Functional Components in Oil Crops

Dear Colleagues,

Oil crops, including soybeans, rapeseed, sunflower seeds, and peanuts, are widely cultivated and consumed worldwide for their valuable edible oil. In recent years, increasing studies have shown that oil crops are not only valuable for edible oil, but also contain abundant functional components with potential health benefits and diverse applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. For example, soybeans are recognized for their high content of PUFAs, tocopherols, and isoflavones, which have been explored for their potential anticancer and heart-protective properties. Rapeseed oil is abundant in both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, making it a valuable source of essential nutrients. Sunflower seeds are renowned for their high content of vitamin E, specifically gamma-tocopherol, offering potent antioxidant protection. Peanuts exhibit a plethora of functional components, including resveratrol, genistein, and phytosterols, which have been attributed to various health benefits, such as anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic properties.

In conclusion, understanding the composition and roles of functional components in oil crops facilitates the development of functional foods and nutraceuticals with enhanced nutrition, which is highly desirable in the food industry. This Special Issue aims to gather the most recent research about functional components in oil crops.

We welcome original research or reviews articles on but not limited to the following topics:

• Novel methods for preparation and characterization of functional components from oil crops;
• Influence of food processing and intermolecular interactions on the structure and characteristics of functional components from oil crops;
• Nutritional properties of functional components from oil crops and the strategies required to improve stability and bioavailability;
• Potential applications for meeting future nutritional and health needs and the specific mechanisms of action of functional components from oil crops;
• The optimal intakes of functional components from oil crops for specific health benefits.

Dr. Aimin Shi
Guest Editor

Dr. Xiaojie Ma
Guest Editor Assistant

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