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Recent Trends in the Valorization of Natural Products and Food...
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Recent Trends in the Valorization of Natural Products and Food Wastes

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 1010

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Andreia Ribeiro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Separation and Reaction Engineering—Laboratory of Catalysis and Materials (LSRE-LCM), Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Interests: pickering emulsions; microencapsulation; extraction; food chemistry; functional foods; high-value-added products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Filomena Barreiro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CIMO, LA SusTEC, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Interests: biobased products; natural functional ingredients and applications; nano and microencapsulation; polyurethane chemistry; hybrid and composite materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Applied Sciences, entitled “Recent Trends in the Valorization of Natural Products and Food Wastes”, invites the submission of original research and review articles focused on innovative approaches to the sustainable exploitation of natural resources and agro-industrial by-products.

With growing global concerns regarding environmental sustainability, food security, and waste reduction, the valorization of natural products and food wastes has emerged as a key research area. This Special Issue aims to highlight recent advances in the extraction, transformation, and application of bioactive compounds and other high-value ingredients derived from natural matrices and food residues. Contributions that explore novel bioprocesses, green extraction technologies, or the development of value-added products—such as functional foods, nutraceuticals, bioplastics, or natural additives—are particularly welcome.

Emphasis will be given to strategies that contribute to the circular economy and address challenges related to waste minimization, resource efficiency, and industrial scalability. Studies involving interdisciplinary methodologies, biorefinery concepts, or collaborations between academia and industry are also encouraged.

Topics of interest include (but are not limited to) the following: (i) advanced extraction and purification techniques for natural products, (ii) utilization of food wastes as sources of bioactive compounds or biomaterials, (iii) green chemistry and environmentally friendly valorization strategies, (iv) development of functional ingredients and sustainable product formulations, and (v) technological and economic assessments of valorization pathways.

We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions to this Special Issue.

Dr. Andreia Ribeiro
Dr. Filomena Barreiro
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. Applied Sciences 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 2400 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

  • biovalorization
  • extraction
  • sustainable development
  • bioactive compounds
  • green technologies
  • microencapsulation
  • emulsions

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 663 KiB  
Article
Inactivation Kinetics of Listeria monocytogenes Applying Mild Temperatures and Fractionated Mexican Oregano Essential Oil (Poliomintha longiflora Gray) in a Modified Simulated Meat Medium
by Mariana Pimentel-González, Arícia Possas, Antonio Valero, Eduardo Sánchez-García, José Rodríguez-Rodríguez and Sandra Castillo
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(11), 6164; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15116164 - 30 May 2025
Viewed by 527
Abstract
Meat products are highly susceptible to contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a foodborne pathogen associated with high mortality. To mitigate this risk, this study explored the use of Poliomintha longiflora oregano essential oil, both in its pure (PEO) and fractionated (FIV, fraction IV [...] Read more.
Meat products are highly susceptible to contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a foodborne pathogen associated with high mortality. To mitigate this risk, this study explored the use of Poliomintha longiflora oregano essential oil, both in its pure (PEO) and fractionated (FIV, fraction IV obtained at 140 °C) forms, as part of a hurdle technology combining natural antimicrobials with mild thermal treatments. In vitro thermal inactivation experiments were conducted at 52, 54, 57.5, and 63 °C using a simulated meat medium. The FIV group, characterized by 60.23% carvacrol and 21.17% thymol, exhibited significantly enhanced bactericidal activity, achieving up to 5.5 log-reductions in L. monocytogenes at 57.5 °C within 3 min, compared to <2 log-reductions for the control group. Inactivation kinetics were well described by the Weibull–Mafart model. The δ-values, defined as the time required to achieve a 1-log reduction in bacterial population, were consistently lower for FIV compared to the control across all tested temperatures (e.g., δ52°C = 0.64 min vs. 8.47 min for control). The estimated z-values, which represent the temperature increase required to achieve a tenfold change in δ-value, were 5.75 °C (control), 5.20 °C (PEO), and 5.00 °C (FIV), suggesting a consistent thermal sensitivity but enhanced inactivation efficacy with the essential oils. These findings suggest that fractionated oregano essential oil is a promising hurdle to shorten thermal treatments in meat products, thereby lowering L. monocytogenes contamination risk while preserving product quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends in the Valorization of Natural Products and Food Wastes)
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18 pages, 498 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Microwaves and Ultrasound on the Hydrolysis of Banana Peels and the Growth of Fodder Yeasts
by Andrea Maria Patelski, Urszula Dziekońska-Kubczak, Maria Balcerek, Katarzyna Pielech-Przybylska, Jarosław Domański, Joanna Berłowska and Piotr Dziugan
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(10), 5617; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15105617 - 17 May 2025
Viewed by 334
Abstract
This study evaluates the feasibility of using banana peels as a substrate for cultivating fodder yeast biomass. Banana peels (BPs), representing approximately 38% of the total fruit weight, are rich in cellulose and hemicellulose, thus presenting a significant opportunity for valorisation. The study [...] Read more.
This study evaluates the feasibility of using banana peels as a substrate for cultivating fodder yeast biomass. Banana peels (BPs), representing approximately 38% of the total fruit weight, are rich in cellulose and hemicellulose, thus presenting a significant opportunity for valorisation. The study investigates the effects of microwave and ultrasound treatments on the hydrolysis efficiency of banana peels and the subsequent cultivation of yeast. Two yeast strains, Scheffersomyces stipitis and Meyerozyma guilliermondii, were cultivated in hydrolysates prepared using various methods, including acid–thermal, enzymatic, microwave, and ultrasound treatments. The results demonstrate that enzymatic hydrolysis following microwave or ultrasound pretreatment significantly enhances sugar release, supporting higher biomass yields. The maximum biomass concentration achieved was 7.68 g DM/L, with crude protein content reaching up to 45.46% DM. These results indicate that banana peels can be effectively utilised for single-cell protein production, providing a sustainable alternative for animal feed. The study underscores the potential of integrating microwave and ultrasound technologies in bioprocessing to enhance the efficiency and environmental sustainability of yeast cultivation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends in the Valorization of Natural Products and Food Wastes)
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