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Research Advances of Physicochemical and Nutraceutical Properties of Plant-Based Food
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Research Advances of Physicochemical and Nutraceutical Properties of Plant-Based Food

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Foods".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 March 2023) | Viewed by 25182

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jun Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
Interests: dynamic high pressure microfluidization; pectin; rice protein; whole foods; gel
Dr. Taotao Dai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Guangxi Key Laboratory of Fruits and Vegetables Storage-processing Technology, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning 530007, China
Interests: plant proteins; plant-based emulsion; protein–polyphenol interaction; delivery systems; digestion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant-based food includes plant proteins and plant polysaccharides such as pectin, starch, dietary fiber, and phytochemicals. Compared to animal-based food, there has been considerable interest in increasing the utilization of plant-based food because of the potential benefits in terms of health, ethical, and sustainability issues. Consequently, it is meaningful to carry out scientific studies on the “Research Advances of Physicochemical and Nutraceutical Properties of Plant-based Food”. Popular plant-based food systems such as emulsion, gel, and plant-based meat, and novel food or food delivery systems are appropriate for this topic. Also of interest are new processing technologies that need to be applied intelligently so that fruits and vegetables can exhibit better nutritional value and physicochemical properties. Novel fruit and vegetable juices such as whole soya-bean milk and mulberry juice are particularly important topics of study for creating more nutritious and healthier food. Another theme is the interactions between components, as it is critical to clarify the nature of the formation of new foods. We thus invite scientists to contribute their latest advances in order to create appealing new types of sustainable and healthy plant-based food for the food industry, contributing toward a much-needed change in societal attitudes around food.

Prof. Dr. Jun Chen
Dr. Taotao Dai
Guest Editors

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

  • processing of fruit and vegetables
  • plant-protein-based food
  • pectin-based food
  • delivery system
  • interactions between components
  • extrusion technology
  • superfine grinding

Published Papers (10 papers)

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15 pages, 3125 KiB  
Article
Protective Effect of Hawthorn Fruit Extract against High Fructose-Induced Oxidative Stress and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Pancreatic β-Cells
by Hsiu-Man Lien, Hsin-Tang Lin, Shiau-Huei Huang, Yìng-Ru Chen, Chao-Lu Huang, Chia-Chang Chen and Charng-Cherng Chyau
Foods 2023, 12(6), 1130; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12061130 - 08 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1604
Abstract
Hyperglycemia has deleterious effects on pancreatic β-cells, causing dysfunction and insulin resistance that lead to diabetes mellitus (DM). The possible causes of injury can be caused by glucose- or fructose-induced oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) fruit has [...] Read more.
Hyperglycemia has deleterious effects on pancreatic β-cells, causing dysfunction and insulin resistance that lead to diabetes mellitus (DM). The possible causes of injury can be caused by glucose- or fructose-induced oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) fruit has been widely used as a hypolipidemic agent in traditional herbal medicine. The study aimed to investigate whether high fructose-induced pancreatic β-cell dysfunction could be reversed through amelioration of ER stress by the treatment of polyphenol-enriched extract (PEHE) from hawthorn fruit. The extract was partitioned using ethyl acetate as a solvent from crude water extract (WE) of hawthorn fruits, followed by column fractionation. The results showed that the contents of total polyphenols, flavonoids and triterpenoids in PEHE could be enhanced by 2.2-, 7.7- and 1.1-fold, respectively, in comparison to the original obtained WE from hawthorn fruit. In ER stress studies, a sharp increase in the inhibitory activity on the gene expression levels of GRP79, ATF6, IRE1α and CHOP involved in ER stress was evident when dosages of PEHE at 50–100 μg/mL were used against high-fructose (150 mM)-treated cells. HPLC–MS/MS analysis showed that polyphenols and flavonoids collectively accounted for 87.03% of the total content of PEHE. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advances of Physicochemical and Nutraceutical Properties of Plant-Based Food)
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19 pages, 8792 KiB  
Article
Computer-Aided Screening and Revealing Action Mechanism of Green Tea Polyphenols Intervention in Alzheimer’s Disease
by Min Wang, Xiaotang Yang, Yilin Gao and Weiwei Han
Foods 2023, 12(3), 635; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12030635 - 02 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1957
Abstract
The accumulation of cross-β-sheet amyloid fibrils is a hallmark of the neurodegenerative process of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Although it has been reported that green tea substances such as epicatechin (EC), epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG), epigallocatechin (EGC) and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) could alleviate the symptoms of AD [...] Read more.
