Multifunctionality of Phenolic Compounds in Plants, 2 Edition

Dear Colleagues,

Phenolic substances are found in various plant organs and have different functions in plants: they contribute to the colour of flowers and fruits, attracting pollinators and seed dispensers; they have a protective function against herbivores and pathogens; and some phenolic compounds have an allelopathic effect. They also provide protection against UV radiation among other functions. In addition, phenolic compounds have a strong influence on the quality of the fruit produced and on the organoleptic characteristics of the juice and wine produced, such as colour, flavour, and aroma.
In essence, their most important task is to protect the plant from various abiotic and biotic harmful influences. Many environmental factors—including solar radiation, temperature, lack of water, and nutrients—lead to the synthesis and accumulation of phenolic components. In addition to abiotic factors, there are constant plant-damaging organisms in nature, such as herbivores, fungi, bacteria, viruses, and nematodes, against which the plant also tries to protect itself by synthesizing phenolic compounds. Because of their action, phenolic compounds can also be used as ecological agents to protect plants from insects; moreover, they can serve as growth inhibitors for certain plants.

The goal of this Special Issue of Plants is to publish studies that address various aspects of phenolic compounds’ importance in plants. Research studies can describe the importance of various phenolic compounds regarding the quality parameters of plants and their products, such as juices and wines. However, articles can also monitor the response of individual plants to environmental stressors (biotic or abiotic) and the effects of various technological processes of food production or processing on altered phenolic compound synthesis and content. The results of the allelopathic effect of some phenolic components on the reduced growth of weed species and on the control of some insects and pathogens are also important and useful.

For consumers, data on the content of phenolic compounds in both plant foods and their products are extremely important, especially regarding their beneficial effects on human health. For growers, the obtained research results will provide important information in the field of synthesis and content of the analysed phenolic substances in different types of production. Additionally, we will gain insights into their importance concerning the natural defence mechanisms of plants—showing the allelopathic effect of phenolic substances in agricultural production—and their resultant reduced environmental impact due to the decreased use of synthetic pesticides.

Dr. Maja Mikulič-Petkovšek
Guest Editor

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• phenolic compounds
• secondary metabolites
• hydroxycinnamic acids
• phenolic acids
• anthocyanins
• flavonoids
• biotic/abiotic stress
• food chemistry
• antioxidant activity
• antioxidants
• food analysis
• juice
• fruit
• chromatography
• extraction
• plant biology
• high-performance liquid chromatography
• natural product chemistry
• phytochemicals
• allelopathy
• plant pathology
• environmental stressors
• production technology

• Multifunctionality of Phenolic Compounds in Plants in Plants (15 articles)