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Foods
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Food Supplements: Composition, Health Benefits, Adulteration, and Safety
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Food Supplements: Composition, Health Benefits, Adulteration, and Safety

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Physics and (Bio)Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 25765

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Joana S. Amaral

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CIMO, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Bragança, Portugal
Interests: food authenticity; food chemistry; molecular biology approaches applied to food authentication and GMO detection; plant food supplements; bioactive compounds; antioxidant activity; antimicrobial activity; chromatography; development of analytical methods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues

The consumption of food supplements, also known as dietary supplements, has been rising in recent years, driven by consumers’ increasing interest in health and wellness, among other factors. In parallel to this growth, concerns regarding food supplement composition, adulteration, and their health benefits and potential side effects have also become increasingly prominent. Among those, the most common concern is regarding adulterations, i.e., the insufficient amount of functional ingredients and the presence of contaminants such as pesticides, mycotoxins, and heavy metals. Adulterations mainly comprise the botanical adulteration of plant food supplements and the illegal addition of drugs to boost the effect of the product.

In addition, there is still a lack of information on consumption and consumers’ awareness regarding these products, as well as on several other aspects such as their nutritional properties, bioavailability, potential health benefits, and possible side effects.

This Special Issue aims to address these critical aspects by inviting original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that contribute to our understanding of food supplements and their impact on human health.

Dr. Joana S. Amaral
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 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

  • composition of food supplements
  • plant food supplements
  • frauds (botanical adulteration and illegal addition of drugs)
  • health benefits
  • bioactive compounds
  • bioavailability
  • consumption and consumer awareness
  • quality control
  • safety assessment
  • potential side effects and safety concerns

