Innovative Bioprocessing and Green Transformation Strategies for Enhancing Nutritional and Functional Properties of Plant-Based Food Matrices
A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Foods".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 September 2026 | Viewed by 187
Special Issue Editors
Interests: chemistry and technology of oils and fats; industrial hemp; herbal extraction; food industry by-product utilisation; green chemistry and technology
Interests: food science and biotechnology; fermentation; yeast technology; green extraction; microbiology
Interests: food chemistry; cereal chemistry and technology; non-thermal technologies; PEF; ultrasound; polysaccharides; proteins; consumer behavior
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The demand for sustainable, high-quality food requires new bioprocessing approaches to improve nutrition and reduce food waste. This Special Issue highlights advanced microbial and enzymatic biotransformation, together with green technologies, which can modify the structural, nutritional, and techno-functional characteristics of various food matrices (cereals, pulses, fruits, vegetables, and agro-food by-products). Emphasis is placed on processes that enhance nutrient bioavailability, promote the release of health-promoting compounds, and support the sustainable use of underexploited resources.
Bioprocessing and non-thermal methods can modulate the behaviour of key molecular groups (polysaccharides, proteins, and phytochemicals) within complex food systems, thereby influencing their interactions, stability, functionality, and extractability. Understanding how bio- and green processing modifies these components provides valuable insight into the mechanisms underlying nutrient accessibility, bioactive release, and techno-functional performance. This understanding can be further enhanced by consumer behaviour studies, which help determine how such improved ingredients and the technologies used are perceived and accepted.
We invite contributions exploring process–structure–function relationships, the release of phytochemicals, eco-efficient processing concepts, and the development of sustainable valorisation routes. Studies addressing process optimisation, technological potential, bioactivity assessment, consumer readiness, and applications in food or nutraceutical formulations are encouraged. Original research articles, reviews, and short communications are all welcome.
Dr. Marko Obranović
Dr. Karla Hanousek Cica
Guest Editors
Dr. Tomislava Grgic
Guest Editor Assistant
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
- bioprocessing
- microbial biotransformation
- non-thermal technologies
- extractability
- structure–function relationships
- polysaccharides and proteins
- phytochemicals
- sustainable valorisation
- consumer behaviour
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