Functional Food: Molecular Nutrition, Emerging Technologies and Applications

A special issue of Applied Biosciences (ISSN 2813-0464).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2027 | Viewed by 1323

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea
Interests: marine bioactive compounds; redox medicine; anti-obesity; molecular nutrition; bioactive compound analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Functional foods play a key role in connecting diet, molecular mechanisms, and personalized health. Bioactive compounds act through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and metabolic pathways, while multi-omics and precision nutrition enable tailored dietary strategies. Advances in emerging extraction technologies enhance the stability and activity of functional ingredients, and molecular nutrition clarifies their cellular signaling effects. This Special Issue welcomes studies on bioactive compounds, multi-omics, precision nutrition, extraction technologies, and mechanistic insights (i.e., interactions with functional foods). We also encourage topics related to the use of new technologies, including omics, to select crop and animal varieties for functional foods, new technologies for the preparation of functional foods, and microbiome interactions with functional foods.

We look forward to receiving your high-quality research articles, reviews, and communications, and to advancing the scientific foundation for the next generation of functional food innovation.

Prof. Dr. Sanggil Lee
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • bioactive compounds
  • multi-omics
  • personalized and precision nutrition
  • emerging technologies for functional food extraction
  • molecular nutrition
  • microbiome interactions

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

24 pages, 865 KB  
Review
Applied Advances in Whey Bioactive Peptides: Enzymatic Generation, Mechanisms of Action, and Health-Related Applications
by Génesis K. González-Quijano, José Roberto González-Reyes, Ilse Monroy-Rodríguez, Esmeralda Rangel-Vargas, Ciro Baruchs Muñoz-Llandes and Fabiola Araceli Guzmán-Ortiz
Appl. Biosci. 2026, 5(2), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/applbiosci5020030 - 7 Apr 2026
Viewed by 782
Abstract
Whey is a major by-product of the dairy industry and represents a valuable source of proteins that can be enzymatically converted into bioactive peptides with diverse health-related functions. In recent years, increasing attention has been given to whey-derived peptides due to their antioxidant, [...] Read more.
Whey is a major by-product of the dairy industry and represents a valuable source of proteins that can be enzymatically converted into bioactive peptides with diverse health-related functions. In recent years, increasing attention has been given to whey-derived peptides due to their antioxidant, antihypertensive, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, immunomodulatory, and anticancer activities, highlighting their potential use as functional ingredients and nutraceutical compounds. The generation and biological functionality of these peptides are strongly influenced by the protein source, processing conditions, enzymatic or microbial hydrolysis strategies, and peptide structure. Unlike the existing literature, this review provides an analysis of individual peptide sequences, meticulously linking their specific chemical structures to their diverse biological activities, such as antioxidants, antihypertensive, and immunomodulatory effects. By moving beyond general protein hydrolysis, this work offers a unique comparative framework that evaluates how these distinct peptide fractions perform under industrial conditions. Furthermore, it bridges the gap between laboratory discovery and commercial implementation, focusing on critical parameters for large-scale production, stability in functional food matrices, and the regulatory pathways required for market-ready nutraceuticals. This integrated approach provides a strategic roadmap for translating molecular bioactivity into high-value industrial applications. This review provides an applied overview of recent advances in the production of whey bioactive peptides, emphasizing enzymatic generation methods, structure–activity relationships, and underlying mechanisms of action associated with their biological effects. In addition, current and emerging applications of whey-derived peptides in functional foods, nutraceuticals, and health-oriented formulations are critically discussed. Finally, key challenges related to peptide stability, bioavailability, industrial scalability, and regulatory aspects are addressed to identify future perspectives for the effective translation of whey bioactive peptides from research to practical applications. Full article
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