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Discovery of New Functional Foods with Bioactive Compounds

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 December 2023) | Viewed by 10923

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dongxu Wang

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Guest Editor

School of Grain Science and Technology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China
Interests: polyphenols; inflammation; food toxicology; health effects; functional food
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Jinbao Huang

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Guest Editor

School of Tea and Food Science&Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
Interests: polyphenols; metabolic diseases; obesity; health effects; functional food

Dr. Haisong Wang

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Guest Editor

School of Biological and Food Engineering, Changshu Institute of Technology, Changshu, China
Interests: oligosaccharide; prebiotics; intestinal microflora; polysaccharide; food processing

Dr. Daniel Granato

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Guest Editor

Department of Biological Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
Interests: food chemistry; natural product; antioxidant; phenolic-rich foods; food processing and extraction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The term functional foods are very popular in science and on social media; therefore, food producers have invested in developing foods with added benefits to consumers‘ well-being. The definitions of this term around the world remain unclear because of intrinsic regulation and end-of-use purposes in different countries. However, the general consensus is that the nutritional value of functional foods goes beyond that of conventional foods and these foods can also promote the promotion of optimal health and reduce the risks of certain chronic diseases.

The functional food market is a lucrative niche in food production and is projected to grow globally. In order to develop functional foods, scientists must design, optimize, and develop formulations as well as processing techniques that are applied to food products with bioactive compounds before they are delivered to the market. In the past, innovative processing technologies (e.g., high hydrostatic pressure, pulsed electric fields, ultrasounds, microwaves) emerged as suitable food-processing alternatives. The development of functional foods with bioactive compounds that can actively have potentially positive effects on human health beyond basic nutrition has become a hotspot; however, food scientists should bear in mind that functional foods require in vitro, in vivo, and clinical trials to support any health claims. Food scientists should associate with professionals in other fields to gain a multidisciplinary view of functional foods with bioactive compounds and study their impacts on human health.

This Special Issue is designed to gather scientific papers on the discovery and product development of new functional foods with bioactive compounds, those developing and testing the efficacy and safety of potentially functional foods and ingredients (such as phenolics, polyphenols, flavonoids, phytosterols, phospholipids, bioactive peptides and dietary fiber components), studies on technological means of delivery in food products with bioactive compounds, studies on the application of natural extracts in different food matrices and the impact on sensory, physicochemical, and functional properties, studies on possible mechanisms of action of functional foods and ingredients, or any other relevant issues that can be discussed.

Dr. Dongxu Wang
Dr. Jinbao Huang
Dr. Haisong Wang
Dr. Daniel Granato
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 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

functional foods
functional ingredients
efficacy and safety testing
antioxidants
health benefits
innovative processing technologies
natural extracts
polyphenols
bioactive peptides

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 3749 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Free Fatty Acid Determination in Broccoli Tissues Using Liquid Chromatography–High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry

by Christiana Mantzourani, Irene-Dimitra Mesimeri and Maroula G. Kokotou

Molecules 2024, 29(4), 754; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29040754 - 06 Feb 2024

Viewed by 840

Abstract

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica Plenck) is a widely consumed vegetable, very popular due to its various nutritional and bioactive components. Since studies on the lipid components of broccoli have been limited so far, the aim of the present work was the study of free fatty acids (FFAs) present in different broccoli parts, aerial and underground. The direct determination of twenty-four FFAs in broccoli tissues (roots, leaves, and florets) was carried out, using a liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) method in a 10 min single run. Linolenic acid was found to be the most abundant FFA in all different broccoli parts in quantities ranging from 0.76 to 1.46 mg/g, followed by palmitic acid (0.17–0.22 mg/g) and linoleic acid (0.06–0.08 mg/g). To extend our knowledge on broccoli’s bioactive components, for the first time, the existence of bioactive oxidized fatty acids, namely hydroxy and oxo fatty acids, was explored in broccoli tissues adopting an HRMS-based lipidomics approach. 16- and 2-hydroxypalmitic acids were detected in all parts of broccoli studied, while ricinoleic acid was detected for the first time as a component of broccoli. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Discovery of New Functional Foods with Bioactive Compounds)

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21 pages, 7224 KiB

Open AccessArticle

African Under-Utilized Medicinal Leafy Vegetables Studied by Microtiter Plate Assays and High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography–Planar Assays

by Ibukun O. Oresanya, Ilkay Erdogan Orhan, Julia Heil and Gertrud E. Morlock

Molecules 2024, 29(3), 733; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29030733 - 05 Feb 2024

