Bioavailability and Delivery of Nutraceuticals and Fortified Foods

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: closed (10 September 2025) | Viewed by 1138

Special Issue Editors

College of Food Science and Engineering, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
Interests: biomacromolecules; phytochemicals; molecular nutrition; delivery system
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
Interests: bioactive peptides; food proteins; functional foods; nutraceuticals; therapeutic potential; peptide drugs
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue on “Bioavailability and Delivery of Nutraceuticals and Fortified Foods” focuses on the development of innovative strategies, formulations, and technologies that enhance the health-promoting effects of bioactive compounds. As public awareness of the role of diet in disease prevention and overall well-being grows, there has been an increasing demand for functional foods, nutraceuticals, and fortified products. Yet, realizing the full potential of these bioactive compounds remains a challenge, often due to issues related to their solubility, stability, and limited bioavailability.

This Special Issue seeks contributions that push the boundaries of current knowledge and practice, covering the following key areas:

  • Enhancing Bioavailability and Nutrient Absorption:

Novel approaches to boost the bioavailability of bioactive compounds, including strategies to improve solubility, intestinal uptake, and systemic utilization.

  • Encapsulation and Controlled-Release Delivery Systems:

Advances in nano- and micro-encapsulation, emulsions, liposomes, and other carrier technologies that enable the targeted, sustained, and triggered release of nutraceuticals to optimize their physiological effects.

  • Functional and Fortified Food Matrices:

Investigations into the interactions between bioactive compounds and various food components, and their influence on nutrient stability, sensory attributes, and overall efficacy in functional and fortified foods.

  • Influence of Processing and Storage Conditions:

Research on how processing techniques, storage methods, and culinary practices affect the stability, release, and availability of nutraceuticals, contributing to best practices in product formulation and manufacturing.

  • Personalized and Precision Nutrition Approaches:

Studies examining how individual differences—such as genetic predispositions, gut microbiome composition, and dietary patterns—impact nutraceutical bioavailability, paving the way for personalized nutritional interventions.

We welcome original research articles, review papers, and short communications from experts in food science, nutrition, food engineering, biotechnology, chemistry, and related fields. By consolidating the latest insights in bioavailability and delivery, this Special Issue aims at guiding future research, informing industry practices, and ultimately improving public health through the more effective use of functional foods, fortified products, and nutraceuticals.

Dr. Huimin Liu
Dr. Wang Liao
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 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

  • bioavailability
  • nutraceutical delivery systems
  • functional foods
  • fortified foods
  • encapsulation technologies
  • controlled-release delivery
  • personalized nutrition
  • food matrix interactions

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 7656 KB  
Article
Comparative Protective Effects of Static Magnetic Field-Treated and Untreated Corn Sprouts on DSS-Induced Ulcerative Colitis in Mice: Inflammation Modulation and Gut Microbiota Regulation
by Jiaqi Zhao, Ye Gu, Shijie Sun, Aoran Guo, Mingzhu Zheng, Dan Cai, Ke Lin and Huimin Liu
Foods 2025, 14(18), 3248; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14183248 - 18 Sep 2025
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Abstract
Static magnetic field (SMF) is an emerging food-processing technology that has been widely applied in areas such as processing and sterilization. However, its influence on sprout production or health-related attributes has not yet been investigated. Therefore, in this study, corn sprouts were used [...] Read more.
Static magnetic field (SMF) is an emerging food-processing technology that has been widely applied in areas such as processing and sterilization. However, its influence on sprout production or health-related attributes has not yet been investigated. Therefore, in this study, corn sprouts were used as the raw material to compare the differential health effects of SMF treatment in a mouse model of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. The in vivo anti-inflammatory effects of SMF-treated corn sprouts were assessed by analyzing changes in their active ingredients. Histological staining, qRT-PCR and 16s rDNA sequencing were performed in the DSS-induced colitis mouse model. The results indicated that dietary fiber and total phenol contents were significantly higher in SMF-treated corn sprouts (M-CSP) compared to SMF-untreated corn sprouts (C-CSP). M-CSP alleviated the symptoms of DSS-induced colitis, significantly reduced colonic epithelial damage, and suppressed the secretion of pro-inflammatory factors. In addition, M-CSP markedly improved the diversity and abundance of intestinal microbiota. These findings provide new insights for the development and application of SMF technology to functional food ingredients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioavailability and Delivery of Nutraceuticals and Fortified Foods)
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Review

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30 pages, 3565 KB  
Review
Current Status and Future Prospects on Nanodelivery Systems Targeting the Small Intestine for Absorption of Bioactive Substances
by Hong Zhang, Mengjie Su, Yu Zhang, Qiuxia Feng, Yuntao Liu, Zhen Zeng, Qing Zhang, Zhengfeng Fang, Shanshan Li and Hong Chen
Foods 2025, 14(18), 3234; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14183234 - 17 Sep 2025
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Abstract
The undesirable properties of bioactive substances (such as poor solubility and low stability) and various barriers in the gastrointestinal tract (gastric acid, digestive enzymes, mucus and intestinal epithelial cells) hinder their absorption and utilisation by the human body. Nanodelivery systems have been proven [...] Read more.
The undesirable properties of bioactive substances (such as poor solubility and low stability) and various barriers in the gastrointestinal tract (gastric acid, digestive enzymes, mucus and intestinal epithelial cells) hinder their absorption and utilisation by the human body. Nanodelivery systems have been proven to effectively address the above problems, particularly targeted nanodelivery systems, which have more advantages in improving the bioavailability of bioactive substances. However, many studies have not included all barriers. Furthermore, given that the small intestine is the main site for the absorption of bioactive substances in the human body, this review primarily discusses targeted nanodelivery systems designed for the gastrointestinal barrier and summarises how to construct a nanodelivery system that can resist the adverse effects of the gastrointestinal tract and target the small intestine for the absorption of bioactive substances. This paper proposes that the ideal system is the active targeted nanodelivery system that targets enterocytes and its future development trend is discussed. This review aims to provide new insights for the rational design of nanodelivery platforms that efficiently target the small intestine and promote the absorption of bioactive substances, as well as promote the development of fields such as personalised nutrition and nutritional intervention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioavailability and Delivery of Nutraceuticals and Fortified Foods)
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