Emerging Trends in Sustainable Processing and Technology of Plant-Derived Foods

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 2018

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Vicosa, Brazil
Interests: food processing and engineering; food preservation; food quality; food safety; food microbiology; food science and technology

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Vicosa 36570-900, Brazil
Interests: grain storage; insect control; grain quality; non-thermal treatments; ozonation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The world population’s demand for food is growing. Obtaining food in adequate quantity and quality is fundamental to meet the worldwide demand. Thus, research related to new technologies of plant-derived foods is extremely relevant. Another factor that should be considered is the viability and sustainability of these new technologies. This Special Issue will present the latest results of investigations and findings related to emerging technologies in the sustainable processing and technology of plant-derived foods. Topics of interest include the following:

  • non-thermal methods of processing plant-derived foods;
  • preparation of fermented and non-fermented beverages;
  • new trends for packaging fruits and vegetables;
  • economic analysis and sustainability of new technologies of plant-derived foods.

Other topics related to the new processing technologies of plant-derived foods will be considered for publication.

Prof. Dr. Ernandes Rodrigues De Alencar
Dr. Leda R A Faroni
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. Plants 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 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

  • new technologies
  • conservation methods
  • processing
  • sustainability

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2328 KiB  
Article
The First Records of the In Silico Antiviral and Antibacterial Actions of Molecules Detected in Extracts of Algerian Fir (Abies numidica De Lannoy) Using LC-MS/MS Analysis
by Djamila Benouchenne, Ines Bellil, Samira Bendjedid, Ana Ramos, Gema Nieto, Salah Akkal and Douadi Khelifi
Plants 2024, 13(9), 1246; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13091246 - 30 Apr 2024
Viewed by 517
Abstract
(1) Background: Due to the wide application in medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry of flavonoid molecules, which are one of the most famous types of secondary plant metabolites, our work has come within the framework of bio-consulting to help in the identification of the [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Due to the wide application in medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry of flavonoid molecules, which are one of the most famous types of secondary plant metabolites, our work has come within the framework of bio-consulting to help in the identification of the molecule(s) responsible for the antibacterial effect which will be the active principle of a natural antibiotic developed from Algerian fir using bioinformatics tools. (2) Methods: The docking method was used to test the antiviral activity on SARS-CoV-2 virus and the antibacterial activity on Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli of 12 polyphenolic molecules present in the ethyl acetate and n-butanol extracts of Numidian fir leaves, and identify the molecules responsible for these specific biological activities. (3) Results: The findings revealed that it is possible that two molecules, hyperoside and quercitrin, have a high capacity to inhibit SARS-CoV-2, and it is important to mention that they are the most quantitatively abundant molecules in the extract. The molecule luteolin-7-glucoside is probably responsible for the antibacterial activity in the extract against Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli, and the molecule hesperidin is responsible for the antibacterial activity in the extract against Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus. Full article
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16 pages, 2156 KiB  
Article
Influence of the Drying Process on the Volatile Profile of Different Capsicum Species
by Cosimo Taiti, Diego Comparini, Lavinia Moscovini, Simona Violino, Corrado Costa and Stefano Mancuso
Plants 2024, 13(8), 1131; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13081131 - 18 Apr 2024
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Abstract
Chili is a globally significant spice used fresh or dried for culinary, condiment, and medicinal purposes. Growing concerns about food safety have increased the demand for high-quality products and non-invasive tools for quality control like origin tracing and safety assurance. Volatile analysis offers [...] Read more.
Chili is a globally significant spice used fresh or dried for culinary, condiment, and medicinal purposes. Growing concerns about food safety have increased the demand for high-quality products and non-invasive tools for quality control like origin tracing and safety assurance. Volatile analysis offers a rapid, comprehensive, and safe method for characterizing various food products. Thus, this study aims to assess the impact of the drying process on the aromatic composition of various Capsicum species and to identify key compounds driving the aromatic complexity of each genetic makeup. To accomplish these objectives, the aroma was examined in fruits collected from 19 different pepper accessions (Capsicum sp.) belonging to four species: one ancestral (C. chacoense) and three domesticated pepper species (C. annuum, C. baccatum and C. chinense). Fresh and dried samples were analyzed using a headspace PTR-TOF-MS platform. Our findings reveal significant changes in the composition and concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from fresh to dried Capsicum. Notably, chili peppers of the species C. chinense consistently exhibited higher emission intensity and a more complex aroma compared to other species (both fresh and dried). Overall, the data clearly demonstrate that the drying process generally leads to a reduction in the intensity and complexity of the aromatic compounds emitted. Specifically, fresh peppers showed higher volatile organic compounds content compared to dried ones, except for the two sweet peppers studied, which exhibited the opposite behavior. Our analysis underscores the variability in the effect of drying on volatile compound composition among different pepper species and even among different cultivars, highlighting key compounds that could facilitate species classification in dried powder. This research serves as a preliminary guide for promoting the utilization of various pepper species and cultivars as powder, enhancing product valorization. Full article
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14 pages, 2004 KiB  
Article
Response Surface Methodology for Optimization of Ultrasound-Assisted Antioxidants Extraction from Blackberry, Chokeberry and Raspberry Pomaces
by Iga Piasecka, Rita Brzezińska, Stanisław Kalisz, Artur Wiktor and Agata Górska
Plants 2024, 13(8), 1120; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13081120 - 17 Apr 2024
Viewed by 476
Abstract
An investigation of the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of polyphenol-rich aqueous extracts from blackberry, chokeberry and raspberry pomaces was carried out. The aim of the study was to choose optimal conditions for UAE in order to obtain extracts rich in phenolic compounds. The optimization [...] Read more.
An investigation of the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of polyphenol-rich aqueous extracts from blackberry, chokeberry and raspberry pomaces was carried out. The aim of the study was to choose optimal conditions for UAE in order to obtain extracts rich in phenolic compounds. The optimization was carried out based on response surface methodology. The variable conditions were amplitude of ultrasound wave and extraction time, whereas responses were total polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity. Based on the ANOVA analysis, mathematical models were fitted and verified. The most effective conditions of amplitude and time were 98% and 5.00 min, 78% and 10.32 min and 90% and 11.56 min for blackberry pomace, chokeberry pomace and raspberry pomace, respectively. The actual results obtained in optimized conditions were comparable to the results predicted by the models. Additionally, the anthocyanin content in extracts was determined in the high-performance liquid chromatography assay. It was proven that response surface methodology could be a useful tool in the optimization of UAE processes for obtaining polyphenol-rich extracts from berry fruit pomaces. Full article
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