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Foods
Special Issues
Phytochemical and Functional Characterization of Plant Food Extracts
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Phytochemical and Functional Characterization of Plant Food Extracts

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2025 | Viewed by 2482

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jelena Živković

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Medicinal Plant Research “Dr. Josif Pančić”, Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: phytochemistry; ethnobotany; phytotherapy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant extracts are increasingly becoming more important in various food systems as additives (natural antioxidants, antimicrobials, color enhancers, flavorings, etc.). Their natural origin as well as potential health-promoting properties correspond to the increasing consumer preferences for natural and functional foods. Various factors, such as extraction conditions, may impact the chemical profile of these extracts and consequently their pharmacological activity. Although advances have been made regarding the application of plant extracts in the food industry, there are still some challenges, such as proper extraction strategy, stability, purity level, regulatory issues, etc.

This Special Issue aims to highlight the most recent knowledge and advances related to the chemistry of extracts obtained from plants and their application in different food systems. Contributions to this Special Issue may include research articles and reviews that cover all aspects of the development and optimization of new extraction procedures and the analysis of the composition and functional properties of extracts (in vitro and in vivo studies). Studies on the application of individual functional compounds isolated from plant extracts in the enrichment of foods and the subsequent improvement of food properties are also welcome.

Dr. Jelena Živković
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

  • extraction optimization
  • natural additives
  • stability
  • phytochemical analysis
  • functional food

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 1154 KiB  
Article
The Moroccan Meska Horra: A Natural Candidate for Food and Therapeutic Applications
by Abdessamad Beraich, Burak Dikici, Hammadi El Farissi, Daniela Batovska, Krastena Nikolova, Yousra Belbachir, Anass Choukoud, Nour Eddine Bentouhami, Abdeslam Asehraou and Abdelmoneam Talhaoui
Foods 2025, 14(7), 1158; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14071158 - 26 Mar 2025
Viewed by 749
Abstract
Mastic gum (Pistacia lentiscus L. resin), traditionally known as Meska Horra in Morocco, is valued for its bioactive properties, although its composition varies depending on its geographical origin. The essential oil profile is also influenced by the extraction method used. This study [...] Read more.
Mastic gum (Pistacia lentiscus L. resin), traditionally known as Meska Horra in Morocco, is valued for its bioactive properties, although its composition varies depending on its geographical origin. The essential oil profile is also influenced by the extraction method used. This study evaluates the chemical composition, bioactivity, and extraction efficiency of Meska Horra essential oil from eastern Morocco. Specifically, it explores its potential as a natural preservative and functional food ingredient by comparing various extraction methods and their impact on the profiles of volatile compounds. The essential oil obtained through hydrodistillation yielded 1.4% and met the standards of the European Pharmacopoeia despite differing in composition and quantity from Chios mastic gum. The major constituents were α-pinene, β-pinene, and D-limonene, comprising 55% of the oil. The oil demonstrated significant antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, supporting its potential application in food preservation. Molecular docking indicated that caryophyllene and its oxide are key bioactive compounds, although their effectiveness may be enhanced by synergistic interactions. Comparative analysis of extraction methods showed that headspace (HS) extraction captured highly volatile monoterpenes, while solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and ultrasound-assisted SPME (US-SPME) were more effective at extracting compounds such as cis-ocimene and limonene. US-SPME also extracted higher levels of m-cymene but lower levels of α-pinene. These findings highlights the importance of optimizing extraction methods and further investigating the role of synergistic effects in foods and pharmaceutical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemical and Functional Characterization of Plant Food Extracts)
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11 pages, 1882 KiB  
Article
The Heating Under Micro Variable Pressure (HUMVP) Process to Decrease the Level of Saponin in Quinoa: Evidence of the Antioxidation and the Inhibitory Activity of α-Amylase and α-Glucosidase
by Ligen Wu and Anna Wang
Foods 2024, 13(22), 3602; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13223602 - 11 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1295
Abstract
To reduce the level of saponin while preserving essential nutrients and antioxidative properties in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), this study delves into the optimization of the HUMVP process and thoroughly examines its effects on antioxidation as well as its inhibitory influence on [...] Read more.
To reduce the level of saponin while preserving essential nutrients and antioxidative properties in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), this study delves into the optimization of the HUMVP process and thoroughly examines its effects on antioxidation as well as its inhibitory influence on α-amylase and α-glucosidase. The optimal HUMVP conditions involved wetting quinoa grains with 6% water (pH = 6.0) and subjecting them to a 4 min treatment under 0.35 MPa pressure. The values of •OH, DPPH, and ABTS•+ scavenging rate of the extracts from the quinoa sample (named Q2HUMVP) treated under the optimum HUMVP process were 70.02, 87.13, and 50.95%, respectively. Furthermore, the treatment preserved 95.20% of polyphenols and 73.06% of flavonoids, while the saponin content was reduced to 23.13% of that in raw quinoa. Notably, Q2HUMVP extracts demonstrated superior inhibitory activity against α-amylase and α-glucosidase compared to dehulled quinoa samples. The inhibition exhibited by the quinoa sample extracts on α-amylase and α-glucosidase was found to be reversible. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemical and Functional Characterization of Plant Food Extracts)
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