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Foods
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Food Bioactive Compounds: Extraction, Identification and Application
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Food Bioactive Compounds: Extraction, Identification and Application

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: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 4806

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Yingjian Lu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing 210023, China
Interests: bioactive compounds; omics; Identification; biosynthesis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Foods are complicated materials, which contain nutrient substances as well as functional/bioactive compounds, for instance, flavones, pigments, polyphenol, polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, antioxidants, enzymes, and so on. Furthermore, foods will produce more bioactive compounds during digestion; one of the most typical bioactive gastrointestinal products is the bioactive peptides. All these bioactive compounds have critical roles in human healthy even some diseases. Therefore, efficient discovery of such functional/bioactive compounds becomes significant, especially high-throughput discovery or screening. Because of the rapid development of Information Science and Technology and omics (genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, flavor omics, etc.), high-throughput techniques and virtual/in silico prediction technology are greatly promoting the efficient discovery and innovation of bioactive compounds in foods. Accordingly, this Special Issue will focus on the new techniques of screening, prediction, and design of bioactive compounds in foods, including high-throughput methods, virtual/in silico strategies, etc., as well as novel techniques in the assay of the bioactivities in silico, in vitro, or in vivo and the illustration of molecular mechanisms.

Prof. Dr. Yingjian Lu
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.

Keywords

  • bioactive compounds
  • virtual screening
  • high-throughput
  • assay techniques of bioactivities
  • molecular mechanism
  • omics in foods

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 3656 KiB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of Polyphenolic Acids from Various Zea mays Parts in Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction
by David Řepka and Lubomír Lapčík
Foods 2025, 14(9), 1458; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14091458 - 23 Apr 2025
Abstract
In this study, we compared different parameters in the ultrasound-assisted extraction of polyphenolic acids from seven parts of Zea mays (kernels, leaves, stems, corn silks, roots, the whole plant, and the whole fermented plant) to identify its richest natural sources. Additionally, the correlation [...] Read more.
In this study, we compared different parameters in the ultrasound-assisted extraction of polyphenolic acids from seven parts of Zea mays (kernels, leaves, stems, corn silks, roots, the whole plant, and the whole fermented plant) to identify its richest natural sources. Additionally, the correlation between extraction parameters and polyphenol yield was investigated. The extraction was performed using ultrasound at varying powers (480 or 240 W) and frequencies (80 or 37 kHz). Total phenolic content (TPC) was determined using the Folin–Ciocalteu assay, while radical scavenging activity (RSA) was assessed via the DPPH assay. The TPC values ranged from 0.69 ± 0.00008 mg GAE/g to 4.07 ± 0.0004 mg GAE/g in corn. RSA analysis revealed the highest scavenging activity in corn silk (80.06% ± 1.01) and the lowest in kernels (2.77% ± 0.90). High-performance liquid chromatography identified up to 22 different phenolic acids per sample, with the 5 most abundant being chlorogenic acid, protocatechuic acid ethyl ester, quercetin, sinapic acid, and trans-cinnamic acid. The study found small effects of power and frequency on the extraction efficiency. This suggests a practical advantage for industrial-scale applications, as using 240 W instead of 480 W under the same conditions can reduce energy consumption without compromising yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Bioactive Compounds: Extraction, Identification and Application)
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19 pages, 8065 KiB  
Article
Effects of Lutjanus erythropterus Protein on Depression-like Behavior and Gut Microbiota in Stressed Juvenile Mice
by Jinjin Luo, Chen Wang, Weichang Ye, Ruiyang He, Ling Huang, Zhijia Fang, Qi Deng, Mei Qiu, Lijun Sun and Ravi Gooneratne
Foods 2025, 14(2), 330; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14020330 - 20 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1128
Abstract
Lutjanus erythropterus protein (Lep) exhibits anti-inflammatory effects, but its antidepressant activity is unknown. This study used a 44-day chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model to determine whether Lep has a beneficial effect through the gut–brain axis in 3-week-old male C57BL/6 mice. Gavaging with Lep [...] Read more.
Lutjanus erythropterus protein (Lep) exhibits anti-inflammatory effects, but its antidepressant activity is unknown. This study used a 44-day chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model to determine whether Lep has a beneficial effect through the gut–brain axis in 3-week-old male C57BL/6 mice. Gavaging with Lep solution alleviated the depression-like behavior and anxiety symptoms in CUMS growing mice. Administration of Lep decreased serum IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, and TNF-α levels and restored colonic mucosal damage. In addition, Lep improved the disturbance of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) secretion in the gut–brain axis. Pearson analysis revealed that gut short-chain fatty acid (SCFAs) concentration significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with mucosal damage scores and the depression-like behavior index. Lep was able to prevent the gut SCFA enrichment. Lep upregulated gut Muribaculaceae and downregulated SCFA-producing bacteria by replenishing deficient amino acid (AA) (tryptophan, alanine, aspartate, glutamate) and decreased (p < 0.01) the gene abundance of the AA metabolism pathway of SCFA-producing bacteria, thereby preventing gut SCFA enrichment and alleviating associated depression-like behavior. These findings indicate that Lep could attenuate depression in CUMS juvenile mice via the gut microbiota-SCFA–brain axis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Bioactive Compounds: Extraction, Identification and Application)
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Review

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29 pages, 5551 KiB  
Review
Advances in Grape Seed Oil Extraction Techniques and Their Applications in Food Products: A Comprehensive Review and Bibliometric Analysis
by Jaime Laqui-Estaña, Elías Obreque-Slier, Nidia García-Nauto and Erick Saldaña
Foods 2024, 13(22), 3561; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13223561 - 7 Nov 2024
Viewed by 3229
Abstract
Global wine production has grown, resulting in an increase in waste within the industry. This has raised concerns among producers and scientists worldwide, prompting them to seek solutions for its management. The aim is to explore the latest advancements in using grape seed [...] Read more.
Global wine production has grown, resulting in an increase in waste within the industry. This has raised concerns among producers and scientists worldwide, prompting them to seek solutions for its management. The aim is to explore the latest advancements in using grape seed oil as a byproduct and its applications within the food industry. To achieve this, a bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Scopus database covering the period from 1990 to 2023. Additionally, a comprehensive literature review was conducted on extraction techniques, compositions, properties, and innovative applications in food. A bibliometric analysis revealed that interest in grape seed oil has grown over the past fifteen years. The majority of research on this grape byproduct is concentrated in Asian countries. Grape seed oil is a rich source of lipophilic compounds, including fatty acids, phytosterols, and vitamin E, which provide antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The literature indicates that only oil obtained through pressing is used in food products, such as meat products, dairy drinks, and chocolates, either directly or in emulsions. These findings suggest that further research and innovation are needed to explore how this waste can be used in new food sources, particularly in countries with high wine production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Bioactive Compounds: Extraction, Identification and Application)
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