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Plant-Based Foods and Human Health
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Plant-Based Foods and Human Health

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 3328

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jing Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
Interests: natural product and phytochemicals; food nutrition and human health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Rising awareness of health and wellness is behind the popularity of plant-based foods, which are rich in polyphenols, polysaccharides, peptides, and other small-molecule compounds. More and more research has shown that plant-based diets are cost-effective, low-risk interventions that go a long way towards improving and maintaining health. The beneficial effects of plant-based foods on health include, but are not limited to, the following aspects:

  1. Anti-obesity;
  2. The prevention and management of diabetes;
  3. Lower risk of heart disease;
  4. Lower blood pressure;
  5. Increased chances of longevity.

This Special Issue explores the beneficial effects of plant-based foods and their active compounds on human nutrition and health.

Dr. Jing Wang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • polyphenol
  • polypeptide
  • polysaccharide
  • metabolic disease
  • longevity
  • blood pressure

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 4573 KiB  
Article
Blood-Pressure-Lowering and Endothelium-Dependent Vasorelaxant Effects of Nutgall Tree in Rats
by Sujin Shin, Junkyu Park, Ho-Young Choi, Youngmin Bu and Kyungjin Lee
Foods 2024, 13(7), 1041; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13071041 - 28 Mar 2024
Viewed by 504
Abstract
Hypertension is the crucial modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, and efforts to identify functional foods that are effective for hypertension control are increasing. The nutgall tree (NT, Rhus chinensis Mill.) is used in traditional medicine and food because of its medicinal value. [...] Read more.
Hypertension is the crucial modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, and efforts to identify functional foods that are effective for hypertension control are increasing. The nutgall tree (NT, Rhus chinensis Mill.) is used in traditional medicine and food because of its medicinal value. However, the role of NT in hypertension has not been investigated. Therefore, the hypotensive effect of NT leaf ethanol extract (NTE) was investigated in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). SHRs were allocated to three groups (control, 300, or 1000 mg/kg NTE), and blood pressure was measured before and after oral administration. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure significantly decreased in the NTE 1000 mg/kg group and was the lowest at 2 h after administration (−26.4 ± 10.3, −33.5 ± 9.8%, respectively). Daily NTE administration for five days also resulted in a similar effect. Further, the vasorelaxant effects and related mechanisms were investigated in the aortas of Sprague Dawley rats. NTE showed the dose-dependent blood-vessel-relaxing effect, and its mechanism involves the NO-sGC-cGMP pathway, activation of K+ channels, and reduction in the vasoconstrictive action of angiotensin II. Therefore, our study provides basic data indicating the potential use of NTE as a functional food for high blood pressure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Based Foods and Human Health)
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14 pages, 2989 KiB  
Article
Application of Tryptophan and Methionine in Broccoli Seedlings Enhances Formation of Anticancer Compounds Sulforaphane and Indole-3-Carbinol and Promotes Growth
by Rui Li, Zihuan Zhou, Xiaofei Zhao and Jing Li
Foods 2024, 13(5), 696; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13050696 - 24 Feb 2024
Viewed by 853
Abstract
Broccoli is a popular cruciferous vegetable that is well known for its abundant health-promoting biochemicals. The most important of these beneficial biochemicals are glucosinolates, including glucoraphanin and glucobrassicin. Glucoraphanin and glucobrassicin can be broken down by myrosinases into sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol, which have [...] Read more.
Broccoli is a popular cruciferous vegetable that is well known for its abundant health-promoting biochemicals. The most important of these beneficial biochemicals are glucosinolates, including glucoraphanin and glucobrassicin. Glucoraphanin and glucobrassicin can be broken down by myrosinases into sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol, which have been demonstrated to have potent cancer-preventive properties. Efforts to increase glucoraphanin in broccoli seedlings have long been a focus; however, increasing glucoraphanin and glucobrassicin simultaneously, as well as enhancing myrosinase activity to release more sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol, have yet to be investigated. This study aims to investigate the impact of the combined application of tryptophan and methionine on the accumulation of sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol, as well as their precursors. Furthermore, we also examined whether this application has any effects on seedling growth and the presence of other beneficial compounds. We found that the application of methionine and tryptophan not only increased the glucoraphanin content by 2.37 times and the glucobrassicin content by 3.01 times, but that it also caused a higher myrosinase activity, resulting in a1.99 times increase in sulforaphane and a 3.05 times increase in indole-3-carbinol. In addition, better plant growth and an increase in amino acids and flavonoids were observed in broccoli seedlings with this application. In conclusion, the simultaneous application of tryptophan and methionine to broccoli seedlings can effectively enhance their health-promoting value and growth. Our study provides a cost-effective and multi-benefit strategy for improving the health value and yield of broccoli seedlings, benefiting both consumers and farmers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Based Foods and Human Health)
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14 pages, 3317 KiB  
Article
Glucoraphanin Accumulation via Glucoraphanin Synthesis Promotion during Broccoli Germination
by Guangmin Liu, Hongju He, Pengjie Wang, Xirui Zhao and Fazheng Ren
Foods 2024, 13(1), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13010041 - 21 Dec 2023
Viewed by 775
Abstract
Glucoraphanin is an important glucosinolate which is widely distributed in Brassica vegetables and poses an anticancer effect to humans. Although researchers have paid a lot of attention to the changes in glucoraphanin concentration in seedlings of broccoli over 1–2 weeks, there has been [...] Read more.
Glucoraphanin is an important glucosinolate which is widely distributed in Brassica vegetables and poses an anticancer effect to humans. Although researchers have paid a lot of attention to the changes in glucoraphanin concentration in seedlings of broccoli over 1–2 weeks, there has been little research focusing on the total whole-sprout glucoraphanin content within broccoli seedlings over 1–5 weeks. However, it is necessary to clarify the changes in total glucoraphanin content during the broccoli sprouting stage as broccoli seedlings are novel plant foods. This research explored glucoraphanin absolute accumulation and the biosynthesis mechanism in broccoli seedlings during a 5-week growth period. The results showed that glucoraphanin accumulation content was higher at week 4 than in the seeds. Moreover, the relative DL-methionine contents increased significantly after 3 weeks. Glucoraphanin synthetic gene expression levels were increased after 3 weeks, but the gene expressions of AOP3 (encoding 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases) and MYR (encoding myrosinase) were significantly decreased. Furthermore, the 20 essential DEGs obtained can provide new insight into understanding the developmental regulation of broccoli seedlings. In addition, the results can also provide information on how to obtain higher glucoraphanin contents in broccoli sprouts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Based Foods and Human Health)
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Review

