Insights into the Mechanisms of Higher-Order Structure Formation in Honey and Its Impact on Functional and Rheological Properties Using Other Foods as Models
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: 20 June 2026 | Viewed by 2
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Bee products such as honey, royal jelly, bee pollen, and propolis are widely recognized for their diverse bioactivities and nutritional value. Most current research focuses on chemical composition and correlations between individual components and antioxidant, antimicrobial, or anti-inflammatory activities. However, an important and often overlooked aspect is the role of molecular interactions and self-assembly processes that give rise to higher-order, membrane-free structures such as melanoidins, protein–polyphenol complexes, and colloidal aggregates.
The formation of supramolecular structures in honey profoundly influences its physicochemical stability, rheological behavior, and biological functionality.
This Special Issue seeks to advance current understanding of the presence and nature of higher-order structures in honey and to elucidate the mechanisms driving the formation of macromolecular complexes, including protein–protein, protein–polyphenol, and protein–carbohydrate interactions. Comparative insights into similar higher-order structures in other food matrices—such as beer, milk, and coffee—are also welcome, as they may provide valuable parallels for interpreting structural organization and functionality in honey.
We invite original research, short communications, and review papers on:
- Presence and nature of higher-order structures in honey or other bee products
- Molecular mechanisms and bonding types (noncovalent and covalent, including protein-protein, protein-polyphenols, protein-polyphenol-carbohydrate interactions, Maillard and quinone-mediated interactions leading to melanoidins);
- Effects of physicochemical parameters (viscosity, ionic strength, temperature, oxygenation) on complexation and rheology;
- Functional implications of higher-order structure formation for bioactivity, digestibility, and nutritional value.
Dr. Katrina Brudzynski
Guest Editor
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
- honey, royal jelly, bee bread, beer, milk, coffee
- food supramolecular assembly, melanoidins
- protein–polyphenol, protein–protein, protein–polyphenol–carbohydrate complexe formations
- noncovalent and covalent bonding, food matrix effects
- rheology
- antioxidant activity, antimicrobial activity, anti-inflammatory activity
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.
