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The Role of Functional Foods, Nutraceuticals, and Food Supplements in...
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The Role of Functional Foods, Nutraceuticals, and Food Supplements in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

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 April 2026 | Viewed by 5965

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Severina Pacifico

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
Interests: food chemistry; natural products chemistry; nutraceuticals; mass spectrometry polyphenols; chemoprevention
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Simona Piccolella

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
Interests: food chemistry; natural products chemistry; nutraceuticals; mass spectrometry; specialized metabolites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to contribute to our Special Issue, “The Role of Functional Foods, Nutraceuticals, and Food Supplements in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention”.

Functional foods, nutraceuticals, and dietary supplements are at the forefront of health innovation, containing natural bioactive compounds with significant potential for disease prevention and overall well-being. Advances in chemical characterization techniques (HPLC, GC-MS, NMR, FTIR, and metabolomics) are crucial for identifying bioactive compounds, understanding their mechanisms, and optimizing bioavailability. Additionally, the sustainable recovery of bioactive compounds from agro-industrial byproducts is gaining momentum, aligning with Agenda 2030, promoting a circular economy, and reducing waste. This Special Issue aims to explore the latest breakthroughs in bioactive compound extraction, characterization, and functional validation, bridging the gap between scientific innovation, sustainability, and preventive healthcare. We welcome the submission of original research and reviews on advanced characterization, green extraction, regulatory aspects, and nutraceutical efficacy.

We look forward to your valuable contributions.

Prof. Dr. Severina Pacifico
Dr. Simona Piccolella
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

  • functional foods
  • nutraceuticals
  • bioactives
  • supplements
  • disease prevention
  • chemical characterization
  • metabolomics
  • sustainable extraction
  • bioavailability
  • agenda 2030

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 8513 KB  
Article
Linoleic Acid and Linolenic Acid May Alleviate Heart Failure Through Aquaporin (AQP1) and Gut Microbiota
by Haotian Li, Jianqin Yang, Yubo Li, Yuewei Song, Qing Miao and Yanjun Liu
Foods 2025, 14(20), 3541; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14203541 - 17 Oct 2025
Viewed by 294
Abstract
Background: Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with limited therapeutic options. Floating wheat (Fu Xiao Mai), used in traditional Chinese medicine for CHF, contains linoleic acid (LA) and α-linolenic acid (ALA) as major bioactive components, but [...] Read more.
Background: Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with limited therapeutic options. Floating wheat (Fu Xiao Mai), used in traditional Chinese medicine for CHF, contains linoleic acid (LA) and α-linolenic acid (ALA) as major bioactive components, but their therapeutic mechanisms remain unclear. Objective: this study aimed to investigate the cardioprotective effects of LA and ALA in CHF, focusing on their interactions with aquaporin-1 (AQP1) and gut microbiota. Methods: LA and ALA were identified in floating wheat via LC-MS/MS. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations assessed their binding to AQP1. In vivo studies used C57BL/6 and AQP1−/− mice with isoproterenol-induced CHF. Cardiac function was assessed through echocardiography; myocardial ultrastructure through transmission electron microscopy (TEM); inflammatory markers (TNF-α, NO, VEGF, VCAM-1) through ELISA; and gut microbiota through 16S rRNA sequencing. Results: Molecular docking revealed a strong binding affinity of LA and ALA to AQP1, with binding energies of −8.532 kcal/mol and −8.835 kcal/mol, respectively. In C57 mice, LA and ALA administration significantly improved cardiac function (p < 0.05, the high-dose group compared to the model group) while reducing myocardial edema. They also downregulated AQP1 expression and decreased levels of inflammatory markers (p < 0.05, the high-dose group compared to the model group). These functional improvements were significantly attenuated in AQP1−/− mice. However, the reduction in inflammatory markers persisted, indicating AQP1-independent anti-inflammatory effects. Furthermore, high-dose LA/ALA treatment in AQP1−/− mice markedly altered gut microbiota. Conclusion: LA and ALA alleviate CHF through an AQP1-dependent reduction in myocardial edema and AQP1-independent anti-inflammatory and gut microbiota-modulating effects. These findings highlight their potential as a multi-target therapeutic complex for CHF. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Functional Foods, Nutraceuticals, and Food Supplements in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention)
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27 pages, 4462 KB  
Article
Highland Barley Tartary Buckwheat Coarse Grain Biscuits Ameliorated High-Fat Diet-Induced Hyperlipidaemia in Mice Through Gut Microbiota Modulation and Enhanced Short-Chain Fatty Acid Secretion Mice
by Xiuqing Yang, Xiongfei Kang, Linfang Li and Shaoyu Zhang
Foods 2025, 14(12), 2079; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14122079 - 12 Jun 2025
Viewed by 1731
Abstract
Dietary modification plays a crucial role in managing and preventing hyperlipidemia. This study examined the combination of highland barley, tartary buckwheat, mung beans, Ormosia hosiei, black rice, and corn germ oil in multi-grain biscuit form. This formulation leverages the synergistic interactions among bioactive [...] Read more.
Dietary modification plays a crucial role in managing and preventing hyperlipidemia. This study examined the combination of highland barley, tartary buckwheat, mung beans, Ormosia hosiei, black rice, and corn germ oil in multi-grain biscuit form. This formulation leverages the synergistic interactions among bioactive compounds, which exert preventive and therapeutic effects against lipid disorders. C57BL/6N mice were fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks to establish a hyperlipidemia model, followed by feeding with highland barley tartary buckwheat coarse-grain biscuits for 4 weeks. The experimental outcomes revealed that the highland barley tartary buckwheat coarse-grain biscuits effectively controlled body weight and reduced fasting blood sugar levels: body weight was restored to approximately 29 g, and the fasting blood sugar level returned to the normal range of 6 mmol/L. We also observed improved organ indices and regulated blood lipids in hyperlipidemic mice. The total cholesterol of high-fat mice was reduced to 5 mmol/L and the triglyceride level to 1 mmol/L. A significant reduction in inflammatory markers and histopathological improvement in hepatic and adipose tissues were also observed. The intervention enhanced leptin and adiponectin secretion while elevating concentrations of acetic, propionic, butyric, valeric, and caproic acids. Microbiome analysis demonstrated favorable shifts in bacterial populations, characterized by increased Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia abundance and a decreased Firmicutes-to-Proteobacteria ratio, promoting beneficial genera while suppressing potentially pathogenic taxa. These findings suggest that the developed highland barley tartary buckwheat coarse-grain biscuits are a promising dietary intervention for hyperlipidemia management. The effects were potentially mediated through gut microbiota modulation and enhanced short-chain fatty acid production. This research provides novel insights into functional food development for hyperlipidemia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Functional Foods, Nutraceuticals, and Food Supplements in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention)
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Review

