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Foods
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Insights on Food Processing: Applications of Natural Biologically Active Ingredients
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Insights on Food Processing: Applications of Natural Biologically Active Ingredients

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 July 2023) | Viewed by 12232

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Maria João Barroca

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Polytechnic of Coimbra, Coimbra Agriculture School, Coimbra, Portugal
2. Molecular Physical Chemistry R&D Unit, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: in vitro bioaccessibility; evaluation of the biological activity of maritime and halophytes plant extracts; the drying of plants and their impact on the nutritional and bioactive compounds; valorization of dried plants as ingredients in the development of functional foods; healthy foods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Aida Moreira da Silva

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Polytechnic of Coimbra, Coimbra Agriculture School, Coimbra, Portugal
2. Molecular Physical Chemistry R&D Unit, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: cyclodextrins inclusion compounds; functional food systems; novel maritime plants and halophytes; vibrational spectroscopy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Food processing includes a variety of operations by which raw foodstuffs are made suitable for consumption or storage. Globally, food processing and food formulation have provided millions of consumers access to nutritious, safe, and affordable foods, but they often include the addition of ingredients to improve quality, acceptability, and palatability; enhance nutrition; and extend shelf-life. Consumer preferences are driven by taste, price/value, convenience, nutrition, and sustainability.

However, the growing concern of consumers with health, sustainability, and the perception of the relationship between natural foods and well-being has led to a growing demand for foods with natural ingredients. Natural bioactive ingredients—mainly obtained from plants—include polyphenols, vitamins, and polysaccharides that are associated with anti-oxidative, anti-cancer, mediating cardiovascular and neurodegenerative activities, among others. However, these active compounds can be unstable under certain conditions of food production and have low bioavailability, which limits their application in functional foods and nutritional supplements. 

This Special Issue is a good opportunity for colleagues working in the fields of agronomy, food technology, biochemistry, nutrition, and sensory evaluation to submit high-quality manuscripts related to:

  • New sources of biologically valuable raw material;
  • New food processing methods based on natural biologically active ingredients;
  • Innovative food technologies to preserve the biological activities of the ingredients;
  • The impact of natural biologically active ingredients on the nutritional, physico-chemical, and sensory properties of food products;
  • The bioavailability of natural bioactive compounds in vitro and in vivo.

Dr. Maria João Barroca
Dr. Aida Moreira da Silva
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. 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

  • biologically valuable raw material sources
  • natural additives
  • biological activity
  • bioactive substances
  • physical–chemical and organoleptic characteristics of biological active ingredients
  • new technologies to obtain natural bioactive ingredients
  • new technologies to produce functional health-improving products

