Synthesis, function, and application of plant-derived natural products in food

Natural products are widely distributed across various organisms, and exhibit potent physiological activities. Among these, plant-derived natural products are extensively utilized in the food, pharmaceutical, and healthcare industries. Traditional extraction methods primarily rely on plant extraction but suffer from drawbacks such as low yield, long growth cycles, and high resource consumption. Consequently, microbial fermentation technology has emerged as an alternative solution, offering advantages including the ability to utilize abundant raw materials and its environmentally friendly and sustainable characteristics. This review summarizes recent advances in the biosynthesis and functional mechanisms of four classes of plant-derived natural products—alkaloids, terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, and polysaccharides—while also examining the challenges and future prospects for their practical applications.