About this Research Topic
Fruits produce a wide array of secondary metabolites to attract seed dispersers, repel herbivores, cell signalling and respond to biotic and abiotic stresses. From a human perspective, secondary metabolites have a substantial role in the organoleptic characteristics: taste, aroma/odor and color, and nutritional value. Moreover, secondary metabolites are associated with a broad spectrum of health-promoting functions, such as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and/or anti-carcinogenic. Hence, secondary metabolites also play an important role in fruit preference and acceptability by consumers.
Environmental conditions, as well as horticultural practices, are of major effect on metabolites at harvest and postharvest. Pre- and post-harvest treatments not only maintain physiological parameters, but also organoleptic and nutritional and health properties. Spatiotemporal changes in production and accumulation of secondary metabolites in fruits during development and at harvest have been pivotal for the understanding of molecular and cellular constrains and for the development of new tools and methods to alter fruits composition. The fact that environmental factors and postharvest conditions can affect the composition of fruit secondary metabolism is a research topic that is gaining special interest in recent years. The recent transition into the big-data and computational power of multi-omics in plant science combining metabolomics, transcriptomics and genomics, is opening a new era for discoveries concerning biosynthesis and regulation of secondary metabolism in fruitomics. Also, a holistic approach will enable to improve our understanding of the health-beneficial of secondary metabolites.
This Research Topic aims to improve our understanding from cellular to molecular pathways involved in the biosynthesis, regulation, accumulation, release, and degradation of secondary metabolites in fruits. This knowledge will be helpful to improve the organoleptic characteristics and enhance nutritional value and health-promoting properties and extend the storage and shelf-life of fruits. Topics to be explored include:
• Biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in fruit
• The role of cellular barriers in accumulation of secondary metabolites
• Transcriptional and post-transcriptional events involved in the secondary metabolism regulation
• Epigenetic regulation of fruit secondary metabolism
• Crosstalk between phytohormones and secondary metabolites in fruit quality
• The interaction between pathogens and secondary metabolites production in fruits
• Secondary metabolites and fruit disorders
• Effects of exogenous application of signal molecules on the biosynthesis and accumulation of secondary metabolites
• Post-harvest effects on fruit secondary metabolites.
We will receive the following types of manuscripts:
• Original research
• Review articles
Environmental conditions, as well as horticultural practices, are of major effect on metabolites at harvest and postharvest. Pre- and post-harvest treatments not only maintain physiological parameters, but also organoleptic and nutritional and health properties. Spatiotemporal changes in production and accumulation of secondary metabolites in fruits during development and at harvest have been pivotal for the understanding of molecular and cellular constrains and for the development of new tools and methods to alter fruits composition. The fact that environmental factors and postharvest conditions can affect the composition of fruit secondary metabolism is a research topic that is gaining special interest in recent years. The recent transition into the big-data and computational power of multi-omics in plant science combining metabolomics, transcriptomics and genomics, is opening a new era for discoveries concerning biosynthesis and regulation of secondary metabolism in fruitomics. Also, a holistic approach will enable to improve our understanding of the health-beneficial of secondary metabolites.
This Research Topic aims to improve our understanding from cellular to molecular pathways involved in the biosynthesis, regulation, accumulation, release, and degradation of secondary metabolites in fruits. This knowledge will be helpful to improve the organoleptic characteristics and enhance nutritional value and health-promoting properties and extend the storage and shelf-life of fruits. Topics to be explored include:
• Biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in fruit
• The role of cellular barriers in accumulation of secondary metabolites
• Transcriptional and post-transcriptional events involved in the secondary metabolism regulation
• Epigenetic regulation of fruit secondary metabolism
• Crosstalk between phytohormones and secondary metabolites in fruit quality
• The interaction between pathogens and secondary metabolites production in fruits
• Secondary metabolites and fruit disorders
• Effects of exogenous application of signal molecules on the biosynthesis and accumulation of secondary metabolites
• Post-harvest effects on fruit secondary metabolites.
We will receive the following types of manuscripts:
• Original research
• Review articles
Keywords: secondary metabolism, fruit quality, biosynthesis, fruit disorders, epigenetic regulation, post-harvest, phytohormone-secondary metabolite crosstalk
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
