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Plant Nutrition for Human Health: A Pictorial Review on Plant Bioactive Compounds for Sustainable Agriculture

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  • Hassan El-Ramady

    (Soil and Water Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh 33516, Egypt
    Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, 138 Böszörményi Street, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary)

  • Peter Hajdú

    (Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, 138 Böszörményi Street, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary)

  • Gréta Törős

    (Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, 138 Böszörményi Street, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary)

  • Khandsuren Badgar

    (Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, 138 Böszörményi Street, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary)

  • Xhensila Llanaj

    (Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, 138 Böszörményi Street, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary)

  • Attila Kiss

    (Knowledge Utilization Center of Agri-Food Industry, University of Debrecen, Böszörményi út 138, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary)

  • Neama Abdalla

    (Plant Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Centre, 33 El Buhouth St., Dokki, Giza 12622, Egypt)

  • Alaa El-Dein Omara

    (Agriculture Microbiology Department, Soil, Water and Environment Research Institute (SWERI), Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Agriculture Research Center, Kafr El-Sheikh 33717, Egypt)

  • Tamer Elsakhawy

    (Agriculture Microbiology Department, Soil, Water and Environment Research Institute (SWERI), Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Agriculture Research Center, Kafr El-Sheikh 33717, Egypt)

  • Heba Elbasiouny

    (Environmental and Biological Sciences Department, Home Economics Faculty, Al-Azhar University, Tanta 31512, Egypt)

  • Fathy Elbehiry

    (Department of Basic and Applied Sciences, Higher Institute for Agricultural Cooperation, Cairo 11241, Egypt)

  • Megahed Amer

    (Soil Improvement and Conservation Department, Soil, Water and Environment Research Institute (SWERI), Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Agriculture Research Center, Kafr El-Sheikh 33717, Egypt)

  • Mohammed E. El-Mahrouk

    (Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh 33516, Egypt)

  • József Prokisch

    (Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, 138 Böszörményi Street, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary)

Abstract

Is there any relationship between plant nutrition and human health? The overall response to this question is very positive, and a strong relationship between the nutrition of plants and humans has been reported in the literature. The nutritional status of edible plants consumed by humans can have a negative or positive impact on human health. This review was designed to assess the importance of plant bioactive compounds for human health under the umbrella of sustainable agriculture. With respect to the first research question, it was found that plant bioactives (e.g., alkaloids, carotenoids, flavonoids, phenolics, and terpenoids) have a crucial role in human health due to their therapeutic benefits, and their potentiality depends on several factors, including botanical, environmental, and clinical attributes. Plant bioactives could be produced using plant tissue culture tools (as a kind of agro-biotechnological method), especially in cases of underexploited or endangered plants. Bioactive production of plants depends on many factors, especially climate change (heat stress, drought, UV radiation, ozone, and elevated CO 2 ), environmental pollution, and problematic soils (degraded, saline/alkaline, waterlogged, etc.). Under the previously mentioned stresses, in reviewing the literature, a positive or negative association was found depending on the kinds of stress or bioactives and their attributes. The observed correlation between plant bioactives and stress (or growth factors) might explain the importance of these bioactives for human health. Their accumulation in stressed plants can increase their tolerance to stress and their therapeutic roles. The results of this study are in keeping with previous observational studies, which confirmed that the human nutrition might start from edible plants and their bioactive contents, which are consumed by humans. This review is the first report that analyzes this previously observed relationship using pictorial presentation.

Suggested Citation

  • Hassan El-Ramady & Peter Hajdú & Gréta Törős & Khandsuren Badgar & Xhensila Llanaj & Attila Kiss & Neama Abdalla & Alaa El-Dein Omara & Tamer Elsakhawy & Heba Elbasiouny & Fathy Elbehiry & Megahed Ame, 2022. "Plant Nutrition for Human Health: A Pictorial Review on Plant Bioactive Compounds for Sustainable Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-45, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:14:p:8329-:d:858107
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Köninger, Julia & Lugato, Emanuele & Panagos, Panos & Kochupillai, Mrinalini & Orgiazzi, Alberto & Briones, Maria J.I., 2021. "Manure management and soil biodiversity: Towards more sustainable food systems in the EU," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    2. Diana Feliciano & John Recha & Gebermedihin Ambaw & Kirsten MacSween & Dawit Solomon & Eva Wollenberg, 2022. "Assessment of agricultural emissions, climate change mitigation and adaptation practices in Ethiopia," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(4), pages 427-444, April.
    3. Heba Elbasiouny & Hassan El-Ramady & Fathy Elbehiry & Vishnu D. Rajput & Tatiana Minkina & Saglara Mandzhieva, 2022. "Plant Nutrition under Climate Change and Soil Carbon Sequestration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-20, January.
    4. Hassan El-Ramady & Gréta Törős & Khandsuren Badgar & Xhensila Llanaj & Peter Hajdú & Mohammed E. El-Mahrouk & Neama Abdalla & József Prokisch, 2022. "A Comparative Photographic Review on Higher Plants and Macro-Fungi: A Soil Restoration for Sustainable Production of Food and Energy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-33, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Alessandro Bellino & Bruno Bisceglia & Daniela Baldantoni, 2023. "Effects of Weak Magnetic Fields on Plant Chemical Composition and Its Ecological Implications," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-10, February.
    2. Hassan El-Ramady & Eric C. Brevik & Yousry Bayoumi & Tarek A. Shalaby & Mohammed E. El-Mahrouk & Naglaa Taha & Heba Elbasiouny & Fathy Elbehiry & Megahed Amer & Neama Abdalla & József Prokisch & Svein, 2022. "An Overview of Agro-Waste Management in Light of the Water-Energy-Waste Nexus," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-30, November.

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