From Plant Compounds to Botanicals and Back: A Current Snapshot

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 23; no. 8; p. 1844
• Main Authors: Durazzo, Alessandra, D'Addezio, Laura, Camilli, Emanuela, Piccinelli, Raffaela, Turrini, Aida, Marletta, Luisa, Marconi, Stefania, Lucarini, Massimo, Lisciani, Silvia, Gabrielli, Paolo, Gambelli, Loretta, Aguzzi, Altero, Sette, Stefania
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 24-07-2018; MDPI
• Subjects: antioxidants; Bioactive compounds; Biological activity; Biorefineries; botanicals; Chemometrics; Communication; Data processing; dedicated databases; dietary assessment; Dietary intake; Dietary supplements; Food composition; integrated food research; Metabolic pathways; Occupational health; study approach; botanicals; integrated food research; antioxidants; dedicated databases; dietary supplements; bioactive compounds; dietary assessment; study approach
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules23081844

This work aims at giving an updated picture of the strict interaction between main plant biologically active compounds and botanicals. The main features of the emerging class of dietary supplements, the botanicals, are highlighted. Focus is also on the definition of actual possibilities of study approach and research strategies. Examples of innovative directions are given: assessment of interaction of bioactive compounds, chemometrics and the new goal of biorefineries. Current models of existing databases, such as plant metabolic pathways, food composition, bioactive compounds, dietary supplements, and dietary markers, are described as usable tools for health research. The need for categorization of botanicals as well as for the implementation of specific and dedicated databases emerged, based on both analytical data and collected data taken from literature throughout a harmonized and standardized approach for the evaluation of an adequate dietary intake.