Horticultural crops are an important source of molecules that are related to the delayed onset of noncommunicable diseases, like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes, which according to the World Health Organization, are the most common causes of death worldwide. Alkaloids, saponins, and polyphenols are among the phytochemical constituents responsible for these health-promoting properties. These molecules accumulate in plants as a protection mechanism against biotic and abiotic stresses. In this sense, the application of abiotic stress during postharvest conditions is a common and useful way to significantly enhance the accumulation mostly of polyphenols like flavonoids and phenolic acids in many crops.
UV light, wounding, phytohormones, and low temperatures, among other factors, are the most frequently used abiotic stressors to promote the accumulation of phytochemicals. These mechanisms have been proposed as useful tools to produce added-value products or as functional ingredients in the production of new functional products. Consequently, postharvest strategies have been proposed as an efficient method to use horticultural crops as bio-factories without using genetically modified techniques.
This Research Topic aims to collect recent findings related to the use of postharvest stress alone or in combination with different abiotic stress factors to enhance the accumulation of phytochemicals with health-promoting properties. The subjects included in this research topic, but not limited to, are:
• Enhancement techniques of phytochemicals.
• Molecular mechanisms triggered by postharvest tools to enhance phytochemical content.
• Evaluation of the bioaccessibility/bioavailability of enhanced phytochemical products.
• Metabolomic analysis of enhanced phytochemical content in horticultural crops.
Keywords:
bioaccessibility, bioavailability, polyphenols, phytochemicals, carotenoids, antioxidants, cell permeability
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
Horticultural crops are an important source of molecules that are related to the delayed onset of noncommunicable diseases, like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes, which according to the World Health Organization, are the most common causes of death worldwide. Alkaloids, saponins, and polyphenols are among the phytochemical constituents responsible for these health-promoting properties. These molecules accumulate in plants as a protection mechanism against biotic and abiotic stresses. In this sense, the application of abiotic stress during postharvest conditions is a common and useful way to significantly enhance the accumulation mostly of polyphenols like flavonoids and phenolic acids in many crops.
UV light, wounding, phytohormones, and low temperatures, among other factors, are the most frequently used abiotic stressors to promote the accumulation of phytochemicals. These mechanisms have been proposed as useful tools to produce added-value products or as functional ingredients in the production of new functional products. Consequently, postharvest strategies have been proposed as an efficient method to use horticultural crops as bio-factories without using genetically modified techniques.
This Research Topic aims to collect recent findings related to the use of postharvest stress alone or in combination with different abiotic stress factors to enhance the accumulation of phytochemicals with health-promoting properties. The subjects included in this research topic, but not limited to, are:
• Enhancement techniques of phytochemicals.
• Molecular mechanisms triggered by postharvest tools to enhance phytochemical content.
• Evaluation of the bioaccessibility/bioavailability of enhanced phytochemical products.
• Metabolomic analysis of enhanced phytochemical content in horticultural crops.
Keywords:
bioaccessibility, bioavailability, polyphenols, phytochemicals, carotenoids, antioxidants, cell permeability
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.