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20 pages, 2304 KiB  
Review
Examination of Primary and Secondary Metabolites Associated with a Plant-Based Diet and Their Impact on Human Health
by Miray Simsek and Kristin Whitney
Foods 2024, 13(7), 1020; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13071020 - 27 Mar 2024
Viewed by 860
Abstract
The consumption of plant-based diets has become a burgeoning trend, and they are increasingly consumed globally owing to their substantial energy intensity and dietetic advantages. Plants possess numerous bioactive components that have been recognized to exhibit manifold health-promoting assets. Comprehension of the synthesis [...] Read more.
The consumption of plant-based diets has become a burgeoning trend, and they are increasingly consumed globally owing to their substantial energy intensity and dietetic advantages. Plants possess numerous bioactive components that have been recognized to exhibit manifold health-promoting assets. Comprehension of the synthesis of these primary and secondary metabolites by plants and their method of action against several chronic illnesses is a significant requirement for understanding their benefits to human health and disease prevention. Furthermore, the association of biologically active complexes with plants, humans, disease, medicine, and the underlying mechanisms is unexplored. Therefore, this review portrays various bioactive components derived from plant sources associated with health-promoting traits and their action mechanisms. This review paper predominantly assembles proposed plant-derived bioactive compounds, postulating valuable evidence aimed at perceiving forthcoming approaches, including the selection of potent bioactive components for formulating functional diets that are effective against several human disorders. This meticulous evidence could perhaps provide the basis for the advanced preemptive and therapeutic potential promoting human health. Hence, delivery opens possibilities for purchasers to approach the lucrative practice of plants as a remedy, produce novel products, and access new marketplaces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Based Foods and Human Health)
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