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Plants
Special Issues
Phytochemical Innovations and Bioactive Compounds: From Characterization to Therapeutic Applications
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Phytochemical Innovations and Bioactive Compounds: From Characterization to Therapeutic Applications

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 1328

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Nijolė Savickienė

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacognosy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Sukileliu Av. 13, LT-50162 Kaunas, Lithuania
Interests: phenolics; proteins and glycoproteins; plant lectins; chronic disease prevention; diabetes complications; cancer; periodontal diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Lina Raudonė

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacognosy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Sukileliu Av. 13, 50162 Kaunas, Lithuania
Interests: phytochemical profiles; chemophenetics; proanthocyanidins; antioxidants; functional fractions; underutilized plants; plant extracts
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Phytochemicals, the cornerstone of plant-derived therapeutics, continue to revolutionize drug discovery and functional food development. This Special Issue, Phytochemical Innovations and Bioactive Compounds: From Characterization to Therapeutic Applications, seeks to advance research on cutting-edge methodologies for isolating, characterizing, profiling, and applying these bioactive molecules. Topics include novel extraction techniques (e.g., supercritical fluid extraction, ultrasound-assisted methods), computational approaches (molecular docking, QSAR modelling), phytochemical analysis and chemophenetics, and biotechnological strategies to enhance phytochemical production. Submissions may explore mechanistic insights into antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties, clinical evaluations, or sustainable applications of nutraceuticals and functional foods. We encourage studies that bridges traditional knowledge with modern innovations to address global health challenges such as metabolic disorders, antimicrobial resistance, and chronic diseases.

2025/02/12 08:53:15

Prof. Dr. Nijolė Savickienė
Prof. Dr. Lina Raudonė
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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

  • phytochemicals
  • bioactive compounds
  • green extraction
  • molecular docking
  • drug discovery
  • functional foods
  • antimicrobial resistance
  • metabolic engineering
  • nutraceuticals
  • clinical applications

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

22 pages, 2296 KB  
Article
Chemical Profile, Bioactive Constituents and In Vitro Growth Stimulation Properties of Cold-Pressed Hemp Seed Oils from Romanian Varieties: In Vitro and In Silico Evaluation
by Doris Floares (Oarga), Diana Obistioiu, Anca Hulea, Mukhtar Adeiza Suleiman, Iuliana Popescu, Ciprian Buzna, Adina Berbecea, Ersilia Alexa, Cristina Dehelean and Isidora Radulov
Plants 2025, 14(22), 3465; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14223465 - 13 Nov 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 901
Abstract
Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.; Cannabaceae), traditionally cultivated for fiber, also represents a valuable source of nutrient-rich seed oil. In this study, cold-pressed hemp seed oils from three Romanian varieties (Teodora, Silvana, and Armanca) were evaluated for their fatty acid composition, [...] Read more.
Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.; Cannabaceae), traditionally cultivated for fiber, also represents a valuable source of nutrient-rich seed oil. In this study, cold-pressed hemp seed oils from three Romanian varieties (Teodora, Silvana, and Armanca) were evaluated for their fatty acid composition, minor bioactive constituents, antioxidant activity, growth-promoting property toward probiotic strains in vitro, and molecular docking interactions with probiotic targets. Gas chromatography revealed a fatty acid profile dominated by linoleic (49.4–51.9%), oleic (16.3–22.8%), and α-linolenic acids (9.8–14.4%), resulting in favorable PUFA/SFA ratios (5.17–6.39) and ω-6/ω-3 ratios (3.93–5.53). The oils also contained phenolics (118–160 mg GAE/kg), chlorophylls (6.18–8.31 mg/kg), and carotenoids (2.58–3.37 mg/kg), which contributed to their antioxidant activity (DPPH inhibition 35.92 µM TE/100 g–43.37 µM TE/100 g). Broth microdilution assays against Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG, L. paracasei ATCC BAA-52, and L. acidophilus ATCC 4356 demonstrated strain- and dose-dependent potential to promote probiotic growth under in vitro conditions. While L. rhamnosus and L. paracasei were inhibited at low concentrations and only mildly stimulated at higher levels, L. acidophilus showed robust growth promotion, reaching +54.7% effect and CP = 1.55 with Teodora oil at 16 mg/mL. Molecular docking highlighted strong binding affinities of γ-linolenic and linoleic acids with key metabolic enzymes involved in probiotic metabolism (hydratase, enolase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, ribonucleoside hydrolase), forming stable hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions which are explored in defining the stability of the ligand-protein complexes. These results indicate that both major fatty acids and minor bioactive constituents contribute to the nutritional and antioxidant value of Romanian hemp seed oils and reveal a potential to promote probiotic growth under in vitro conditions, as supported by complementary in silico evidence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemical Innovations and Bioactive Compounds: From Characterization to Therapeutic Applications)
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