Bioactive Compounds from Plants and Foods with Pharmaceutical Interest

Bioactive compounds from plants, foods or other natural sources represent a very important tool to improve health or prevent/treat certain diseases. There is currently a big interest in the study of bioactive compounds, extracts and new ingredients from natural sources in order to produce pharmaceuticals, functional foods, nutraceuticals, botanicals and dietary suplements. Certain non-nutritive bioactive compounds present in foods and plants, known as phytochemicals (polyphenols, terpenes, alkaloids) offer a wide chemical diversity responsible for a wide range of pharmacological and biological properties; additionally, other bioactive compounds can be macro or micronutrients with additional health benefits beyond its nutritional properties (omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, dietary fiber, vitamins, aminoacids, etc). This special issue on “Bioactive Compounds from Plants and Foods with Pharmaceutical Interest” comprises a collection of original research and review articles about novel advances in the development and application of bioactive compounds and extracts from natural matrices . Topics include, but are not limited to: • Bioactivity of functional foods and medicinal plants for the development dietary supplements, botanicals, medicines or cosmetics • Extraction and identification of bioactive compounds from foods, plants or natural sources with pharmacological applications • Antioxidants, polyphenols and its uses in oxidative stress conditions • Essential oils and aromatic plants with pharmaceutical, cosmeceutical or agrochemical interest