Viewed by 826

Abstract

Biological activities of six under-utilized medicinal leafy vegetable plants indigenous to Africa, i.e., Basella alba, Crassocephalum rubens, Gnetum africanum, Launaea taraxacifolia, Solanecio biafrae, and Solanum macrocarpon, were investigated via two independent techniques. The total phenolic content (TPC) was determined, and six microtiter plate assays were applied after extraction and fractionation. Three were antioxidant in vitro assays, i.e., ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), cupric reduction antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging, and the others were enzyme (acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, and tyrosinase) inhibition assays. The highest TPC and antioxidant activity from all the methods were obtained from polar and medium polar fractions of C. rubens, S. biafrae, and S. macrocarpon. The highest acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition was exhibited by polar fractions of S. biafrae, C. rubens, and L. taraxacifolia, the latter comparable to galantamine. The highest tyrosinase inhibition was observed in the n-butanol fraction of C. rubens and ethyl acetate fraction of S. biafrae. In vitro assay results of the different extracts and fractions were mostly in agreement with the bioactivity profiling via high-performance thin-layer chromatography–multi-imaging–effect-directed analysis, exploiting nine different planar assays. Several separated compounds of the plant extracts showed antioxidant, α-glucosidase, α-amylase, acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase-inhibiting, Gram-positive/-negative antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and genotoxic activities. A prominent apolar bioactive compound zone was tentatively assigned to fatty acids, in particular linolenic acid, via electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry. The detected antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anticholinesterase, cytotoxic, and genotoxic potentials of these vegetable plants, in particular C. rubens, S. biafrae, and S. macrocarpon, may validate some of their ethnomedicinal uses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Discovery of New Functional Foods with Bioactive Compounds)

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16 pages, 10244 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Oxidation of Cathepsin D by Hydroxy Radical: Its Effect on Enzyme Structure and Activity against Myofibrillar Proteins Extracted from Coregonus peled

by Mengjie Ma, Pingping Liu, Chaoye Wang, Xiaorong Deng, Lianfu Zhang and Jian Zhang

Molecules 2023, 28(13), 5117; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28135117 - 29 Jun 2023

Viewed by 735

Abstract

In this study, cathepsin D was oxidized in vitro with different concentrations of H₂O₂, and the activity, structure, and extent of myofibrillar protein degradation by oxidized cathepsin D were evaluated. The sulfhydryl content of cathepsin D decreased to 9.20% after oxidation, while the carbonyl content increased to 100.06%. The β-sheet in the secondary structure altered due to oxidation as well. The changes in the intrinsic fluorescence and UV absorption spectra indicated that oxidation could cause swelling and aggregation of cathepsin D molecules. The structure of cathepsin D could change its activity, and the activity was highest under 1 mM H₂O₂. Cathepsin D could degrade myofibrillar proteins in different treatment groups, and the degree of degradation is various. Therefore, this study could provide a scientific basis for the mechanism of interaction among hydroxyl radical oxidation, cathepsin D, and MP degradation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Discovery of New Functional Foods with Bioactive Compounds)

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19 pages, 3960 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum NKK20 Alleviates High-Fat-Diet-Induced Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Mice through Regulating Bile Acid Anabolism

by Chang Sun, Chenguang Qiu, Yanyan Zhang, Man Yan, Jiajun Tan, Jiayuan He, Dakai Yang, Dongxu Wang and Liang Wu

Molecules 2023, 28(10), 4042; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28104042 - 12 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1585

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent chronic disease in modern society. It is characterized by an accumulation of lipids in the liver and an excessive inflammatory response. Clinical trials have provided evidence that probiotics may prevent the onset and relapse of NAFLD. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum NKK20 strain (NKK20) on high-fat-diet-induced NAFLD in an ICR murine model and propose the underlying mechanism whereby NKK20 protects against NAFLD. The results showed that the administration of NKK20 ameliorated hepatocyte fatty degeneration, reduced total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, and alleviated inflammatory reactions in NAFLD mice. In addition, the 16S rRNA sequencing results indicated that NKK20 could decrease the abundance of Pseudomonas and Turicibacter and increase the abundance of Akkermansia in NAFLD mice. LC-MS/MS analysis showed that NKK20 could significantly increase the concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the colon contents of mice. The obtained non-targeted metabolomics results revealed a significant difference between the metabolites in the colon contents of the NKK20 administration group and those in the high-fat diet group, in which a total of 11 different metabolites that were significantly affected by NKK20 were observed, and these metabolites were mainly involved in bile acid anabolism. UPLC-MS technical analysis revealed that NKK20 could change the concentrations of six conjugated and free bile acids in mouse liver. After being treated with NKK20, the concentrations of cholic acid, glycinocholic acid, and glycinodeoxycholic acid in livers of the NAFLD mice were significantly decreased, while the concentration of aminodeoxycholic acid was significantly increased. Thus, our findings indicate that NKK20 can regulate bile acid anabolism and promote the production of SCFA, which can inhibit inflammation and liver damage and thus prevent the development of NAFLD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Discovery of New Functional Foods with Bioactive Compounds)

