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The Biological and Functional Properties of Polypeptides and Polysaccharides Isolated...
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The Biological and Functional Properties of Polypeptides and Polysaccharides Isolated from Food Sources

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: 21 July 2026 | Viewed by 1483

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Haizhao Song

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Grain Circulation and Safety, Key Laboratory of Grains and Oils Quality Control and Processing, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing, China
Interests: active components of natural products; preparation, separation and purification of functional components such as polysaccharides, proteins and polyphenols in fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products; digestion; metabolism, intestinal flora; nutrition and health; cell model; obesity; diabetes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, there has been a significant surge of interest in exploring potential health benefits derived from natural food components, particularly polypeptides and polysaccharides. These bioactive compounds are gaining recognition for their diverse biological activities, which include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antimicrobial effects. Such properties make them invaluable not only for the development of functional foods, but also for their therapeutic applications. The scientific community is increasingly focusing on elucidating the mechanisms through which these natural bioactives exert their effects, ranging from enhancing immune responses to modulating various metabolic processes. This growing body of research underscores the potential of polypeptides and polysaccharides as key players in health promotion and disease prevention.

This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive platform for researchers to share their latest findings on the biological and functional properties of polypeptides and polysaccharides isolated from food sources. We invite submissions of original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and insightful perspectives that address, but are not limited to, the following potential topics:

  • Extraction and purification techniques
  • Structural characterization
  • Biological activities
  • Functional properties
  • Health benefits
  • Gut health and microbiota modulation
  • Applications in functional foods
  • Microbial fermentation
  • Allergenicity and safety assessment
  • Omics approaches

Dr. Haizhao Song
Guest Editor

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

  • food-derived polypeptides
  • food-derived polysaccharides
  • biological properties
  • functional properties
  • isolation techniques
  • structural characterization
  • antioxidant activity
  • immunomodulation
  • food applications
  • bioavailability

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 6279 KB  
Article
Thermolysin Versus Four Commercial Proteases in the Modification of Soy Protein Isolate: Structural, Functional, and Taste Characterization
by Xinyue Liu, Jiacheng Yin, Shuting Yin, Ping Chen and Biying Zhang
Foods 2026, 15(8), 1308; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15081308 - 10 Apr 2026
Viewed by 453
Abstract
The differential effects of thermolysin and four commercial proteases on soy protein isolate (SPI) were investigated under enzyme-specific hydrolysis conditions to comparatively assess the structural, functional, and instrumental taste differences among the resulting hydrolysates. Under the enzyme-specific hydrolysis conditions, among the enzymes tested, [...] Read more.
The differential effects of thermolysin and four commercial proteases on soy protein isolate (SPI) were investigated under enzyme-specific hydrolysis conditions to comparatively assess the structural, functional, and instrumental taste differences among the resulting hydrolysates. Under the enzyme-specific hydrolysis conditions, among the enzymes tested, thermolysin induced substantial fragmentation of SPI, with products mainly distributed below 25 kDa and accompanied by marked conformational rearrangement. Thermolysin-treated SPI exhibited the highest total free amino acid content (14.805 mg/g), especially Tyr and Phe, together with the highest solubility (80.52 ± 4.40%), the highest emulsifying activity index (36.11 m2/g), and the strongest antioxidant capacities in 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay (DPPH), and hydroxyl radical scavenging assays. Electronic tongue analysis further showed that enzymatic hydrolysis generally enhanced umami and richness while reducing astringency relative to native SPI. Notably, SPI-Ther exhibited the most pronounced instrumental taste reconfiguration, characterized by increased umami (9.57) and richness (7.57), but also the highest bitterness (4.75) and aftertaste-B (3.46), indicating a distinct functionality–taste trade-off rather than simple debittering. In contrast, papain generated the highest umami response, whereas trypsin produced the mildest taste profile with the lowest bitterness. Overall, under the enzyme-specific hydrolysis conditions used in this study, thermolysin yielded the most pronounced improvement in the measured functional indices of SPI. However, these findings should be interpreted as a comparative, condition-specific assessment rather than a direct ranking of intrinsic protease specificity, and additional peptide characterization and sensory validation would be needed before taste-oriented applications can be recommended. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Biological and Functional Properties of Polypeptides and Polysaccharides Isolated from Food Sources)
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15 pages, 4935 KB  
Article
Fabrication and Characterization of Pickering High Internal Phase Emulsions (P-HIPEs) Stabilized by a Complex of Soy Protein Isolate and a Newly Extracted Coix Polysaccharide
by Hong Li, Yubo Cao and Haizhao Song
Foods 2026, 15(1), 79; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15010079 - 26 Dec 2025
Viewed by 607
Abstract
This study explores the fabrication and characterization of Pickering high internal phase emulsions (P-HIPEs) stabilized by soy protein isolate (SPI) and coix polysaccharide (CP) complex. CP exhibited high purity (95.29%) with a molecular weight of 5.53 × 105 Da and was predominantly [...] Read more.
This study explores the fabrication and characterization of Pickering high internal phase emulsions (P-HIPEs) stabilized by soy protein isolate (SPI) and coix polysaccharide (CP) complex. CP exhibited high purity (95.29%) with a molecular weight of 5.53 × 105 Da and was predominantly composed of glucose, as confirmed by monosaccharide analysis and FT-IR spectroscopy. SPI/CP complexes formed well-dispersed nanoparticles with optimal stability at 2% CP concentration, demonstrated by minimal particle size and enhanced zeta potential. P-HIPEs stabilized by these complexes showed excellent physical stability without phase separation or oil leakage, with the creaming index decreasing as particle concentration increased, reaching optimal stability at 12% SPI/CP and pH 9. Particle size and zeta potential measurements indicated smaller, more uniform droplets and intensified electrostatic repulsion under these conditions, effectively preventing droplet coalescence. Confocal microscopy revealed a dense, multilayered interfacial network formed by SPI/CP complexes around oil droplets, enhancing emulsion stability. Rheological analyses confirmed that P-HIPEs exhibited elastic solid-like gel behavior with pronounced shear-thinning and superior thixotropic recovery at 12% SPI/CP and alkaline pH, highlighting improved gel strength and structural integrity. These findings demonstrate the critical influence of SPI/CP concentration and pH on the physicochemical, microstructural, and rheological properties of P-HIPEs, offering valuable insights for developing stable emulsions with enhanced performance and applicability in food systems. Notably, the results emphasize the critical role of SPI/CP concentration and pH in achieving optimal emulsion stability and rheological properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Biological and Functional Properties of Polypeptides and Polysaccharides Isolated from Food Sources)
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