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 1220 KB  
Article
Exploiting Marker Genes for Reliable Botanical Authentication of Bacopa monnieri Products
by Rita Biltes, Caterina Villa, Joana Costa and Isabel Mafra
Foods 2025, 14(18), 3275; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14183275 - 21 Sep 2025
Viewed by 108
Abstract
Bacopa monnieri, commonly known as Brahmi, is a perennial herbaceous plant used in Ayurvedic medicine owing to its nootropic properties. The increased demand for bacopa-derived herbal/food products has motivated adulteration practices through plant substitution. This work is aimed at developing a new [...] Read more.
Bacopa monnieri, commonly known as Brahmi, is a perennial herbaceous plant used in Ayurvedic medicine owing to its nootropic properties. The increased demand for bacopa-derived herbal/food products has motivated adulteration practices through plant substitution. This work is aimed at developing a new method for B. monnieri detection and quantification in herbal products. The chloroplast gene encoding the Ycf1 photosystem I assembly protein (Ycf1) and the nuclear gene coding for the flavonoid glucosyltransferase (Flag) were selected as candidate markers to develop a real-time PCR assay with EvaGreen dye for B. monnieri detection. Both markers were specific to the target species, with Ycf1 providing the best real-time PCR kinetics and highest sensitivity. Therefore, a new method targeting the Ycf1 barcode was developed, exhibiting high specificity and a sensitivity of 1 pg of bacopa DNA. Additionally, a calibration model was proposed using reference mixtures of B. monnieri in Ginkgo biloba with a linear dynamic range of 25–0.1% (w/w). The curve parameters of slope, PCR efficiency and correlation coefficient met the acceptance criteria. The method was successfully validated with blind mixtures and further applied to commercial herbal products, revealing an important level of adulteration in bacopa/Brahmi-labelled products (60%) due to absence of or reduction in bacopa content. In this work, the first quantitative real-time PCR method for the botanical authentication of B. monnieri in herbal products is proposed as a powerful tool, which can be used by quality control laboratories and regulatory authorities to ensure labelling compliance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Supplements: Composition, Health Benefits, Adulteration, and Safety)
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17 pages, 1634 KB  
Article
Fast Determination of Furocoumarins in Food Supplements Containing Heracleum sphondylium L. Using Capillary Electrophoresis
by Eszter Laczkó Zöld, Csenge Kis, Erzsébet Nagy-György, Erzsébet Domokos, Elek Ferencz and Zoltán-István Szabó
Foods 2025, 14(13), 2348; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14132348 - 2 Jul 2025
Viewed by 544
Abstract
Hercaleum sphondylium L., commonly known as hogweed, is a plant species that has been employed as an ingredient in food supplements aimed at enhancing reproductive organ functionality, restoring hormonal equilibrium, and producing an aphrodisiac effect. Importantly, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has [...] Read more.
Hercaleum sphondylium L., commonly known as hogweed, is a plant species that has been employed as an ingredient in food supplements aimed at enhancing reproductive organ functionality, restoring hormonal equilibrium, and producing an aphrodisiac effect. Importantly, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has designated it as a “substance of possible concern for human health” when found in food and food supplements, as detailed in the EFSA compendium of botanicals. Given the potential health consequences associated with the ingestion of furocoumarin-containing plants, the primary objective of this study was to develop a straightforward and rapid method for screening various furocoumarins (bergapten, isobergapten, isopimpinellin, imperatorin, and xanthotoxin) that are found in hogweed plant products and hogweed-derived food supplements. A novel ultrafast micellar electrokinetic chromatographic method was established, achieving analysis durations of less than 3 min for the complete separation of the analytes. This method is additionally characterized by its simplicity, allowing for the analysis of samples following a rapid extraction procedure and dilution, without necessitating extra cleanup steps. The investigation of ten food supplements indicated that seven products contained no detectable levels of furocoumarins, one product presented levels close to the harmless threshold, and two products exhibited concentrations significantly exceeding this threshold. The results of this study illustrate the potential of micellar electrokinetic chromatography as a feasible alternative technique for the analysis of furocoumarins in herbal products and food supplements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Supplements: Composition, Health Benefits, Adulteration, and Safety)
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21 pages, 2098 KB  
Article
Metabolomics and Biochemical Benefits of Multivitamin and Multimineral Supplementation in Healthy Individuals: A Pilot Study
by María C. Sánchez, Ana Herráiz, María J. Ciudad, Marta Arias, Raquel Alonso, Carmen Doblas, Arancha Llama-Palacios and Luis Collado
Foods 2024, 13(14), 2207; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13142207 - 13 Jul 2024
Viewed by 7892
Abstract
Scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of vitamin and mineral supplements in healthy individuals remains scarce. In a randomized, double-blind study, 30 healthy individuals were assigned to receive a single daily dose of multivitamin and multimineral supplementation or a double daily dose for 30 [...] Read more.
Scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of vitamin and mineral supplements in healthy individuals remains scarce. In a randomized, double-blind study, 30 healthy individuals were assigned to receive a single daily dose of multivitamin and multimineral supplementation or a double daily dose for 30 days. Before and after the intake, an untargeted metabolomics assay for serum metabolites was conducted by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, and clinical assessments of peripheral blood samples were performed. A paired t-test for metabolic analysis, adjusted using the false discovery rate (FDR) and p-value correction method (rate of change > 2 and FDR < 0.05), the Shapiro–Wilk test, Student’s t-test, and the Mann–Whitney U test were applied depending on the variable, with a 5% significance level. An impact on oxidative stress was observed, with a significant reduction in homocysteine levels and an increment of pyridoxic acid (vitamin B6). The effect on energy metabolism was shown by a significant increase in diverse metabolites, such as linoleoylcarnitine. Serum iron and calcium levels were also impacted. Overall, we observed a nutritional balance compatible with a good state of health. In conclusion, beneficial effects on adult health were demonstrated in relation to oxidative stress, energy metabolism, and nutritional balance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Supplements: Composition, Health Benefits, Adulteration, and Safety)
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20 pages, 590 KB  
Article
Quality Control and Safety Assessment of Online-Purchased Food Supplements Containing Red Yeast Rice (RYR)
by Celine Vanhee, Bram Jacobs, Michael Canfyn, Svetlana V. Malysheva, Marie Willocx, Julien Masquelier and Koenraad Van Hoorde
Foods 2024, 13(12), 1919; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13121919 - 18 Jun 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5973
Abstract
Dietary supplements containing red yeast rice (RYR), a fermentation product of the fungus Monascus purpureus grown on white rice, remain popular in Europe as proclaimed cholesterol-lowering aids. The cholesterol-lowering effects are due to the occurrence of monacolin K, which is often present as [...] Read more.
Dietary supplements containing red yeast rice (RYR), a fermentation product of the fungus Monascus purpureus grown on white rice, remain popular in Europe as proclaimed cholesterol-lowering aids. The cholesterol-lowering effects are due to the occurrence of monacolin K, which is often present as a mixture of monacolin K lactone (MK) and as monacolin K hydroxy acid (MKA). MK is structurally similar to the cholesterol-lowering medicine lovastatin. Recently, due to safety concerns linked to the use of statins, the European Commission prohibited RYR supplements with a maximum serving exceeding 3 mg of total monacolins per day. Moreover, the amount of the mycotoxin citrinin, potentially produced by M. purpureus, was also reduced to 100 µg/kg. Evidently, manufacturers that offer their products on the European market, including the online market, must also be compliant with these limits in order to guarantee the safety of their products. Therefore, thirty-five different RYR supplements, purchased from an EU-bound e-commerce platform or from registered online pharmacies, were screened for their compliance to the European legislation for citrinin content and the amount of total monacolin K. This was conducted by means of a newly developed LC-MS/MS methodology that was validated according to ISO 17025. Moreover, these supplements were also screened for possible adulteration and any contamination by micro-organisms and/or mycotoxins. It was found that at least four of the thirty-five RYR supplements (≈11%) might have reason for concern for the safety of the consumer either due to high total monacolin K concentrations exceeding the European predefined limits for total monacolins or severe bacterial contamination. Moreover, three samples (≈9%) were likely adulterated, and the labeling of six of the seventeen samples (≈35%) originating from an EU-based e-commerce platform was not compliant, as either the mandatory warning was missing or incomplete or the total amount of monacolins was not mentioned. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Supplements: Composition, Health Benefits, Adulteration, and Safety)
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Review

