Biodiversity, Production, Processing and Quality along the Chain of Herbal and Edible Flowers
A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinals, Herbs, and Specialty Crops".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2022) | Viewed by 22769
Special Issue Editors
Interests: horticultural sciences; advanced production systems; protected cultivations; urban horticulture; postharvest of fresh produce
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: biostimulants; plant biofortification; abiotic stress; vertical farming
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Flowers are reproductive parts of a plant which are also used for nutritive and medicinal properties. They can be fruit flowers, vegetable flowers, medicinal flowers, and aromatic flowers. Wild and cultivated flowers have been used not only for their flavor but also for adding color and other sensory characteristics to food. Herbal flowers have been used in phytotherapy for centuries. Some flowers possess properties that are different from the pharmacological properties of the other parts of the plant and some contain substances that can be anti-nutritional, toxic, or even poisonous.
Edible flowers are a new source of nutraceuticals due to their nutritional and chemoprotective value. The traditional health benefits of flowers have recently been supported by several studies due to their composition rich in bioactive compounds, which have been correlated to functional properties. Bioactive compounds can also be directly extracted from them.
Although edible flowers have great sensory attraction, they have not yet been used in food as widely as fresh vegetables and fruits. Their fragile structure challenges harvest automation as well as postharvest cleaning and washing systems. They are highly perishable if not processed, and as fresh products their extremely short shelf-life limits their commercial use.
The aim of this Special Issue is to gather the knowledge on all Biodiversity, Production, Processing and Quality along the Chain of Herbal and Edible Flowers. This Special Issue covers research on traditional or innovative production techniques, biodiversity or domestication and propagation techniques, plant physiology and phytochemistry, mechanization and automation, postharvest and processing, and supply chain until consumption. Considerations of food safety aspects from production to consumption are also expected, particularly as a different determinant factor compared to ornamental flowers. Commercial and economical aspects are also welcome, including sustainability analyses. This Special Issue will publish reviews, original research articles, and short communications.
Prof. Dr. Silvana Nicola
Dr. Andrea Ertani
Prof. Dr. Mohammad Mahdi Jowkar
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- specialty crops
- garnish
- nutraceutical
- bioactive compounds
- safety
- shelf life
- value chain
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