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Dear Colleagues,

The purpose of this Special Issue is to provide an up-to-date overview of the current research on food bioactive compounds, their biological activities, and the techniques for their isolation and identification. Bioactive substances can be found in food of plant and animal origin, and their biological activity can be relevant for the impact of diet on human health. Moreover, advances in isolation and identification techniques could represent an important aspect related to the ever-growing nutraceutical and supplement market. Attention will also be given to the retrieval of bioactive substances from byproducts of food production, in the best interest of reducing waste and optimizing the green economy process.
Contributions to this Special Issue may cover all research aspects related to food bioactive molecules and the characterization of their biological activity, including methods for their extraction, purification, comprehensive profiling characterization, and quantification. The elucidation of their mechanisms of action, with a focus on improved methods for assessing bioactive components and their bioaccessibility, is of interest. Advances in analytical approaches, -omics sciences, and biotechnology will also be covered.

Dr. Luca Santi
Dr. Laura Dugo
Dr. Francesca Rigano
Guest Editors

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (1 paper)

Research

16 pages, 3073 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chemical Composition of Hazelnut Skin Food Waste and Protective Role against Advanced Glycation End-Products (AGEs) Damage in THP-1-Derived Macrophages

by Ludovica Spagnuolo, Susanna Della Posta, Chiara Fanali, Laura Dugo and Laura De Gara

Molecules 2023, 28(6), 2680; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28062680 - 16 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1796

Abstract

Glycation and the accumulation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are known to occur during aging, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. Increased glucose or methylglyoxal (MGO) levels in the blood of diabetic patients result in increased AGEs. A diet rich in bioactive food compounds, like polyphenols, has a protective effect. The aim of this work is to evaluate the capacity of hazelnut skin polyphenolic extract to protect THP-1-macrophages from damage induced by AGEs. The main polyphenolic subclass was identified and quantified by means of HPLC/MS and the Folin–Ciocalteu method. AGEs derived from incubation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and MGO were characterized by fluorescence. Cell viability measurement was performed to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of the polyphenolic extract in macrophages. Reactive oxygen species’ (ROS) production was assessed by the H2-DCF-DA assay, the inflammatory response by real-time PCR for gene expression, and the ELISA assay for protein quantification. We have shown that the polyphenolic extract protected cell viability from damage induced by AGEs. After treatment with AGEs, macrophages expressed high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and ROS, whereas in co-treatment with polyphenol extract there was a reduction in either case. Our study suggests that hazelnut skin polyphenol-rich extracts have positive effects and could be further investigated for nutraceutical applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Isolation, Identification and Bioactivity of Food-Derived Compounds, 2nd Edition)

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