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Agronomy
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Secondary Metabolites in Medicinal Edible Plant Cultivation
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Secondary Metabolites in Medicinal Edible Plant Cultivation

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Horticultural and Floricultural Crops".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 March 2025 | Viewed by 4713

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Laura Siracusa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CNR-ICB, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche-Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, via Paolo Gaifami 18, 95126 Catania, Italy
Interests: metabolic profiling: analysis of complex matrices from natural sources, food biochemistry; study of edible plants profiles in pre-and post-harvest treatments, storage and processing; valorization of residual natural sources; structural modification of bioactive natural compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Luana Pulvirenti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Sede di Catania, Catania, Sicilia, Italy
Interests: targeted analysis of secondary metabolites from edible vegetable plants, with the aim to value the expression of biologically active phytochemicals in studies of chemotaxonomy or agronomy. chemical and enzymatic synthesis of analogues of bioactive natural polyphenols. molecular docking for the prediction of biological activities
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is well known that plants are an almost infinite source of potential biologically active compounds. For this reason, most traditional medicine was based on the use of herbs to cure common pains and diseases. To cite one of the most commonly used and safest drugs, aspirin is from natural origin, being an analog of salicin, isolated from Salix alba. In this context, it is clear that a close relationship exists between the chemical composition of a plant in terms of secondary metabolites and its ability to play a role in health. Therefore, attention on secondary metabolites from plants has grown exponentially, for example, the well-known polyphenols. There is particular interest in metabolites from edible plants and their role in general health and in the maintenance of the good health of the global population.

Dr. Laura Siracusa
Dr. Luana Pulvirenti
Guest Editors

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. 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

  • secondary metabolites
  • chemistry of natural products
  • functional food
  • polyphenols
  • nutraceuticals
  • medicinal plants
  • environmental factor

