key: cord-0866812-e19ltsfy authors: Avato, Pinarosa; Argentieri, Maria Pia title: Editorial to the special issue: “Phytochemicals in nutrition and health: advances and challenges” date: 2022-04-15 journal: Phytochem Rev DOI: 10.1007/s11101-022-09820-5 sha: 7d68035735835794e51606a49e92fd7b06b503b4 doc_id: 866812 cord_uid: e19ltsfy nan This Special Issue (SI) of Phytochemistry Reviews is dedicated to the Conference entitled ''Phytochemicals in Nutrition and Health: Advances and Challenges''. The Symposium, organized by the Phytochemical Society of Europe-PSE, was planned to take place in Bari, Italy, on September 22-25, 2020, but unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was cancelled. Natural products hold a prominent position in the discovery and development of many drugs used nowadays with diverse indications for human and animal health. Especially plants have played a leading role as source of phytochemicals with nutritional and medical importance, but also other organisms such as marine and terrestial animals and microorganisms produce valuable drug candidate molecules. This SI ''Phytochemicals in Nutrition and Health: Advances and Challenges'' aims to address new findings and perspectives about natural bioactive compounds to promote health benefits. Main topics include: natural sources, quality assurance, identification and separation of bioactive phytochemicals, biotechnology, food and drug analysis, new biological targets, evidence-based pharmacology and nutritional toxicology. Although the Conference was cancelled, invited speakers and selected registered participants to the PSE International Symposium have been asked to contribute to the SI with a review paper which could give an update on the above matter. The SI comprises 14 survey papers (among them 5 open access papers) that cover some of the ongoing research on specialized metabolites from nature and their applications in nutrition and human health. Four monographic reviews focus on the description of the agronomic, botanical, phytochemical and pharmacological features of selected plants used as food and/or medicines. Ramalhete et al. (2022) describe the phytochemistry and pharmacological potential of Momordica balsamina L. (Cucurbitaceae), the balsam apple, mostly used as food in Africa. Due to the presence of cucurbitane-type triterpenoids, the so called cucurbitacins, this plant has also potential as antimalarial and antidiabetic drug and to reverse multidrug resistance in cancer cells and bacteria. Authors summarize their contribution to the chemical and biological characterization of main cucuribitane-type triterpenes isolated from M. balsamina and their semisynthetic derivatives. Structure-activity relationship studies highlighted that especially cucurbalsaminane triterpenoids with a unique 5/6/3/6/5-fused pentacyclic carbon skeleton were strong P-glycoprotein (multidrug resistance protein-MDR) inhibitors able to kill selectively resistant cancer cells. The paper of León-González et al. (2021) is a comprehensive review on the botanical traits, chemical composition and pharmacological studies performed on the fruits of Corema album (L.) D. Don (Ericaceae) . Its edible white berries, used locally in the Iberian peninsula to prepare juices and jams, are known in ethnopharmacology for their antipyretic activity. They are rich in phenolic compounds such as phenolic acids, stilbenes, flavonols, flavanones, prenylated flavanone, flavanols and anthocyanins. The phenolic content of C. album berries has been positively correlated with their significant antioxidant activity which supports their protective effect in the prevention of cancer and degenerative and cardiovascular diseases. The review by Anzano and co-authors (2022) represents a survey of the literature data on Laurus nobilis L. (Lauraceae), the common laurel. Authors give a botanical description of the plant, and extensively comment its traditional uses. They illustrate its phytochemistry by reviewing the essential oil composition from different organs of the plant as well as the content of polar components extracted from the leaves. Attention is also given to the pharmacological activity of laurel extracts. Laurel is known to produce different classes of metabolites including proteins, free sugars, organic acids, PUFA and tocopherols that are all responsible for the wide range of biological activities including antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal, cytotoxic, insecticidal, nematicidal and antioxidant properties. This review, illustrating the available analytical and biological data on laurel, contributes to enlarge the scientific knowledge of this plant and provides a scientific base for further research. Paguet et al. (2022) illustrate the current challenges in producing hop (Humulus lupulus L.), to investigate its chemical and genetic diversity and to improve cultivars by breeding. Authors review the taxonomy and the genetics of the plant. Part of the paper is dedicated to the use of hop in the brewing industry, thus cultivation practices and growth of the plant in relation to quality