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30 pages, 925 KB  
Review
Review: Enhancing the Bioavailability and Stability of Anthocyanins for the Prevention and Treatment of Central Nervous System-Related Diseases
by Lan Zhang, Yan Wang, Yalong Cao, Fangxu Wang and Fang Li
Foods 2025, 14(14), 2420; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14142420 - 9 Jul 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3522
Abstract
Central nervous system diseases are highly complex in terms of etiology and pathogenesis, making their treatment and interventions for them a major focus and challenge in neuroscience research. Anthocyanins, natural water-soluble pigments widely present in plants, belong to the class of flavonoid compounds. [...] Read more.
Central nervous system diseases are highly complex in terms of etiology and pathogenesis, making their treatment and interventions for them a major focus and challenge in neuroscience research. Anthocyanins, natural water-soluble pigments widely present in plants, belong to the class of flavonoid compounds. As natural antioxidants, anthocyanins have attracted extensive attention due to their significant functions in scavenging free radicals, antioxidation, anti-inflammation, and anti-apoptosis. The application of anthocyanins in the field of central nervous system injury, particularly in neurodegenerative diseases, neurotoxicity induced by chemical drugs, stress-related nerve damage, and cerebrovascular diseases, has achieved remarkable research outcomes. However, anthocyanins often exhibit low chemical stability, a short half-life, and relatively low bioavailability, which limit their clinical application. Recent studies have found that the stability and bioavailability of anthocyanins can be significantly improved through nanoencapsulation, acylation, and copigmentation, as well as the preparation of nanogels, nanoemulsions, and liposomes. These advancements offer the potential for the development of anthocyanins as a new type of neuroprotective agent. Future research will focus on the innovative design of nano-delivery systems and structural modification based on artificial intelligence. Such research is expected to break through the bottleneck of anthocyanin application and enable it to become a core component of next-generation intelligent neuroprotective agents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Functional Foods, Nutraceuticals, and Food Supplements in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention)
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