The accumulation of cross-β-sheet amyloid fibrils is a hallmark of the neurodegenerative process of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Although it has been reported that green tea substances such as epicatechin (EC), epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG), epigallocatechin (EGC) and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) could alleviate the symptoms of AD and other neurodegenerative diseases, the pharmacological mechanism remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to reveal the underlying mechanism of EC, ECG, EGC and EGCG in AD using a computer-aided screening strategy. Our results showed that the four tea polyphenols interfered with the signaling pathways of AD via calcium signaling channels, neurodegeneration-multiple disease signal pathways and others. We also identified the key residues of the interaction between VEGFA and the four active components, which included Glu64 and Phe36. Overall, we have provided valuable insights into the molecular mechanism of tea polyphenols, which could be used as a reference to improve therapeutic strategies against AD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advances of Physicochemical and Nutraceutical Properties of Plant-Based Food)
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12 pages, 900 KiB  
Article
Investigation of the Effect of Rice Bran Content on the Antioxidant Capacity and Related Molecular Conformations of Plant-Based Simulated Meat Based on Raman Spectroscopy
by Yanran Li, Ruisheng Jiang, Yuzhe Gao, Yumin Duan, Yifan Zhang, Minpeng Zhu and Zhigang Xiao
Foods 2022, 11(21), 3529; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11213529 - 06 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1670
Abstract
At present, plant-based simulated meat is attracting more and more attention as a meat substitute. This study discusses the possibility of partial substitution of rice bran (RB) for soybean protein isolate (SPI) in preparing plant-based simulated meat. RB was added to SPI at [...] Read more.
At present, plant-based simulated meat is attracting more and more attention as a meat substitute. This study discusses the possibility of partial substitution of rice bran (RB) for soybean protein isolate (SPI) in preparing plant-based simulated meat. RB was added to SPI at 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% to prepare RB-SPI plant-based simulated meat by the high moisture extrusion technique. RB-SPI plant-based simulated meat revealed greater polyphenol content and preferable antioxidant capacity (DPPH radical scavenging capacity, ABTS scavenging ability, and FRAP antioxidant capacity) compared to SPI plant-based simulated meat. The aromatic amino acids (tryptophan and tyrosine) of RB-SPI plant-based simulated meats tend to be masked first, and then the hydrophobic groups are exposed as RB content increases and the polarity of the surrounding environment increases due to the change in the disulfide conformation of RB-SPI plant-based simulated meats from a stable gauche–gauche–gauche conformation to a trans–gauche–trans conformation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advances of Physicochemical and Nutraceutical Properties of Plant-Based Food)
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15 pages, 2841 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Pectin Structure on Emulsifying, Rheological, and In Vitro Digestion Properties of Emulsion
by Xixiang Shuai, Jun Chen, Qi Liu, Haolan Dong, Taotao Dai, Zhaoying Li, Chengmei Liu and Risi Wang
Foods 2022, 11(21), 3444; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11213444 - 30 Oct 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3582
Abstract
Pectin, a complex hydrocolloid, attracts extensive attention and application stemming from its good emulsification. However, the source of emulsification remains a conundrum. In this experiment, the structures of six kinds of commercial pectin, including LM 101 AS (101), LM 104 AS [...] Read more.