of phenotypic traits and content of bitter compounds are described. Authors also present the chemical composition of the plant, in particular of the inflorescences (hop cones), which are mainly used industrially, also discussing the importance of the quality and quantity of bitter acids produced to guarantee beer bitterness. Some of the published papers in this SI illustrate the occurrence and bioactivity of selected groups of plant metabolites. Lipids are biomolecules naturally present in plants with different functions such as structural constituents of tissues, organ protection and also as storage material. Many plants accumulate rare fatty acids with reference to their occurrence and peculiar molecular features. They are important components of storage seed oils. In their paper, Avato and Tava (2021) describe the structural characteristic, bioactivity, applications and distribution in plants of rare fatty acids and cyanolipids, an unusual group of lipids only present in a small number of plant families. Different structural types of fatty acids, such as non-oxygenated (non-conjugated ethylenic-, conjugated ethylenic-, non-conjugated acetylenic-, conjugated acetylenic-, allenic-, cyclic-fatty acids), oxygenated (epoxy-and hydroxy-fatty acids) and halogenated (fluorinated and brominated fatty acids) are illustrated in detail. An overview of the bioactivity and industrial use of selected rare fatty acids such petroselinic, c-linolenic, erucic, eleostearic, punicic, jacaric is also provided. Forage plants are a rich source of biologically active metabolites that influence animal nutrition but also have a therapeutic potential in human health. Among them, the Fabaceae botanical family is the most important source of specialized metabolites with application in the pharmaceutical and agro-industry, The review paper by Tava et al. (2021) describes the bioactive compounds, especially saponins and polyphenolics, isolated from representative legume forage plants (Medicago, Trifolium, Onobychis, Melilotus, Hedysarum, Lotus, Trigonella and Bituminaria species) with particular emphasis on their qualitative and quantitative composition. In addition, the Authors highlight the main pharmacological effects discovered for triterpenic saponins from Medicago species (antimicrobial, neuroprotection, cytoxycity, stimulation of pancreatic lipase, etc.) as well as the estrogenic activity of glycosylated isoflavones from Trifolium species. Finally, the beneficial nutritional effects in animal nutrition of condensed tannins from forage plants is also briefly commented. Glucosinolates (GLs) are sulphur specialized metabolites that characterize the Brassicaceae plant family. Their hydrolysis by myrosinase leads to a series of bioactive breakdown products such as isothiocyanates (ITCs). Lucarini et al. (2022) aim to describe the preclinical and clinical evidence supporting the beneficial effects of GLs and ITCs in chronic inflammatory and neuropathic conditions. In particular, they illustrate their efficacy to modulate the activity and expression of several pharmacological targets, like opioid receptors, involved in pain regulation. In addition, Authors discuss the role of these metabolites as anti-inflammatory/antioxidant agents with the ability to relieve pain through the activation of Nrf2 and the inhibition of the NF-kB signalling pathway, thus downregulating cytokines expression. Based on their own studies, Authors also detail the H 2 S releasing capacity of GLs and ITCs and its dual role in the context of pain pharmacology. Mushrooms are a rich source of chemical compounds, the so called ''mycochemicals'', belonging to different chemical classes and with various biological activities. Cateni and co-authors (2021) reviewed the mycochemicals structure and composition of selected edible and medicinal mushrooms with particular reference to phenolics, triterpenes, sterols, lipids, polysaccharides, proteins, peptides and lectins. Two paragraphs of the paper are dedicated to the description of the chemical composition of wild and cultivated mushrooms in Italy, with particular reference to the genus Pleurotus, as a source of bioactive metabolites for further development of drugs. The nutritional value of mushrooms and their use as food supplement is also discussed in detail. Numerous genera within the Rutaceae and Apiaceae botanical families are rich in prenyloxy umbelliferone derivatives such as the most naturally abundant auraptene (2,7-geranyloxycoumarin) and umbelliprenin (3,7-farnesyloxycoumarin). Fiorito et al. (2020) made a detailed summary of the most recent data on the biological effects and mechanisms of action of the two above oxyprenylated coumarins. Thus, among several novel pharmacological effects, Authors report on the neuroprotective activity displayed both in vitro and in vivo by auraptene, its capacity to modulate the production of ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) in different cell systems, as well as its ability to promote apoptosis in cancer cells in combination with radiotherapy and its capacity to inhibit platelet aggregation. As