Fruits and Fruit-Based Products as a Source of Bioactive Compounds, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Foods".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 1254

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, 47521 Cesena, Italy
Interests: non-thermal technologies; pulsed electric field; ultrasound; vacuum impregnation; osmotic dehydration; fruit and vegetables processing; added value product; the valorization of the vegetal by-products; food physical; food physico-chemical; metabolic characterization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food Engineering and Process Management, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159c, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: non-thermal processing; ultrasound; pulsed electric field; drying; osmotic dehydration; innovative processes; food quality; sustainable food production
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fruits and fruit-derived products are rich sources of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids, vitamins, carotenoids, and dietary fiber, all of which contribute to numerous health benefits. These compounds exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties, making fruits a key component in the development of functional foods. With growing consumer interest in functional foods and natural health-promoting ingredients, the exploration and utilization of bioactive compounds from fruits has become a central topic in food science and nutrition research. However, the composition and activity of bioactive compounds can be significantly influenced by various food processing methods, including thermal treatments as well as non-thermal treatments such as pulsed electric field (PEF), ultrasound (US), high-pressure processing (HHP), fermentation, etc.

This Special Issue aims to explore the identification and utilization of bioactive compounds in fruits and fruit-based products as well as the impact of different processing technologies on their stability, bioavailability, and functional properties. We welcome contributions that investigate innovative processing approaches, the valorization of fruit by-products, the development of functional formulations, and studies linking processing conditions with nutritional and health outcomes. Both original research and comprehensive reviews are encouraged.

Dr. Malgorzata Nowacka
Dr. Urszula Tylewicz
Dr. Magdalena Dadan
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. 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
  • fruits and fruit-based products
  • functional foods
  • food processing technologies
  • antioxidants
  • polyphenols
  • nutritional quality
  • health benefits
  • fruit by-products
  • thermal and non-thermal processing

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

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

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

15 pages, 752 KB  
Article
Comparative Evaluation of Wild Plum (Prunus spinosa L.) Stone Fruits and Leaves: Insights into Nutritional Composition, Antioxidant Properties, and Polyphenol Profile
by Petru Alexandru Vlaicu, Iulia Varzaru, Raluca Paula Turcu, Alexandra Gabriela Oancea and Arabela Elena Untea
Foods 2026, 15(1), 142; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15010142 - 2 Jan 2026
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 895
Abstract
Prunus spinosa L. is a shrub with nutritional potential, yet limited information is available on the composition of its stone fruit and leaves. This study aimed to investigate and compare the macro and micronutrients, fatty acid profile, and lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidant compounds [...] Read more.
Prunus spinosa L. is a shrub with nutritional potential, yet limited information is available on the composition of its stone fruit and leaves. This study aimed to investigate and compare the macro and micronutrients, fatty acid profile, and lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidant compounds in fruits and leaves, as well as their potential functional properties. The results revealed that leaves contain higher crude protein (10.94%) than fruits (6.46%) but lower crude fiber (13.86% compared to 22.16%). The iron (370.37 mg/kg) and manganese (43.57 mg/kg) were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in leaves than in fruits (44.87 versus 7.02 mg/kg). The fruits’ lipid profile was rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (56.8%), whereas the leaves showed higher saturated fatty acids (38.3%) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (43.7%). The leaves also presented significantly higher n-3 content (25.2%) compared with fruits (1.80%). The antioxidant compounds were higher in the leaves, with total vitamin E exceeding 1268 mg/kg, primarily α-tocopherol (1214.98 mg/kg) isoform, lutein (409.38 mg/kg), and astaxanthin (3.74 mg/kg), compared with only 74.75 mg/kg total vitamin E in the fruits. The total hydroxycinnamic polyphenols in leaves were 92.63% higher in leaves than in fruits, with anthocyanins at 63.23% and flavonols at 95.82%. Although the leaves demonstrated superior antioxidant potential and mineral content compared to the fruits, making it a promising candidate for nutraceutical and functional food applications, the fruits maintained a healthier lipid profile suitable for dietary fat intake. This comparative analysis highlights the distinct nutritional and bioactive composition of Prunus spinosa co-products. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop