Application of Plant Extracts in the Food Industry

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 1788

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Food Science, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Mănăştur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: food science; plant bioactive compounds; functional food; hops; beer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Food Science, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Mănăştur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: food science; waste exploitation, extraction, and analysis of bioactive compounds; development of new functional products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant extracts are recognized as natural sources of antioxidants, and their application in the food industry increases the shelf life of the products by preventing undesirable changes in nutritional and sensory properties. Exploiting the diversity and functionality of plant biomolecules has received significant interest in recent years and could create opportunities to design new products that meet the consumer’s demands.

This Special Issue of Plants will highlight the function of plant constituents as alternatives to synthetic preservatives, along with techniques to facilitate the implementation of their application in the food industry for increasing safety and food quality. Moreover, the effect of advanced processing technologies on protecting the level of bioactive compounds in food products and increasing bio-accessibility will be discussed.

Dr. Liana C. Salanță
Dr. Anca Farcas
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • biomolecules
  • extraction techniques
  • plant-based fortification
  • functional food and beverages
  • valorization strategy
  • circular economy
  • innovative technologies

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 3110 KiB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of Microbial Diversity and Metabolic Profiles during the Spontaneous Fermentation of Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) Juice
by Tiandi Zhu, Zhongwang Li, Xinxing Liu, Chen Chen and Yuwen Mu
Plants 2024, 13(19), 2782; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13192782 - 4 Oct 2024
Viewed by 548
Abstract
Jerusalem artichoke juice is valued for its nutritional content and health benefits. Spontaneous fermentation enhances its flavor, quality, and functional components through microbial metabolic activities. This study used high-throughput sequencing to analyze microbial community changes, and LC–MS and GC–MS to detect secondary metabolites [...] Read more.
Jerusalem artichoke juice is valued for its nutritional content and health benefits. Spontaneous fermentation enhances its flavor, quality, and functional components through microbial metabolic activities. This study used high-throughput sequencing to analyze microbial community changes, and LC–MS and GC–MS to detect secondary metabolites and flavor compounds during fermentation. During natural fermentation, beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus and Pediococcus increased, promoting lactic acid production and inhibiting harmful bacteria, while environmental bacteria decreased. Similarly, fungi shifted from environmental types like Geosmithia and Alternaria to fermentation-associated Pichia and Penicillium. A total of 1666 secondary metabolites were identified, with 595 upregulated and 497 downregulated. Key metabolic pathways included phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, with significant increases in phenylalanine, tryptophan, and related metabolites. Lipid and nucleotide metabolism also showed significant changes. Flavor compounds, including 134 identified alcohols, esters, acids, and ketones, mostly increased in content after fermentation. Notable increases were seen in Phenylethyl Alcohol, Ethyl Benzenepropanoate, 3-Methylbutyl Butanoate, Ethyl 4-Methylpentanoate, 5-Ethyl-3-Hydroxy-4-Methyl-2(5H)-Furanone, Ethyl Decanoate, Hexanoic Acid, and 1-Octanol. γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and other functional components enhanced the health value of the juice. This study provides insights into microbial and metabolic changes during fermentation, aiding in optimizing processes and improving the quality of fermented Jerusalem artichoke juice for functional food development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Plant Extracts in the Food Industry)
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11 pages, 2245 KiB  
Article
Chemical Composition and Nutritional Value of Flowers and Fruits of Cytisus striatus (Hill) Rothm
by Débora Caramelo, Inês Pitacas, Cláudia Vitória, Joana Gonçalves, Jorge Gominho, Eugenia Gallardo and Ofélia Anjos
Plants 2024, 13(15), 2121; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13152121 - 31 Jul 2024
Viewed by 663
Abstract
In ancient times, the shoots of certain species within the Cytisus genus were used as animal feed. Cytisus striatus is a plentiful and widespread shrub that has long been utilized as a soil fertilizer in the Iberian Peninsula. The flowers of this shrub [...] Read more.
In ancient times, the shoots of certain species within the Cytisus genus were used as animal feed. Cytisus striatus is a plentiful and widespread shrub that has long been utilized as a soil fertilizer in the Iberian Peninsula. The flowers of this shrub have traditionally been employed for medicinal purposes. However, the nutritional value of yellow broom flowers and fruits remains largely unexplored. In this study, flowers and fruit of C. striatus (Cytisus striatus) were collected from natural shrubs at three different locations in Portugal during the same year. An analytical assessment of their macro and micronutrient content was conducted. Regarding nutritional composition, flowers and fruits exhibited a fibre content of 18% and 42%, protein content of 21% and 12%, lipid content of 2% and 1%, carbohydrate content of 43% and 14%, and ash content of 4% and 3%, respectively. Potassium was the most abundant mineral, with concentrations of approximately 20,094 mg/kg in the flowers and 11,746 mg/kg in the fruits, followed by calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. Compared to some edible flowers and fruits, these plant parts of C. striatus showed macro and micronutrient values similar to species such as lavender, lupins, and cowpea pod husks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Plant Extracts in the Food Industry)
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