regards umbelliprenin, the very recent and unique properties of the molecule to modulate melanin biosynthesis are discussed in detail. Two papers published in this SI highlight the specific pharmacological action of some natural products. The review of Rojek et al. (2021) reports on the neurobehavioral properties of Cymbopogon (Poaceae) essential oil (EO) and its components. The paper includes three paragraphs describing the antinociceptive-like properties of the EO from C. citratus, its antidepressant-like properties, its antistress-like activity and its anxiolytic-like capacity. The anticonvulsive and the sedative-hypnotic-like properties of the EO are also surveyed. Toxicological data are reported in the conclusive paragraph. Cancer represents the second primary cause of mortality worldwide and recently there has been an increasing interest in the use of dietary natural products as chemopreventive or chemotherapeutic agents. The survey by Khan et al. (2021) focuses on the potential of dietary polyphenols to modulate BRCA (BReast CAncer) gene expressions thus controlling the developing of malignant tumors. After introducing the physiological role of BRCA genes (BRCA-1 and BCRA-2) and the BCRA targeting mechanism(s) of polyphenols, Authors describe in detail the ability of selected plant products such as, resveratrol, flavonoids, isoflavones to regulate BRCA gene expression. The immunomodulatory effects of plant triterpenes are reviewed by Renda et al. (2021) in light of the current available scientific literature. Oleanolic acid, glycyrrhizin, glycyrrhetinic acid, pristimerin, ursolic acid, boswellic acid, celastrol, lupeol, betulin, betulinic acid, ganoderic acid, cucumarioside, and astragalosides are the bioactive triterpenes whose immunomodulatory properties are commented in the paper. For each molecule, Authors give information on their structure, occurrence and available studies (preclinical and clinical trials) supporting their immunomodulating properties and the evidence of possible mechanisms of action. This SI also includes a review paper on Cannabis. Helcman and Š mejkal (2021) give an overview of the botanical characteristics and chemical features of the genus and also describe other cannabinoid-containing plants, unrelated to the Cannabis genus. Authors summarize the current knowledge on cannabinoids, the main specialized metabolites produced by Cannabis, highlighting their biological efficacy, the mechanisms of action and their potential application. Part of the paper is also dedicated to terpenoids and minor components, other than cannabinoids, synthesized by Cannabis. Finally, Anzano et al. (2021) wrote a comprehensive review on the applicability of metabolomics to analyse plant response to biotic and abiotic stress. Metabolomics is a useful method to characterize molecule profiles derived from metabolic processes and detect their changes under specific physiological conditions. Authors analyzed 151 articles published since 1990 that allowed to correlate metabolome responses to environmental stresses (drought, heavy metals, cold, heat, insects, fungi, etc.) and conclude that the main metabolites significantly interacting with stress conditions were amino acids, organic acids and sugars, whose quantities vary with the stress. Amounts of other molecules increased or decreased depending specifically on the plant tissue, species and type of stress. The Editors wish to thank all Authors who contributed to the present SI with their work and ideas and all the colleagues who helped in the reviewing process. They warmly thank the Editor in Chief of Phytochemistry Reviews, Prof. Robert Verpoorte, for the invitation to edit this SI and the opportunity to publish this compilation of review papers although the PSE-Symposium was cancelled due to COVID-19. Editors also gratefully thanks Dr. Matthew Hong Kei Cheng, Springer Nature Associate Editor for his help and valuable assistance. The support of the JEO Assistant, Ms. Angela Thomas is also thankfully acknowledged. Plant metabolomics in biotic and abiotic stress: a critical overview 2022) Laurel, Laurus nobilis L.: a review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology Rare fatty acids and lipids in plant oilseeds: occurrence and bioactivity Mycochemicals in wild and cultivated mushrooms: nutrition and health Auraptene and umbelliprenin: a review on their latest literature acquisitions Biological activity of Cannabis compounds: a modern approach to the therapy of multiple diseases Advances and challenges in cancer treatment and nutraceutical prevention: the possible role of dietary phenols in BRCA regulation The fruit of Corema album Naturally occurring glucosinolates and isothiocyanates as a weapon against chronic pain: potentials and limits. Phytochem Rev Agronomic, genetic and chemical tools for hop cultivation and breeding Momordica balsamina: phytochemistry and pharmacological potential of a gifted species Immunomodulatory properties of triterpenes Neurobehavioral properties of Cymbopogon essential oils and its components Biologically active compounds from forage plants