Innovative Natural Functional Ingredients from Byproducts in the Food Industry

Dear Colleagues,

Foods will be publishing a Special Issue titled "Innovative Natural Functional Ingredients from Byproducts in the Food Industry". A substantial amount of byproducts is generated during food processing, which could serve as a valuable source of various bioactive compounds. These by-products from the primary food industry hold great potential for reuse, as they are rich in natural compounds that can be transformed into high-value-added products for the food sector. Many of these materials remain underutilized and can be re-evaluated as natural sources of ingredients for food applications. Numerous studies have explored the reuse of agro-industrial waste, which provides access to pigments, antimicrobials, fibers, sugars, proteins, oils, antioxidants, vitamins, and organic acids, all at no additional cost.

For this Special Issue, the Guest Editor has gathered contributions from a group of distinguished international researchers to create a valuable resource for researchers, faculty, students, and nutrition as well as health practitioners, in addition to professionals in the food and nutraceutical industries, with a special focus on the development of functional foods in the meat, bakery, and dairy sectors. This Special Issue of Foods will enhance understanding of plant extracts, exploring various aspects, such as preservative properties and health benefits, including studies on the in vivo biological activity of bioactive compounds.

We invite investigators to contribute original research and review articles to this Special Issue, with a focus on characterizing the bioactive properties of plant extracts, addressing challenges, and highlighting achievements related to their incorporation into functional foods. Papers that examine the bioavailability and bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds, or those that explore the application of natural bioactive compounds as alternatives to synthetic additives in the development of functional foods, are especially welcome.

Dr. Gema Nieto
Guest Editor

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.

• bioactive compounds
• antioxidant activity
• antimicrobial activity
• preservatives’ properties
• byproducts as preservatives in meat products, bakery products, milk products, and beverages
• in vitro and in vivo biological activity of plant secondary metabolites
• food applications
• phenolic compounds
• vitamins
• nutrients
• fiber
• pigments

Title: Brassica oleracea L. var italica and their by-products: A comprehensive review on bioactive compounds, beneficial effects, novel extraction techniques, and food applications in bakery products
Authors: Jhazmin Quizhpe; Pablo Ayuso; María de los Ángeles Rosell; Rocío Peñalver; Gema Nieto
Affiliation: Department of Food Technology, Nutrition and Food Science, Veterinary Faculty, University of Murcia, Regional Campus of International Excellence “Campus Mare Nostrum”. Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Espinardo, Murcia, Spain
Abstract: Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) is one of the most consumed cruciferous crops in the world, with China and Spain acting as the main producers from outside and within the EU, respectively. Broccoli florets are the edible part, and the leaves and stalks are considered by-products generated due to be discarded in the field and during processing. Therefore, this study aimed to perform a comprehensive review of the nutrient and phytochemical composition, and health-promoting activities of broccoli and its by-products. In addition, the revalorization of its by-products using novel green technologies, and its potential applications in bakery products for the development of functional foods are mentioned. The studies suggested that broccoli is characterized by a high content of nutrients and bioactive compounds, including vitamins, fiber, glucosinolates, phenolic compounds, and their content varied with different parts. This high content of value-added compounds gives broccoli and its different parts beneficial properties, including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, metabolic disorder regulatory and neuroprotective effects. Furthermore, broccoli and its by-products can play an important role in food applications due to its biological activities which enhance its nutritional profile. As a result, it is essential to harness the potential of the broccoli and its by-products that are generated during its processing through an appropriate agro-industrial revalorization, using environmentally friendly techniques.