivity of Natural Products and Extracts from Horticultural Plants)
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22 pages, 4280 KiB  
Article
Essential Oil Composition and Physiology of Three Mentha Genotypes Under Shaded Field Conditions
by Charlotte Hubert-Schöler, Saskia Tsiaparas, Katharina Luhmer, Marcel Dieter Moll, Maike Passon, Matthias Wüst, Andreas Schieber and Ralf Pude
Plants 2024, 13(22), 3155; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13223155 - 9 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1554
Abstract
Mentha spp. are commonly used for the production of tea and for the extraction of essential oils (EOs). The key factor of mint quality is the content and composition of the EO. Health-promoting compounds such as menthol are desirable, whereas the presence of [...] Read more.
Mentha spp. are commonly used for the production of tea and for the extraction of essential oils (EOs). The key factor of mint quality is the content and composition of the EO. Health-promoting compounds such as menthol are desirable, whereas the presence of potentially health-damaging compounds such as menthofuran should be avoided. This study examines the effect of shading on the EO content and composition of three Mentha genotypes (Mentha × piperita ‘Multimentha’, Mentha × piperita ‘Fränkische Blaue’ and Mentha rotundifolia ‘Apfelminze’). The Mentha genotypes were cultivated in field trials for two years (2022–2023). Each genotype was shaded with a shading net (50% photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) reduction), and a control without shading was prepared. EO content was determined by steam distillation and EO composition was characterized by GC-MS analysis. Furthermore, biomass, vegetation indices (VIs) and the electron transport rate (ETR) were analyzed. While shading led to higher plant heights, higher EO content and a slightly reduced amount of undesired EO compounds, the unshaded control yielded a higher biomass accumulation. Significant genotypic differences were determined. In conclusion, the benefits of shading depend on the intended use and genotype selection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Bioactivity of Natural Products and Extracts from Horticultural Plants)
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15 pages, 884 KiB  
Article
Phytochemicals and Functional Properties of Pitaya Juice Powders
by Mayra Denise Herrera, Jorge A. Zegbe and Luis Roberto Reveles-Torres
Plants 2024, 13(21), 3040; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13213040 - 30 Oct 2024
Viewed by 658
Abstract
Background: Crassulacean acid metabolism plants, such as Stenocereus spp., are climate warming-resilient crops used as food and for by-products elaboration in arid and semi-arid agroecosystems. A few studies on secondary metabolites have been conducted in pitayo fruit (PF), but there are no reports [...] Read more.
Background: Crassulacean acid metabolism plants, such as Stenocereus spp., are climate warming-resilient crops used as food and for by-products elaboration in arid and semi-arid agroecosystems. A few studies on secondary metabolites have been conducted in pitayo fruit (PF), but there are no reports of these compounds in juice powders (JP) with (JPS) or without seeds (JPWS). This study was devoted to characterizing the juice powders (JPS and JPWS) of five pitayas with different flesh colors with regard to some phytochemical and functional attributes. Methods: The study was conducted with a completely random design with factorial arrangement in treatments (PF × JP). Results: Differences among pitayas were related to peel and flesh color attributes. Except for soluble dietary fiber, the remainder of the non-digestible carbohydrates were greater in JPS than in JPWS of all pitayas. Phenols and flavonoids were found to be the highest in the JPWS of all pitayas, whereas total saponins were the highest in JPS of the ‘Pink’ pitaya. The JPWS of the ‘Yellow’ and ‘Reddish-Purple’ pitayas had the highest content of betaxanthins and indicaxanthins, respectively. Antioxidant capacity was the highest in JPS of ‘Reddish-Purple’ and ‘Pink’ pitayas. Conclusions: Except for some phenolic compounds, the study suggests that pitayas’ JPS would benefit human health when freshly consumed or as elaborated by-products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Bioactivity of Natural Products and Extracts from Horticultural Plants)
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17 pages, 3425 KiB  
Article
Effects of Leaf Extracts from Genetic Resource of Capsicum spp. on Neuroprotection and Anti-Neuroinflammation in HT22 and in BV2 Cells
by Linsha Dong, Bo-Ram Choi, Hyo Bong Jeong, Hwan Lee, Zhiming Liu, Dahye Yoon, Hye Eun Lee, Dong-Sung Lee and Dae Young Lee
Plants 2024, 13(19), 2820; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13192820 - 8 Oct 2024
Viewed by 999
Abstract
To develop functional varieties of Capsicum spp. leaves, 40 genetic resources were collected and extracted with 30% aqueous-fermented ethanol. We investigated the protective effects of extracts from 40 genetic resources of Capsicum spp. on glutamate-induced HT22 and LPS-induced BV2 cells. The results showed [...] Read more.