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1184 KiB  
Article
Foliar Application of Urea and Amino Acids Regulates Growth, Photosynthesis, Pigments, Antioxidant Activity, and the Essential Oil Content and Composition of Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)
by Saeedeh Jahanbani, Hasan Mumivand, Bahman Zahedi and Sergio Argento
Agronomy 2024, 14(12), 2950; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14122950 - 11 Dec 2024
Viewed by 387
Abstract
Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is a prominent medicinal and aromatic plant, widely recognized for its bioactive compounds and substantial economic value across the pharmaceutical, culinary, and industrial sectors. In light of increasing global demand and environmental challenges, this study explores novel approaches [...] Read more.
Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is a prominent medicinal and aromatic plant, widely recognized for its bioactive compounds and substantial economic value across the pharmaceutical, culinary, and industrial sectors. In light of increasing global demand and environmental challenges, this study explores novel approaches to enhance its sustainable production and improve its quality. Urea is the most common form of nitrogen (N) for foliar application due to its quick absorption, affordability, high solubility, as well as relatively low cost per N unit. Amino acids are an organic form of N and play a role in plant protein structure, stress tolerance, and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. This research aimed to evaluate the effects of urea (0, 1, and 2 g L−1) and an amino acid-based biostimulant (AAB) (0, 4, and 8 mg L−1), applied foliarly, on the growth, photosynthesis, pigments, antioxidant activity, and essential oil production of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). The best results in terms of leaf number, area, and fresh and dry weight were observed with the combination of 2 g L−1 urea and 8 mg L−1 AAB. The growth enhancement due to this treatment may be attributed to stimulatory effects on photosynthesis and N content. Chlorophyll, carotenoids, anthocyanins, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, total phenols, and total flavonoids increased with urea application up to 1 g L−1. Additionally, AAB application up to 8 mg L−1 increased total chlorophyll, carotenoid, total phenols, and total flavonoids, while photosynthesis and anthocyanin content increased with 4 mg L−1 AAB. Although urea did not significantly affect essential oil content and yield, AAB application increased both. Finally, the combination of 1 g L−1 urea and 8 mg L−1 AAB had the most effective impact on improving content and yield of essential oil, total phenol, flavonoid, anthocyanin, and antioxidant activity, with a relatively high percentage of estragole. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Secondary Metabolites in Medicinal Edible Plant Cultivation)
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16 pages, 1041 KiB  
Article
Comparative Analyses of Biologically Active Substances and Antioxidant Activity in Fresh and Stored Fruits of Apple Varieties from the Republic of Tajikistan
by Vera A. Kostikova, Mariyo T. Boboev, Mathew T. Sharples, Amonullo K. Namozov, Saimuhammad B. Yoqubov, Jovidon T. Boboev, Shukherdorj Baasanmunkh, Hyeok Jae Choi, Alexander A. Kuznetsov, Maxim S. Kulikovskiy, Tatyana V. Erst, Saltanat Aghayeva, Wang Wei and Andrey S. Erst
Agronomy 2024, 14(11), 2655; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14112655 - 11 Nov 2024
Viewed by 614
Abstract
Our purpose was to carry out a comparative phytochemical analysis of fruits (both fresh and stored for 1 month) of two local apple varieties of the Republic of Tajikistan. Assays were carried out to quantify total phenolic compounds, flavonols, catechins, tannins, phenolcarboxylic acids, [...] Read more.
Our purpose was to carry out a comparative phytochemical analysis of fruits (both fresh and stored for 1 month) of two local apple varieties of the Republic of Tajikistan. Assays were carried out to quantify total phenolic compounds, flavonols, catechins, tannins, phenolcarboxylic acids, pectins, and protopectins by UV spectrometry and ascorbic acid by titration. The profile and levels of phenolic compounds were investigated by high-performance liquid chromatography. Antiradical activity was quantitated by means of free radical DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl). In fresh fruits, total levels of tannins (19 mg/g) and phenolcarboxylic acids (15 mg/g) (including chlorogenic acid: 451 μg/g) and of a flavonol (quercetin: 26 μg/g) and two catechins [epigallocatechin (173 μg/g) and L-epicatechin (50 µg/g)] were shown to be higher in the Surkhseb apple variety than in the Kosimsarkori variety. The antioxidant activity of water–ethanol extracts from Surkhseb apples (20 mg/mL) was also higher in comparison with Kosimsarkori apples. In the latter, concentrations of other detected biologically active substances, such as flavonols (0.78 mg/g), ascorbic acid (65 mg/100 g), and pectins (37 mg/g), were found to be higher, suggesting that the fruits of this apple variety have biological effects other than antioxidant, potentially anti-inflammatory, or antidiabetic. Further phytochemical and pharmacological studies on Kosimsarkori fruits may identify these other potential biological effects that may be useful in the prevention of disease. Fruits of the analyzed apple varieties should preferably be consumed fresh because after the apples were stored in the refrigerator for 1 month, indicators of antioxidant activity (22 mg/g in Surkhseb apples) and levels of almost all biologically active substances (tota) levels of tannins (14 mg/g), phenolcarboxylic acids (9 mg/g) (including chlorogenic acid: 250 μg/g) and catechin L-epicatechin (30 µg/g) in Surkhseb apples decreased. This study highlights the importance of conserving local, unique varieties of major worldwide crop plants because they may unearth novel combinations of compounds beneficial to humanity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Secondary Metabolites in Medicinal Edible Plant Cultivation)
