Antioxidants from Sustainable Food Sources—2nd Edition

A special issue of Antioxidants (ISSN 2076-3921). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural and Synthetic Antioxidants".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 679

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Food Science, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Interests: sensory science; consumer science; data science; applied machine learning; food science
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Building on the success of our previous edition, we are pleased to announce the 2nd edition of the Special Issue “Antioxidants from Sustainable Food Sources”. This edition continues the exploration of antioxidants derived from sustainable and natural sources, a field critical for the future of our food systems. Consumer demand is increasingly shifting from synthetic antioxidants towards sustainably produced natural alternatives. Within our food systems, sustainability—encompassing production, processing, and consumption—is paramount, with practices like circularity and waste utilization reducing environmental impact and enhancing economic resilience.

The potential of natural antioxidants is substantial, though challenges such as biological variability necessitate standardized extraction methods. This edition emphasizes the promise of green technologies, fermentation processes, and innovative food processing methods. Emerging approaches, including omics-based profiling, computational modelling, and AI-assisted screening, offer sustainable and efficient means not only to extract but also to enhance antioxidants from natural sources, contributing to both quality and sustainability of the final food products.

Beyond extraction and characterization, this edition encourages studies that investigate the bioavailability, mechanisms of action, and functional effects of natural antioxidants. Research linking antioxidant development to functional food, preservation, and consumer health outcomes is especially welcome. Moreover, as climate change impacts crop diversity and food security, exploring resilient and diverse sources of antioxidants is increasingly vital. Interdisciplinary work addressing socioeconomic implications, policy considerations, or regulatory frameworks for sustainable antioxidant production is also highly encouraged.

This collection of studies will advance our understanding of antioxidants sourced sustainably, offering insights that help transform the food system into one that is not only environmentally friendly but also designed to deliver healthier, more resilient, and socially responsible food options for the benefit of both people and the planet.

Dr. Kevin Kantono
Prof. Dr. Nazimah Hamid
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. Antioxidants is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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

  • sustainable antioxidants
  • natural sources
  • green extraction
  • functional foods
  • food system resilience

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

22 pages, 2414 KB  
Article
Unseparated Olive Pruning Waste as a Sustainable Feedstock: DoE-Optimized Extracts with Antioxidant Activity Equivalent to Isolated Leaves
by Elisabetta Tumminelli, Valeria Cavalloro, Daniela Ratto, Giorgio Marrubini, Emanuela Martino, Paola Rossi, Daniela Rossi and Simona Collina
Antioxidants 2025, 14(12), 1441; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14121441 - 29 Nov 2025
Viewed by 552
Abstract
Olive cultivation generates substantial pruning waste, yet current valorization strategies focus solely on leaves despite the logistical challenges of separating them. This study optimized the extraction of bioactive compounds from unseparated pruning waste (branches and leaves) using a D-optimal design of experiments to [...] Read more.
Olive cultivation generates substantial pruning waste, yet current valorization strategies focus solely on leaves despite the logistical challenges of separating them. This study optimized the extraction of bioactive compounds from unseparated pruning waste (branches and leaves) using a D-optimal design of experiments to evaluate solvent composition, temperature, and time effects in thirteen experiments. Optimized conditions were scaled up, and extracts were tested via DPPH, ORAC assays, and ROS inhibition in HaCaT cells. Extracts from unseparated pruning waste demonstrated antioxidant capacity equivalent to isolated leaf extracts, and effectiveness in reducing the oxidative stress by approximately 60% compared to the H2O2 condition. This approach eliminates costly leaf separation while maintaining bioactivity, offering a scalable circular economy solution for olive waste management. The practical implications are substantial: whole pruning waste valorization reduces processing costs and time, decreases agricultural waste by utilizing currently discarded branches, and simplifies supply chains for industries requiring olive-derived antioxidants. Our findings challenge the current paradigm in olive waste biorefining, providing a more economically viable and environmentally sustainable pathway for producing antioxidant-rich extracts suitable for cosmetics, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidants from Sustainable Food Sources—2nd Edition)
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