Biocatalytic Strategies for Sustainable Extraction and Production of Functional Food Ingredients
A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Physics and (Bio)Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2026 | Viewed by 1201
Special Issue Editors
Interests: functional oligosaccharides; prebiotics; enzyme immobilization; agroindustry by-product valorization; bioprocess design; optimization and modelling; downstream processing
Interests: applied enzymology; natural antioxidants; polyphenols; esters; food waste recovery; green extraction methods of bioactive compounds; bioprocess design; optimization and modelling
Interests: biocatalysis; enzymatic biotransformation of flavonoids; modeling and optimization of bioprocesses; enzyme-assisted extraction; waste valorization
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The growing demand for health-promoting food products and sustainable food production has intensified interest in enzymatic processes as selective, efficient, and environmentally friendly tools for the development of functional food ingredients. Enzymes, whether naturally derived or engineered, play a vital role in modifying, releasing, hydrolyzing, and synthesizing compounds from agri-food sources, particularly from waste and by-products, thereby enhancing the nutritional and physiological properties of various food systems.
This Special Issue, “Biocatalytic Strategies for Sustainable Extraction and Production of Functional Food Ingredients”, aims to highlight the exploration and design of novel enzymes for innovative enzymatic processes used in the production of functional components, such as oligosaccharides, peptides, polyphenols, rare sugars, and other biologically active molecules. Particular emphasis is placed on enzymatic methods that align with the principles of circular bioeconomy, green processing, and health-oriented innovation.
We invite original research articles and reviews addressing the following topics:
- The characterization and application of immobilized, engineered, or novel microbial food-grade enzymes;
- Enzyme-assisted extraction, hydrolysis, and structural modification of bioactive food compounds;
- Optimization and scale-up of enzymatic processes for the production of functional ingredients;
- Valorization of agri-food residues through enzyme-driven approaches;
- In vitro and in vivo evaluation of the bioactivity, prebiotic potential, and health benefits of enzymatically obtained compounds.
By bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives, the aim of this Special Issue is to foster sustainable innovations in the development of food ingredients based on biocatalysis. We look forward to your valuable contributions and to advancing knowledge in this dynamic and impactful field.
Dr. Milica Simović
Dr. Marija Ćorović
Dr. Ana Milivojević
Dr. Katarina M. Banjanac
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
- biocatalysis
- enzyme engineering
- enzyme immobilization
- bioactive molecules
- prebiotics
- enzyme-assisted extraction
- waste and by-product valorization
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