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19 pages, 10219 KiB  
Article
Flavonoid Biosynthesis in Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi: Metabolomics and Transcriptomics Analysis
by Dongzuo Yao, Jiaqian Xing, Qingye Tang, Yue Hou, Binbin Chen, Wenmiao Yao, Zhenfang Li, Jiaxing Wang, Yanbing Niu and Defu Wang
Agronomy 2024, 14(7), 1494; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14071494 - 10 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1288
Abstract
Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (SB), a plant of the Lamiaceae family, contains flavonoids with potent human health benefits. The full mechanistic details and regulatory networks related to the biosynthesis of these compounds in SB have been the focus of recent research but are still [...] Read more.
Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (SB), a plant of the Lamiaceae family, contains flavonoids with potent human health benefits. The full mechanistic details and regulatory networks related to the biosynthesis of these compounds in SB have been the focus of recent research but are still fragmented. Similarly, a complete account of the metabolites produced, specifically flavonoids, and their distribution in different parts of the plant is incomplete. To provide a more complete picture, herein we have explored the SB metabolites and differentially expressed genes in underground and aerial tissues. Of the 947 metabolites identified, 373 were differentially accumulated flavonoids (DAFs), and 147 of these were differentially accumulated in roots relative to other tissues. Interestingly, roots accumulated more baicalin and baicalein than aboveground tissues, but they were low in scutellarein and wogonoside, in contrast to previous reports. These differences may be attributed to either plant variety, age of the plants, or the extraction protocol. Transcriptomics analysis identified 56 key genes from the flavonoid synthesis pathway in all six SB plant tissues. A weighted gene correlation network analysis conducted using four DAFs (baicalin, baicalein, scutellarein and wogonoside) produced 13 modules. Baicalin and baicalein were positively correlated with one of these modules, whereas wogonoside and scutellarein were correlated with three other modules. Gene expression in these modules was consistent with the observed accumulation of these compounds in plant tissues. Fourteen structural genes were highly correlated with baicalin, baicalein and scutellarein, and 241 transcription factors (TFs) associated to these four compounds. The 13 highly correlated structural genes and 21 highly correlated TFs were used to construct correlation networks, where genes were identified to be highly correlated with flavonoid biosynthesis genes. Overexpression of some of these genes, namely, SbMYB8 (Sb02g25620), SbMYB14 (Sb09g00160) and SbbHLH94 (Sb07g11990), in SB callus increased flavonoid content and regulated the expression of genes involved in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway, confirming their association to flavonoid production. Overall, the present work contributes to delineating the differences in flavonoid biosynthesis among different SB tissues. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Secondary Metabolites in Medicinal Edible Plant Cultivation)
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12 pages, 1500 KiB  
Article
The Efficient Extraction of β-Carotene from Sea Buckthorn Berries Using a Novel Solvent, Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters, and a Combination of Ultrasound and Microwave
by Vasile Staicu, Ioan Calinescu, Mircea Vinatoru, Daniela Ghimpeteanu, Ioana Popa and Timothy J. Mason
Agronomy 2024, 14(3), 416; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14030416 - 21 Feb 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1685
Abstract
The move towards environmentally friendly processing has been a driving force for research into green methods for the extraction of bioactive compounds from plant materials. In this study, a green and efficient process for the extraction of β-carotene from sea buckthorn berries through [...] Read more.
The move towards environmentally friendly processing has been a driving force for research into green methods for the extraction of bioactive compounds from plant materials. In this study, a green and efficient process for the extraction of β-carotene from sea buckthorn berries through the simultaneous use of ultrasound and microwave, using a novel green solvent, fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE), is described. For the same extraction time (45 min), the β-carotene content in the extract was significantly increased (according to ANOVA analysis—p < 0.05) by the simultaneous use of ultrasound and microwave, compared with the separate use of these technologies—an increase of 15 and 89% compared with ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), respectively. The resulting extract can be used directly, without further purification, as a food supplement because the solvent itself is safe for consumption. Furthermore, FAEE contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids which add to the health benefits of the extract. When β-carotene is extracted from the plant matrix, it is subjected to degradation due to oxidation, but the addition of the antioxidant vitamin E (13 mg/mL of extract) to the extract extends its stability to more than 90 days at room temperature even when exposed to light. The addition of vitamin E also enhances the health benefits of the extract. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Secondary Metabolites in Medicinal Edible Plant Cultivation)
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