Pectin, a complex hydrocolloid, attracts extensive attention and application stemming from its good emulsification. However, the source of emulsification remains a conundrum. In this experiment, the structures of six kinds of commercial pectin, including LM 101 AS (101), LM 104 AS (104), 121 SLOW SET (121), YM 150 H (150), LM 13 CG (13CG), and β-PECTIN (β-P) were determined, and the effects of pectin structure on emulsion emulsification, rheology and in vitro digestibility were studied. The results showed that the β-P pectin contained a higher content of protein, ferulic acid, and acetyl and had a lower interfacial tension; this pectin-stabilized emulsion exhibited a smaller droplet size and superior centrifugal and storage stability. The results showed that β-P pectin had higher contents of protein, ferulic acid, and acetyl and lower interfacial tension than other pectins, and its stabilized emulsion exhibited smaller droplet size and superior centrifugation and storage stability. Furthermore, the emulsion formed by the pectin with high molecular weight and degree of methoxylation (DM) had a higher viscosity, which can inhibit the aggregation of emulsion droplets to some extent. However, the DM of pectin affected the charge and digestion behavior of pectin emulsion to a great extent. The smaller the DM, the more negative charge the emulsion carried, and the higher the release rate of free fatty acids. The results provided a basis for the rational selection and structural design of the pectin emulsifier. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advances of Physicochemical and Nutraceutical Properties of Plant-Based Food)
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16 pages, 2545 KiB  
Article
Comprehensive Evaluation of 24 Red Raspberry Varieties in Northeast China Based on Nutrition and Taste
by Yiping Yu, Guang Yang, Lanying Sun, Xingshun Song, Yihong Bao, Ting Luo and Jinling Wang
Foods 2022, 11(20), 3232; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11203232 - 16 Oct 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2422
Abstract
Red raspberry is a kind of fruit with high nutritional values. To evaluate the comprehensive quality of 24 red raspberry varieties in Northeast China, physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds and sensory characteristics were measured, followed by principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA). [...] Read more.
Red raspberry is a kind of fruit with high nutritional values. To evaluate the comprehensive quality of 24 red raspberry varieties in Northeast China, physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds and sensory characteristics were measured, followed by principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA). Altogether, eight important property indexes for processing attributes were selected out using PCA, including titratable acidity (TAC), sugar-acid ratio (SAR), pH, length, diameter, weight, sucrose and citric acid. Six individual sugars, including l-rhamnose monohydrate, fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose and d-trehalose anhydrous, as well as eight organic acids, including oxalic acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, α-ketoglutaric acid, lactic acid, citric acid, fumaric acid and succinic acid, were identified in red raspberry. The two main clusters according to individual sugar, organic acids and SAR indicated that varieties including ‘European red’, ‘DNS9’, ‘Bulgaskc’, ‘Canby’ and ‘Samodiva’ were suitable for fresh-eating or processing to juice or other products directly because they had suitable SAR; other varieties with relatively low SAR were unsuitable for fresh-eating and need to adjust their excessive sour taste during processing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advances of Physicochemical and Nutraceutical Properties of Plant-Based Food)
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24 pages, 6829 KiB  
Article
Effect of Different Cooking Methods on Nutrients, Antioxidant Activities and Flavors of Three Varieties of Lentinus edodes
by Xiaoli Zhou, Qinglin Guan, Yanli Wang, Dong Lin and Bin Du
Foods 2022, 11(17), 2713; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11172713 - 05 Sep 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3009
Abstract
This work evaluated the effect of different cooking methods (boiling, steaming, microwaving, frying and pressure cooking) on the nutrients, antioxidant activities, volatile and nonvolatile taste-active components of three varieties of Lentinus edodes (808, 0912 and LM) from Guizhou Province. The results showed that [...] Read more.
