Extraction and Analysis of Edible Plant Natural Products: From Traditional to Innovative Technologies
A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Foods".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2026 | Viewed by 1123
Special Issue Editors
Interests: extraction; microreactors; mathematical modelling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: artificial neural network modeling; near-infrared spectroscopy; fermentation quality; NIR spectroscopy
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The Special Issue, ‘Extraction and Analysis of Edible Plant Natural Products: From Traditional to Innovative Technologies’, aims to showcase recent progress, emerging trends and future perspectives in the study of bioactive compounds derived from edible plants. As global interest in natural products grows, driven by consumer demand for functional foods, nutraceuticals and sustainable ingredients, there is an urgent need to deepen scientific understanding of extraction processes, analytical methodologies and the bioefficacy of plant-based constituents.
This Special Issue will cover a comprehensive range of extraction strategies, spanning conventional methods as well as advanced green and sustainable techniques. These include ultrasound-assisted extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, pressurized liquid extraction and enzyme-assisted processes. Emphasis will be placed on optimizing extraction efficiency, reducing environmental impact and improving selectivity for specific classes of phytochemicals such as polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, carotenoids, terpenes and dietary fibers. Analytical approaches will form another central theme. Contributions may explore state-of-the-art qualitative and quantitative methods, including chromatography (HPLC, GC-MS, LC-MS/MS), spectroscopy (NMR, FTIR, UV-Vis), metabolomics, chemometrics and hyphenated techniques, for the identification, profiling and structural elucidation of plant natural products. Advances in data analysis, rapid screening tools and quality control frameworks suitable for food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications are also encouraged.
Furthermore, the Special Issue welcomes studies addressing the functional properties, bioavailability and health impacts of edible plant extracts, as well as research integrating extraction with downstream applications such as food fortification, encapsulation, formulation and product development. Interdisciplinary works that combine traditional knowledge with modern technological innovations are particularly valued. Overall, this Special Issue aims to provide a platform for researchers, industry experts and innovators to share knowledge that advances sustainable production, accurate characterization and beneficial utilization of edible plant natural products.
Dr. Ana Jurinjak Tušek
Dr. Tea Sokač Cvetnić
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 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
- edible plant natural products
- green extraction technologies
- phytochemical analysis
- bioactive compounds
- functional foods
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