To develop functional varieties of Capsicum spp. leaves, 40 genetic resources were collected and extracted with 30% aqueous-fermented ethanol. We investigated the protective effects of extracts from 40 genetic resources of Capsicum spp. on glutamate-induced HT22 and LPS-induced BV2 cells. The results showed that the five extracts exhibited cell-protective activities. We also investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of these five extracts on LPS-induced BV2 cell neuroinflammation and found that 23OM18 exhibited superior anti-inflammatory effects. We further investigated the protective activity and anti-inflammatory mechanisms of 23OM18 in these two cell models. In addition, the profiles of 16 metabolites were compared between the representative accessions and among the five genetic resources using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS). The results showed that 23OM18 protected HT22 cells by inhibiting reactive oxygen species generation and regulating the MAPK-JNK signaling pathway, thereby reducing LPS-induced BV2 cell neuroinflammation by regulating the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. Based on these results, 23OM18 has the potential to be developed as a functional food for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Bioactivity of Natural Products and Extracts from Horticultural Plants)
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17 pages, 3541 KiB  
Article
Reduced Fertilization and Magnesium Supplementation: Modulating Fruit Quality in Honey Pomelo (Citrus maxima (Burm.) Merr.)
by Da Su, Yunfei Jiang, Biao Song, Zhaozheng Wu, Xiaojun Yan, Zhiyuan He, Delian Ye, Jie Ou, Yingzhe Zeng and Liangquan Wu
Plants 2024, 13(19), 2757; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13192757 - 1 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1176
Abstract
The excessive use of chemical fertilizers in the Guanxi honey pomelo production area has led to severe soil acidification and magnesium (Mg) deficiency, adversely affecting pomelo fruit quality. To address this issue, an integrated nutrient optimization model crucial for ensuring the sustainable and [...] Read more.
The excessive use of chemical fertilizers in the Guanxi honey pomelo production area has led to severe soil acidification and magnesium (Mg) deficiency, adversely affecting pomelo fruit quality. To address this issue, an integrated nutrient optimization model crucial for ensuring the sustainable and environmentally friendly development of the Guanxi honey pomelo industry has been explored. In a three-year experiment, two fertilizer treatments were implemented: a farmer fertilizer practice (FP) and an NPK reduction plus foliar Mg fertilizer (OPT + fMg). We investigated the impact of this integrated optimized fertilization measure on pomelo fruit quality from three aspects: flavor (sugars and organic acids), nutrition (vitamin C and mineral elements), and antioxidant properties (phenolics, flavonoids, and phytic acid). The results revealed that the OPT + fMg treatment improved fruit flavor by reducing acidity (titratable acid, citric acid, and quinine), while having a minimal impact on sugar components (sucrose, fructose, and glucose). Additionally, the OPT + fMg treatment increased the total phenolics, total flavonoids, and phytic acid in the fruit peel, enhancing its potential antioxidant quality. However, the OPT + fMg treatment reduced the mineral nutrient quality (excluding calcium) in the fruit. As for the fruit developmental period, the OPT + fMg treatment significantly increased the total flavonoid concentration in the peel from the mid-expansion fruit stage, followed by notable increases in phytic acid in the peel during the mid-to-late expansion fruit stage. The total phenolic concentration in the peel significantly rose only during the late fruit development stage. The most pronounced effect was observed on phytic acid in both peel and pulp. The influence of the OPT + fMg treatment on the mineral nutrients (excluding calcium) primarily occurred during the mid-to-late expansion fruit stage. Overall, the OPT + fMg treatment significantly improved the comprehensive nutritional quality of pomelo fruit, providing valuable insights for scientifically reducing fertilizer application while enhancing fruit quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Bioactivity of Natural Products and Extracts from Horticultural Plants)
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