This work evaluated the effect of different cooking methods (boiling, steaming, microwaving, frying and pressure cooking) on the nutrients, antioxidant activities, volatile and nonvolatile taste-active components of three varieties of Lentinus edodes (808, 0912 and LM) from Guizhou Province. The results showed that LM had the most polysaccharides, 0912 had the most minerals, but LM, 808 and 0912 had low amounts of polyphenols, dietary fiber and proteins, respectively. The dietary fiber and protein were decreased by 4.1~38.7% and 4.1~44.0% during cooking, while microwaving improved the nutritional value of the Lentinus edodes by increasing the polysaccharide (88~103 mg/g to 93~105 mg/g) and polyphenol content (6.4~8.1 mg/g to 7.5~11.2 mg/g), thereby strengthening the antioxidant activity. The nucleotides were all destroyed after cooking, especially frying or boiling. The glutamate content was the highest in LM and 808, and the methionine content appeared to be the highest in 0912. Pressure cooking and frying increased the proportions of sweet and umami amino acids and decreased the proportion of bitter amino acids, creating more aroma-active compounds. In summary, microwaving increased the content of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities, and it preserved nonvolatile taste-active components, while pressure cooking and frying were the best methods for increasing the flavor compounds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advances of Physicochemical and Nutraceutical Properties of Plant-Based Food)
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29 pages, 4342 KiB  
Article
Effect of Refining Degree on the Quality Changes and Lipid Oxidation of Camellia (Camellia oleifera) Oil during Heating
by Mei Wang, Yin Wan, Ting Liu, Xiuying Zeng, Xinmei Liang, Xiaojiang Wu and Guiming Fu
Foods 2022, 11(15), 2232; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11152232 - 27 Jul 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1869
Abstract
Refining degree has an important influence on the quality of camellia (Camellia oleifera) oil. The deterioration behaviors and lipid oxidation of three kinds of camellia oils, including camellia crude oil (CO), moderate refined oil (MRO), and refined oil (RO), during heating [...] Read more.
Refining degree has an important influence on the quality of camellia (Camellia oleifera) oil. The deterioration behaviors and lipid oxidation of three kinds of camellia oils, including camellia crude oil (CO), moderate refined oil (MRO), and refined oil (RO), during heating were investigated in this study. The results of deterioration behavior analysis showed that the oxidation degree was RO > CO > MRO. Tocopherol and polyphenolic substances in the oil might help delay oil oxidation. The lipid oxidation results indicated that the heating process had greater effects on CO and MRO than RO; it upregulated neutral lipid content and downregulated phospholipid content in terms of lipid changes and the multiplicity of differences. Glycerophospholipid metabolism was the most remarkable pathway and was important to study the heating process of refined oil. Moderate refining is good for retaining the beneficial lipids in camellia oil. The results of this study would provide a theoretical basis for camellia oil processing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advances of Physicochemical and Nutraceutical Properties of Plant-Based Food)
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12 pages, 17150 KiB  
Article
The Protective Effects of Ginseng Polysaccharides and Their Effective Subfraction against Dextran Sodium Sulfate-Induced Colitis
by Shanshan Li, Xiaohui Huo, Yuli Qi, Duoduo Ren, Zhiman Li, Di Qu and Yinshi Sun
Foods 2022, 11(6), 890; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11060890 - 21 Mar 2022
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2571
Abstract
Polysaccharides from Panax ginseng are natural carbohydrates with multiple activities. However, little was known about its functions on colitis. In this study, we aim to investigate the protective effects of ginseng polysaccharides and its effective subfraction on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. Water [...] Read more.
