The Hidden Treasure in Agri-Food By-Products: Bioactives and Health Benefits
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: 31 May 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: nutraceuticals; bioactive peptides; protein hydrolysates; neglected crops; green extraction technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: chromatographic determinations; electrochemistry; sensors/biosensors; sample preparation; environment and food control; environmental monitoring; contaminant detection; PAHs; pesticides; pharmaceuticals; heavy metals; allergens
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The Special Issue “The Hidden Treasure in Agri-Food By-Products: Bioactives and Health Benefits” explores recent scientific and technological advances in the valorization of agro-food residues as sustainable sources of functional bioactive compounds. Agricultural and food-processing by-products—such as fruit peels, seeds, pomace, husks, cereal brans, and vegetable trimmings—represent a substantial yet underexploited reservoir of valuable biomolecules. These matrices are often rich in polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, polysaccharides, proteins, peptides, and dietary fibres, many of which exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antihypertensive, and antidiabetic activities.
This Special Issue places particular emphasis on innovative, eco-friendly extraction and processing technologies that enhance the recovery, stability, and bioavailability of these compounds. Methods such as ultrasound- and microwave-assisted extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, enzyme-assisted hydrolysis, and controlled fermentation are highlighted for their efficiency, reduced environmental impact, and ability to preserve the integrity of thermolabile bioactives. The integration of green solvents and deep eutectic systems further supports the development of sustainable biorefinery processes that minimize solvent toxicity and energy consumption.
Beyond recovery, this issue showcases how purified or enriched extracts from food residues can be incorporated into functional foods, nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and biodegradable packaging materials, contributing to product innovation and value creation across multiple industries. These applications exemplify a circular bioeconomy approach, transforming waste streams into high-value products while reducing environmental burdens associated with food production and processing.
Dr. Elsa F. Vieira
Prof. Dr. Cristina Delerue-Matos
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
- agri-food by-products
- phytochemicals
- polyphenols
- polysaccharides
- bioactive peptides
- green extraction technologies
- sustainable processing
- food sustainability
- nutraceuticals
- functional foods
- cosmeceuticals
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