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 2688 KiB  
Article
The Impact of White Mulberry, Green Barley, Chia Seeds, and Spirulina on Physicochemical Characteristics, Texture, and Sensory Quality of Processed Cheeses
by Monika Garbowska, Anna Berthold-Pluta, Lidia Stasiak-Różańska, Stanisław Kalisz and Antoni Pluta
Foods 2023, 12(15), 2862; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12152862 - 27 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1268
Abstract
Processed cheeses (PC) are products resulting from the mixing and melting of rennet cheese, emulsifying salts, water, and possibly various additional ingredients. They are considered good vehicles for new ingredients, including plant-based ones. In addition to the health-promoting effects of plant-based ingredients, some [...] Read more.
Processed cheeses (PC) are products resulting from the mixing and melting of rennet cheese, emulsifying salts, water, and possibly various additional ingredients. They are considered good vehicles for new ingredients, including plant-based ones. In addition to the health-promoting effects of plant-based ingredients, some of them can also affect positively the quality characteristics of PC (e.g., texture, taste, and consistency) and their addition may reduce the amount of emulsifying salts used. The aim of the study was to determine the possibility of the addition of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0% white mulberry (M), chia (Ch), green barley (GB), or spirulina (S) to PC and the effects on selected characteristics of these products (chemical composition, pH, water activity, color parameters, texture, and sensory properties). In all PC variants, a significance decrease in the dry matter content was observed with an increase in the additive level. The use of plant-based additives allowed us to reduce the addition of emulsifying salts by 50% compared to their typical amounts and the share of rennet cheese in the PC recipe by approximately 18%, which had a beneficial effect on the nutritional value of these products. The use of 3% GB, Ch, or M as additives to PC enabled a reduction in its sodium content by 27, 27, and 42%, respectively, compared to the control cheese. Among the tested additives, GB caused the greatest increase in the hardness of PC (even at the amount of 0.5%), indicating that is beneficial and can be used in the production of sliced PC. All the additives either significantly reduced the adhesiveness of PC or had no effect on this parameter. In terms of sensory characteristics, the highest acceptable addition of GB was 0.5%, and that for S and Ch was 1%, while the addition of M, even at 3%, was assessed very positively. The results of this research may be helpful in the development of new recipes for processed cheeses obtained in industrial conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insights on Food Processing: Applications of Natural Biologically Active Ingredients)
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20 pages, 736 KiB  
Article
Ultrasound- and Microwave-Assisted Extraction of Pectin from Apple Pomace and Its Effect on the Quality of Fruit Bars
by Angela Gurev, Tatiana Cesko, Veronica Dragancea, Aliona Ghendov-Mosanu, Adela Pintea and Rodica Sturza
Foods 2023, 12(14), 2773; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12142773 - 21 Jul 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2035
Abstract
The article investigates the process of pectin extraction using ultrasonic and microwave techniques from apple pomace generated during juice production in the context of circular bioeconomy. The extraction yield, equivalent mass, content of methoxyl groups, content of anhydrogalacturonic acid, and degree of esterification [...] Read more.
The article investigates the process of pectin extraction using ultrasonic and microwave techniques from apple pomace generated during juice production in the context of circular bioeconomy. The extraction yield, equivalent mass, content of methoxyl groups, content of anhydrogalacturonic acid, and degree of esterification of pectin were investigated. These indicators varied depending on the parameters and extraction method. The resulting pectin displayed a co-extracted total polyphenol content (TPC) ranging from 2.16 to 13.05 mg GAE/g DW and a DPPH radical inhibition capacity of 4.32–18.86 μmol TE/g. It was found that the antioxidant activity of raw pectin is correlated with TPC and with the content of terminal groups released during the polysaccharide degradation process. The extracted pectin was used as a binding and coating agent for dried fruit bars. Evaluation of water activity (aw), TPC and total flavonoid content (TFC), together with sensory and microbiological analyses of the fruit bars over a period of 360 days, revealed a protective effect of pectin: reducing moisture loss, minimizing the degradation of bioactive compounds during storage, and maintaining the potential antioxidant activity of the product. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insights on Food Processing: Applications of Natural Biologically Active Ingredients)
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Review

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25 pages, 2915 KiB  
Review
UV-C Light: A Promising Preservation Technology for Vegetable-Based Nonsolid Food Products
by Rose Daphnee Tchonkouang, Alexandre R. Lima, Andreia C. Quintino, Nathana L. Cristofoli and Margarida C. Vieira
Foods 2023, 12(17), 3227; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12173227 - 27 Aug 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 8509
Abstract
A variety of bioactive substances present in fruit- and vegetable-processed products have health-promoting properties. The consumption of nutrient-rich plant-based products is essential to address undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. Preservation is paramount in manufacturing plant-based nonsolid foods such as juices, purees, and sauces. Thermal [...] Read more.
A variety of bioactive substances present in fruit- and vegetable-processed products have health-promoting properties. The consumption of nutrient-rich plant-based products is essential to address undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. Preservation is paramount in manufacturing plant-based nonsolid foods such as juices, purees, and sauces. Thermal processing has been widely used to preserve fruit- and vegetable-based products by reducing enzymatic and microbial activities, thereby ensuring safety and prolonged shelf life. However, the nutritional value of products is compromised due to the deleterious effects of thermal treatments on essential nutrients and bioactive compounds. To prevent the loss of nutrients associated with thermal treatment, alternative technologies are being researched extensively. In studies conducted on nonsolid food, UV-C treatment has been proven to preserve quality and minimize nutrient degradation. This review compiles information on the use of UV-C technology in preserving the nutritional attributes of nonsolid foods derived from fruit and vegetables. The legislation, market potential, consumer acceptance, and limitations of UV-C are reviewed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insights on Food Processing: Applications of Natural Biologically Active Ingredients)
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