Bioactive Compounds in Fruits and Vegetables

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 March 2026 | Viewed by 997

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences “Rodolfo Paoletti”, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy
Interests: food; nutrition; natural products; plant extracts; bioactive compounds; inflammation; antioxidants
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Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences “Rodolfo Paoletti”, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy
Interests: fruits; natural products; plant extracts; polyphenols; gastritis; antimicrobial compounds; antioxidants

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Non-nutritional compounds play a key role in the biological properties of food, beyond caloric support. Recent evidence sustains the importance of bioactive molecules, especially those from fruits and vegetables, in relation to the prevention of chronic diseases and on a person’s quality of life. Despite often containing minor compounds in food composition, polyphenols, glucosinolates, polysaccharides, soluble fibres, and others provide added value to foods, functional foods, and food supplements. The characterization of bioactive compounds is fundamental to address the impact of dietary patterns on the health of specific groups of the population, such as overweight people, elderly, celiacs, or people at risk of certain diseases. It also represents a modern way to valorize food supply chains by recovering by-products, in the framework of a circular economy.

This Special Issue welcomes original articles and critical reviews aimed at describing the chemistry and the biological properties of non-nutritional compounds from fruit, vegetables, and their by-products.

Dr. Stefano Piazza
Dr. Giulia Martinelli
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • fruits and vegetables
  • bioactive compounds
  • polyphenols
  • glucosinolates
  • fibres
  • food waste
  • chronic diseases

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 601 KB  
Article
Nutritional, Bio-Functional, and Antioxidant Properties of Enzymatic Hydrolysates Derived from Spirulina platensis Proteins
by Ahmad Ali, Sanaullah Iqbal, Azmatullah Khan and Imtiaz Rabbani
Foods 2025, 14(24), 4242; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14244242 - 10 Dec 2025
Viewed by 181
Abstract
Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) is recognized as a high-protein microalga with potential for bioactive peptide production. In this study, S. platensis protein extract (~45% protein) was subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis using pepsin, trypsin, and chymotrypsin. A ~75% reduction in Bradford values indicated extensive protein [...] Read more.
Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) is recognized as a high-protein microalga with potential for bioactive peptide production. In this study, S. platensis protein extract (~45% protein) was subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis using pepsin, trypsin, and chymotrypsin. A ~75% reduction in Bradford values indicated extensive protein breakdown, with degrees of hydrolysis of 15.6%, 21.4%, and 33.7% for pepsin-, trypsin-, and chymotrypsin-treated samples, respectively. SDS-PAGE confirmed the generation of low-molecular-weight peptides (<10 kDa). Hydrolysis caused only minor changes in amino acid composition, maintaining protein quality, with trypsin-hydrolysates showing the highest protein efficiency ratio (1.12) and biological value (78.83%). Antioxidant capacity increased significantly, with hydrolysates displaying a 33–68% rise in DPPH and 30–54% in FRAP activity, alongside a 33–44% reduction in lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, phytochemical content was markedly enhanced in hydrolysates compared to intact protein, with increases in total phenolic content (38–118%), total flavonoid content (59–78%), and terpenoids (24–37%). Among treatments, trypsin-SPPH (Spirulina platensis protein hydrolysate) consistently exhibited the most pronounced improvements. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that proteolysis of S. platensis proteins not only enhances antioxidant activity but also liberates bound phytochemicals, establishing S. platensis hydrolysates as promising functional food and nutraceutical ingredients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compounds in Fruits and Vegetables)
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19 pages, 6312 KB  
Article
Rediscovering Citrus lumia ‘Pyriformis’: Phytochemical Profile and Multifunctional Properties of Its Fresh Juice
by Antonella Smeriglio, Annarita La Neve, Marta Mangano, Martina Imbesi, Laura Cornara and Domenico Trombetta
Foods 2025, 14(23), 3997; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14233997 - 21 Nov 2025
Viewed by 477
Abstract
This study provides the first comprehensive chemical and biological profiling of Citrus lumia Risso & Poit. var. ‘Pyriformis’, a rare Mediterranean Citrus variety with unexplored nutraceutical potential. The fresh juice (CLPJ) showed a distinctive phytochemical composition, with 38.8 ± 0.99 mg gallic acid [...] Read more.
This study provides the first comprehensive chemical and biological profiling of Citrus lumia Risso & Poit. var. ‘Pyriformis’, a rare Mediterranean Citrus variety with unexplored nutraceutical potential. The fresh juice (CLPJ) showed a distinctive phytochemical composition, with 38.8 ± 0.99 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 mL of total phenols and 25.96 ± 2.37 mg rutin equivalents/100 mL of flavonoids. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD) quantification revealed high levels of organic acids, including ascorbic acid (0.34 g/L) and citric acid (34.6 g/L). Liquid chromatography coupled with diode-array detection and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS) enabled the annotation of 28 polyphenolic constituents, featuring glycosylated flavanones and several uncommon flavonols and acylglycosidic derivatives whose structural patterns are typical of primitive Citrus lineages and largely absent in commercial cultivars. Functionally, CLPJ exhibited multi-target antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and promoted epithelial repair in Caco-2 cells without cytotoxic effects. Overall, the juice displays a distinctive chemotaxonomic fingerprint and promising multifunctional properties, supporting its potential as a functional food ingredient and contributing to the valorization of minor Mediterranean Citrus biodiversity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compounds in Fruits and Vegetables)
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