Phytochemicals are bioactive secondary metabolites produced by plants that, while not classified as essential nutrients, exert physiological effects relevant to human health. The principal groups include polyphenols such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins; terpenoids and carotenoids; alkaloids; and organosul…
Phytochemicals are bioactive secondary metabolites produced by plants that, while not classified as essential nutrients, exert physiological effects relevant to human health. The principal groups include polyphenols such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins; terpenoids and carotenoids; alkaloids; and organosulfur and glucosinolate derivatives, each defined by characteristic structures that govern bioactivity. Many phytochemicals are valued for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, scavenging reactive oxygen species and modulating redox-sensitive signaling, while others influence enzyme activity, microbial growth, and cellular pathways implicated in chronic disease and infection. Their content in foods and extracts depends on species, plant part, and processing, and their dietary relevance hinges on bioavailability and metabolism. Research in this area characterizes the redox potential of phytochemicals and their effects on DNA, the antioxidant and phytochemical activity of plant extracts under varying solvent and pH conditions, the role of antioxidant phytochemicals in age-related macular degeneration, phytocompound interactions with viral targets, and the food-preservative and health-promoting properties of herb-derived phytochemicals such as those from oregano and rosemary. The journal publishes peer-reviewed studies on the identification, antioxidant behavior, and biological activity of plant phytochemicals.
12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 12 articles above have been cited 240 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Phytochemicals, linking to each citing work.