Plant-Derived Bioactive Compounds: Emerging Components for Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods, and Novel Foods".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2026) | Viewed by 1196

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Group on Biochemistry and Toxicology of Bioactive Compounds (GBTOXBIO), Universidade Federal do Pampa, Campus Uruguaiana, Bagé, RS, Brazil
Interests: food chemistry; biochemistry; bioactive compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmaceutical and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Pampa, Uruguaiana Campus, Bagé 97501-970, RS, Brazil
Interests: food chemistry; bioactive compounds; digestion and bioavailability of phenolic compounds; functional foods

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli Federico II, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, Italy
Interests: food chemistry; safety; food safety; food supplements and functional foods; nutraceuticals; sustainability; novel foods; nano-nutraceuticals; recovery from byproducts of the agri-food area; formulation and assessing of novel nutraceuticals; food contaminants; contaminants; risk assessment; mycotoxins and secondary metabolites; chemistry and food education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant-derived bioactive compounds have received significant attention in recent years for their potential to improve human health and prevent chronic diseases. These compounds, including polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, dietary fiber, alkaloids, and terpenoids, exhibit diverse biological activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties. Their incorporation into nutraceuticals and functional foods offers a promising strategy to bridging the gap between nutrition and medicine, meeting the growing demand for natural, sustainable, and health-promoting products.

This Special Issue invites submissions of original research and review articles that advance our understanding of plant-derived bioactive compounds as key ingredients in nutraceuticals and functional foods. We welcome studies focused on the discovery, characterization, and application of bioactive molecules, as well as research exploring their mechanisms of action, bioavailability, and stability in food systems. Contributions may also address innovative processing techniques, sustainable methods, encapsulation methods, and formulation strategies to enhance the functionality and delivery of these compounds. Additionally, studies related to the toxicological safety of bioactive compounds with nutraceutical potential will be considered. Submissions should emphasize the practical application of these components in developing effective, safe, and market-ready nutraceutical and functional food products.

By showcasing cutting-edge research, this Special Issue aims to highlight the potential of plant-derived bioactive compounds to shape the future of nutrition and health. We encourage researchers to submit their original findings to contribute to this dynamic and impactful field.

Prof. Dr. Cristiane Casagrande Denardin
Dr. Caroline Sefrin Speroni
Prof. Dr. Antonello Santini
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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

  • plant-derived bioactive compounds
  • novel bioactive molecules
  • nutraceuticals
  • functional foods
  • sustainable health products
  • chronic disease prevention
  • antioxidants
  • digestion and bioavailability
  • toxicological safety
  • new products development

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Review

25 pages, 1807 KB  
Review
Unveiling the Antihyperglycemic Potential of Arctium lappa L. (Asteraceae): Traditional Application, Phytochemistry, and Molecular Insights
by Amangul A. Uzbekova, Kaldanay K. Kozhanova, Gulnara Kadyrbayeva, Bayan I. Tursubekova, Meruyert Amantayeva, Moldir A. Zhandabayeva, Meruyert I. Tleubayeva and Ahmet Beyatli
Foods 2026, 15(4), 794; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15040794 - 23 Feb 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 738
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease requiring multifunctional natural agents. Arctium lappa is traditionally used in Eastern and European medicine to address metabolic disorders. This comprehensive narrative review, conducted between 2000 and 2025 using international databases (Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, [...] Read more.
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease requiring multifunctional natural agents. Arctium lappa is traditionally used in Eastern and European medicine to address metabolic disorders. This comprehensive narrative review, conducted between 2000 and 2025 using international databases (Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, and Google Scholar), evaluates the species through its ethnomedicine, phytochemistry, preclinical evidence, and safety. The available evidence suggests that A. lappa exerts antidiabetic effects via multi-layered mechanisms, including AMPK activation, insulin signaling modulation, and increased GLUT4 translocation. Key bioactives (arctigenin, arctiin, and inulin) collectively improve insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism. However, preclinical studies confirm these effects in animal models, while limited clinical data in non-diabetic cohorts focus on systemic inflammation. This highlights a significant gap in randomized controlled trials targeting glycemic control in diabetic populations. In this context, while A. lappa shows promise as a potential metabolic regulator; this evidence is currently derived primarily from in vitro and animal models. Systematic clinical trials are urgently required to establish glycemic efficacy in humans, validate its therapeutic potential, and determine the optimal dosage and safety profile. This review evaluates the multi-targeted biological potential of A. lappa to guide future research and evidence-based application. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop