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Future Innovation and Challenges in Bioactive Compounds from Plant Foods:...
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Future Innovation and Challenges in Bioactive Compounds from Plant Foods: Towards Sustainable Health

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 1465

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Giacomo Fais

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Piazza d’Armi, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Interests: bioactive compounds; plant-based nutraceuticals; antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity; sustainable bioprocesses; microalgae and cyanobacteria; agro-industrial byproducts; food waste valorization; green nanotechnology; space-enabled food production; in situ resource utilization (ISRU)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Giorgia Sarais

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, University Campus of Monserrato, 09042 Cagliari, Italy
Interests: food chemistry; medicinal plants; natural products; polyphenols; functional foods; health-related claims; bioactive compounds; plant-derived compounds; nutraceuticals; food waste and agro-industrial byproduct valorization; chemical characterization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bioactive compounds from plant-based foods are leading a global shift toward more sustainable and health-oriented nutrition as these naturally derived molecules—such as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, and functional phytochemicals—are increasingly recognized for their ability to support health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

However, unlocking their full potential still presents challenges. These include improving eco-friendly extraction methods; exploring new sources such as agro-industrial byproducts, microalgae, and lab-grown foods; and enhancing bioavailability and functional performance. There is also a growing need to clarify their mechanisms of action through advanced biological models.

Looking to the future means addressing today’s most pressing global challenges—like growing populations, shrinking arable land, nutritional disparities, and the urgent need for sustainable food systems—through bold, science-driven innovation.

This Special Issue offers a platform for research that bridges current needs and future directions in this evolving field. We welcome original articles and reviews exploring the extraction, characterization, and functional evaluation of plant-based bioactive compounds, with a focus on sustainability, circular approaches, and emerging applications. Contributions on innovative food production in controlled environments or extreme contexts are also encouraged.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Biomolecules.

Dr. Giacomo Fais
Dr. Giorgia Sarais
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
  • plant-based foods
  • functional phytochemicals
  • sustainable nutrition
  • nutraceuticals
  • eco-friendly extraction
  • agro-industrial byproducts
  • microalgae and cyanobacteria
  • food waste valorization
  • innovative food systems

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 5798 KB  
Article
Processing-Driven Changes in Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant Capacity During Plum Wine Production from the ‘Stanley’ Cultivar
by Violeta Jevtovic, Khulood Fahad Saud Alabbosh, Buthainah Ameen Al Shankiti, Tarfah Abdulrahman M. Alaskar, Reem Ali Alyami, Vesna Stankov Jovanović, Jelena Nikolić, Pavle Mašković and Milan Mitić
Foods 2026, 15(8), 1360; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15081360 - 14 Apr 2026
Viewed by 406
Abstract
Plum fruits are a valuable raw material to produce fermented beverages and a source of phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties. However, information on changes in phenolic composition during plum wine production is still limited. In this study, the evolution of phenolic compounds and [...] Read more.
Plum fruits are a valuable raw material to produce fermented beverages and a source of phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties. However, information on changes in phenolic composition during plum wine production is still limited. In this study, the evolution of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity during maceration and fermentation of wine from the ‘Stanley’ cultivar was investigated. Total phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and antioxidant capacity were determined spectrophotometrically, while individual compounds were identified by HPLC–DAD analysis. Eleven phenolic compounds were detected, including anthocyanins, hydroxycinnamic acids, and flavonols. Neochlorogenic acid, cyanidin-3-rutinoside, and rutin were the predominant compounds in fruits and wines. Phenolic content in plum skin was more than twofold higher than in whole fruit (445.20 vs. 198.32 mg GAE/100 g FW), with markedly higher anthocyanins (180.08 vs. 36.73 mg CGE/100 g FW), while juice showed much lower levels (89.32 mg GAE/L and 1.08 mg CGE/L). Maceration increased phenolic content and antioxidant activity, whereas fermentation led to a gradual decrease in most compounds, likely due to polymerization and degradation reactions. The wine produced contained 10.80 ± 0.15% (v/v) ethanol. Principal component analysis differentiated samples according to phenolic profile and fermentation stage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future Innovation and Challenges in Bioactive Compounds from Plant Foods: Towards Sustainable Health)
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22 pages, 2334 KB  
Article
Comparative Evaluation of Green Extraction Technologies for Phenolic Compounds from Algerian Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa L.): Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Phytochemical Insights
by Asmaa Berkati, Nadir Ben Hamiche, Louiza Himed, Yasmine Lina Simoud, Younes Arroul, Salah Merniz, Maria D’Elia, Rita Celano and Luca Rastrelli
Foods 2026, 15(4), 743; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15040743 - 18 Feb 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 695
Abstract
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa L.) is an underutilized Mediterranean wild fruit recognized as a valuable source of bioactive phenolic compounds with potential applications in food and nutraceutical formulations. Despite growing interest in sustainable extraction approaches, systematic comparisons of green extraction technologies for blackthorn [...] Read more.
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa L.) is an underutilized Mediterranean wild fruit recognized as a valuable source of bioactive phenolic compounds with potential applications in food and nutraceutical formulations. Despite growing interest in sustainable extraction approaches, systematic comparisons of green extraction technologies for blackthorn phenolic recovery remain limited, particularly for North African ecotypes. In this study, four non-conventional green extraction techniques, pressurized liquid extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, and Ultra-Turrax-assisted extraction, were compared for the recovery of phenolic compounds from Algerian blackthorn fruits under method-specific controlled conditions. Total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and condensed tannins were quantified, together with antioxidant capacity evaluated using multiple complementary assays. Pressurized liquid extraction yielded the highest total phenolic compound content (21.89 mg gallic acid equivalents/g dry weight) and flavonoid content (8.18 mg catechin equivalents/g dry weight), while microwave-assisted extraction showed the highest anthocyanin recovery (3.19 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalents/g dry weight). Antioxidant capacity values obtained by different assays showed comparable trends for pressurized liquid extraction and microwave-assisted extraction. The extract obtained by the most effective method was further evaluated for antimicrobial activity, showing selective inhibitory effects against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Bacillus subtilis. Chemical characterization by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry revealed a profile dominated by flavonoids, mainly quercetin derivatives, and hydroxycinnamic acids. Overall, these findings highlight pressurized liquid extraction as a promising green technology for the valorization of blackthorn fruits as sources of phenolic compounds for food-related applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future Innovation and Challenges in Bioactive Compounds from Plant Foods: Towards Sustainable Health)
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