Phytochemicals: Extraction, Isolation, and Identification of Bioactive Compounds from Plant Extracts

• Main Authors: Ammar Altemimi, Naoufal Lakhssassi, Azam Baharlouei, Dennis G. Watson, David A. Lightfoot
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2017-09-01
• Series: Plants
• Subjects: antimicrobial; antioxidants; medicinal plants; BHT
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/6/4/42

There are concerns about using synthetic phenolic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) as food additives because of the reported negative effects on human health. Thus, a replacement of these synthetics by antioxidant extractions from various foods has been proposed. More than 8000 different phenolic compounds have been characterized; fruits and vegetables are the prime sources of natural antioxidants. In order to extract, measure, and identify bioactive compounds from a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, researchers use multiple techniques and methods. This review includes a brief description of a wide range of different assays. The antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties of phenolic natural products from fruits and vegetables are also discussed.