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23 pages, 3653 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Citrates and EDTA on Oxidation and Decarboxylation of Betacyanins in Red Beet (Beta vulgaris L.) Betalain-Rich Extract

by Katarzyna Sutor-Świeży, Justyna Proszek, Łukasz Popenda and Sławomir Wybraniec

Molecules 2022, 27(24), 9054; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27249054 - 19 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1555

Abstract

The influence of stabilizing activity of citric buffers on betacyanins, as well as their thermal dehydrogenation and decarboxylation in a beetroot betalain-rich extract (BRE), was studied at pH 3–8 and temperature 30, 50 and 85 °C with an additional effect of EDTA. In acetate/phosphate buffers, the highest stability is observed at pH 5 and it decreases toward pH 3 as well as pH 8, which is more remarkable at 85 °C. For the citrates, a contradictory effect was observed. Citric buffers tend to stabilize the substrate pigments and their intermediary products in acidic solutions, although increase their reactivity at pH 6–8. The highest impact of EDTA addition on pigment retention in acetate buffers is observed at 85 °C and pH 3–5 as well as 8, reflecting the preserving activity of EDTA at the most unfavorable conditions. At lower temperatures, pigment stability in more acidic conditions is still at higher levels even without addition of citrates or EDTA. The most striking effect on generation of betanin derivatives during heating is 2-decarboxylation which preferentially proceeds in the most acidic environment and this generation rate at 85 °C is much higher in the citrate buffers compared to acetates. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Discovery of New Functional Foods with Bioactive Compounds)

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15 pages, 691 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Controlling of Mycobacterium by Natural Degradant-Combination Models for Sequestering Mycolic Acids in Karish Cheese

by Gamal Hamad, Marwa A. Saad, Dalia Talat, Sabria Hassan, Ola M. A. K. Shalabi, Abeer M. Salama, Sarah Abou-Alella, Tuba Esatbeyoglu and Taha Mehany

Molecules 2022, 27(24), 8946; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27248946 - 15 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1974

Abstract

Degradation of the mycobacterial complex containing mycolic acids (MAs) by natural bioactive compounds is essential for producing safe and value-added foods with therapeutic activities. This study aimed to determine the degradation efficiency of natural organic acid extracts (i.e., citric, malic, tartaric, and lactic), quadri-mix extract from fruits and probiotics (i.e., lemon, apple, grape, and cell-free supernatant of Lactobacillus acidophilus), and synthetic pure organic acids (i.e., citric, malic, tartaric, and lactic), against MA in vitro in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) and Karish cheese models. The degradation effect was evaluated both individually and in combinations at different concentrations of degradants (1, 1.5, and 2%) and at various time intervals (0, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h). The results show that MA degradation percentage recorded its highest value at 2% of mixed fruit extract quadri-mix with L. acidophilus and reached 99.2% after 48 h both in PBS and Karish cheese, unlike other treatments (i.e., citric + malic + tartaric + lactic), individual acids, and sole extracts at all concentrations. Conversely, organic acid quadri-mix revealed the greatest MA degradation% of 95.9, 96.8, and 97.3% at 1, 1.5, and 2%, respectively, after 48 h. Citric acid was more effective in MA degradation than other acids. The fruit extract quadri-mix combined with L. acidophilus-fortified Karish cheese showed the highest sensorial characteristics; hence, it can be considered a novel food-grade degradant for MA and could be a promising biocontrol candidate against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in food matrices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Discovery of New Functional Foods with Bioactive Compounds)

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Review

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24 pages, 365 KiB

Open AccessReview

Methods of the Dehydration Process and Its Effect on the Physicochemical Properties of Stingless Bee Honey: A Review

by Liyana Nabihah Ikhsan, Kok-Yong Chin and Fairus Ahmad

Molecules 2022, 27(21), 7243; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27217243 - 25 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2279

Abstract

Stingless bee honey (SLBH) has a high moisture content, making it more prone to fermentation and leading to honey spoilage. Dehydration of SLBH after harvest is needed to reduce the moisture content. This review compiles the available data on the dehydration methods for SLBH and their effect on its physicochemical properties. This review discovered the dehydration process of vacuum drying at 60 °C and 5% moisture setting, freeze-drying at −54 °C and 5% moisture setting for 24 h, and using a food dehydrator at 55 °C for 18 h could extract >80% water content in SLBH. As a result, these methods could decrease moisture content to <17% and water activity to <0.6. These will prevent the fermentation process and microorganism growth. The hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) contents remain within the permissible standard of <40 mg/kg. The total phenolic content increased after dehydration by these methods. Therefore, dehydration of SLBH is recommended to increase its benefits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Discovery of New Functional Foods with Bioactive Compounds)

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