Polysaccharides from Panax ginseng are natural carbohydrates with multiple activities. However, little was known about its functions on colitis. In this study, we aim to investigate the protective effects of ginseng polysaccharides and its effective subfraction on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. Water soluble ginseng polysaccharides (WGP) were obtained from dry ginseng root, then purified to neutral fraction (WGPN) and acidic fraction (WGPA) by ion exchange chromatography. An animal model was constructed with male Wistar rats, which were treated with a normal diet (con group), DSS (DSS group), WGP (WGP group), WGPN (WGPN group), and WGPA (WGPA group), respectively. Both WGP and WGPA alleviated the colitis symptoms and colon structure changes of colitis rats. They decreased the disease activity index (DAI) scores and improved colon health; reduced colon damage and recovered the intestinal barrier via regulating the tight-junction-related proteins (ZO-1 and Occludin); downregulated inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, and IL-17) and inhibited the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB-signaling pathway in the colon; regulated the diversity and composition of gut microbiota, especially the relative abundance of Ruminococcus; enhanced the production of SCFAs. In conclusion, WGP exerted a protective effect against colitis with its acidic fraction (WGPA) as an effective fraction. The results support the utilization and investigation of ginseng polysaccharides as a potential intervention strategy for the prevention of colitis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advances of Physicochemical and Nutraceutical Properties of Plant-Based Food)
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13 pages, 2722 KiB  
Article
Effects of Ultrasonic Treatment on the Structure, Functional Properties of Chickpea Protein Isolate and Its Digestibility In Vitro
by Shihua Kang, Jian Zhang, Xiaobing Guo, Yongdong Lei and Mei Yang
Foods 2022, 11(6), 880; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11060880 - 19 Mar 2022
Cited by 53 | Viewed by 3307
Abstract
This study evaluated the effects of different levels of ultrasonic power (200, 400, 600 W) and treatment time (0, 10, 15 and 30 min) on the structure, emulsification characteristics, and in vitro digestibility of chickpea protein isolate (CPI). The changes in surface hydrophobicity [...] Read more.
This study evaluated the effects of different levels of ultrasonic power (200, 400, 600 W) and treatment time (0, 10, 15 and 30 min) on the structure, emulsification characteristics, and in vitro digestibility of chickpea protein isolate (CPI). The changes in surface hydrophobicity of CPI indicated that ultrasound treatment exposed more hydrophobic amino acid residues. The analysis of sulfhydryl content and zeta potential showed that ultrasound caused the disulfide bond of CPI to be opened, releasing more negatively charged groups, and the solution was more stable. In addition, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy showed that ultrasound changes the secondary and tertiary structure of CPI, which is due to molecular expansion and stretching, exposing internal hydrophobic groups. The emulsification and foaming stability of CPI were significantly improved after ultrasonic treatment. Ultrasonic treatment had a minor effect on the solubility, foaming capacity and in vitro digestibility of CPI. All the results revealed that the ultrasound was a promising way to improve the functional properties of CPI. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advances of Physicochemical and Nutraceutical Properties of Plant-Based Food)
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15 pages, 848 KiB  
Systematic Review
Anti-Oxidative Effect of Pu-erh Tea in Animals Trails: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Chiung-Ying Yang, Kuang-Chen Hung, Yea-Yin Yen, Hung-En Liao, Shou-Jen Lan and Hsin-Cheng Lin
Foods 2022, 11(9), 1333; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11091333 - 04 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1829
Abstract
This study adopted systematic literature review and meta-analysis methodology to explored anti-oxidative effect of pu-erh tea. Study authors have systemically searched seven databases up until 21 February 2020. In performing the literature search on the above-mentioned databases, the authors used keywords of pu-erh [...] Read more.
This study adopted systematic literature review and meta-analysis methodology to explored anti-oxidative effect of pu-erh tea. Study authors have systemically searched seven databases up until 21 February 2020. In performing the literature search on the above-mentioned databases, the authors used keywords of pu-erh AND (superoxide dismutase OR glutathione peroxidase OR malondialdehyde). Results derived from meta-analyses showed statistically significant effects of pu-erh tea on reducing serum MDA levels (SMD, −4.19; 95% CI, −5.22 to −3.15; p < 0.001; I2 = 93.67%); increasing serum SOD levels (SMD, 2.41; 95% CI, 1.61 to 3.20; p < 0.001; I2 = 91.36%); and increasing serum GSH-Px levels (SMD, 4.23; 95% CI, 3.10 to 5.36; p < 0.001; I2 = 93.69%). Results from systematic review and meta-analyses validated that various ingredients found in pu-erh tea extracts had anti-oxidation effects, a long-held conventional wisdom with limited supporting evidence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advances of Physicochemical and Nutraceutical Properties of Plant-Based Food)
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