Bioactive Phenolics and Antioxidant Capacity of Wild and Cultivated Plants: Nutritional Properties and Health Potential

Phenolic compounds and their antioxidant properties form a critical interface between plant ecology, food environments, and human health. These bioactive molecules influence nutritional quality, metabolic health, and the resilience of both natural and managed ecosystems. Wild and underutilised plants, often rich in phenolic diversity, have supported human populations across generations and remain central to traditional diets in many regions. However, their contributions are underrecognised in modern food systems dominated by cultivated varieties with more uniform nutritional profiles. At the same time, there is growing interest in reevaluating domesticated crops for their phenolic composition and potential to support healthy and sustainable diets. This expanding body of evidence highlights the need for integrated research that situates biochemical findings within ecological, anthropological, and food system contexts to better understand the nutritional and cultural significance of plant phenolics.This Research Topic aims to examine the nutritional properties and health potential of bioactive phenolics through a holistic lens that connects plant biodiversity, cultivation systems, culinary culture, and human adaptation. It seeks to characterise the phenolic and antioxidant profiles of wild, neglected, traditional, and cultivated species while analysing how cultivation methods, post harvest handling, and food processing affect bioavailability and bioactivity. It further aims to link phenolic intake patterns to dietary quality, consumer behaviour, and public health outcomes. Beyond biochemical assessment, this Topic welcomes investigations into the ecological, cultural, and policy dimensions that influence whether phenolic rich plants are cultivated, marketed, and consumed, with emphasis on their role in sustainable food systems and planetary health. Contributions must include clear identification and molecular speciation of phenolic components, studies lacking this level of characterisation fall outside the scope of the section.To gather further insights into the intersection of plant ecology, nutrition, and anthropology, we welcome contributions that explore, but are not limited to, the following themes:o Comparative profiling of phenolic content and antioxidant capacity in wild versus cultivated plants framed within nutritional ecologyo Ethnobotanical and food anthropology studies on the role of phenolic-rich species in traditional diets, foraging practices, and indigenous food systemso Impacts of storage, processing, fermentation, and culinary preparation on phenolic retention, transformation, and bioactivityo Dietary intake studies examining phenolic consumption patterns and associations with population health and sustainability metricso Consumer behaviour and food environment research related to accessibility and perception of phenolic-rich, underutilised plant foodso Policy analyses addressing the integration of phenolic-rich plants into sustainable food systems and contributions to SDGs 2, 3, 12, and 13o Integrative and critical reviews that advance theoretical perspectives in nutritional ecology and anthropology, highlighting phenolics as agents of ecological and cultural adaptation Topic editors: Onur Tolga OKAN, Prof. Mdungazi Knox Maluleke, Dr Lucia Ntsoane Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84430/bioactive-phenolics-and-antioxidant-capacity-of-wild-and-cultivated-plants-nutritional-properties-and-health-potential