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26 pages, 1575 KB  
Review
Adulteration of Brain Health (Cognitive, Mood, and Sleep Enhancement) Food Supplements by the Addition of Pharmaceutical Drugs: A Comprehensive Review of Analytical Approaches and Trends
by Rafael Paiva, Manuela Correia, Cristina Delerue-Matos and Joana S. Amaral
Foods 2024, 13(6), 908; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13060908 - 16 Mar 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 8531
Abstract
In recent years, the consumption of dietary supplements has grown worldwide, particularly in developed regions. However, this growing market has also become a prime target for adulteration practices, with some manufacturers illegally adding pharmaceuticals into plant-based food supplements (PFS) to enhance their effects. [...] Read more.
In recent years, the consumption of dietary supplements has grown worldwide, particularly in developed regions. However, this growing market has also become a prime target for adulteration practices, with some manufacturers illegally adding pharmaceuticals into plant-based food supplements (PFS) to enhance their effects. While extensive research has focused on detecting adulterant drugs in PFS tailored for improving sexual performance, weight loss, and muscle building, less attention has been given to supplements intended for mood enhancement, sleep aid, and cognitive function (nootropics). Nonetheless, recent reports indicate an increasing level of adulteration within this group of PFS. Therefore, this review aims at providing a comprehensive overview on the adulteration of PFS tailored for brain health, with a focus on the analytical techniques utilized for detection while also presenting data on consumption patterns and the prevalence of reported adulterants. Considering that the detection of such fraudulent practices primarily relies on chromatographic techniques coupled with mass spectrometry (MS), the developments in this field comprising either targeted or untargeted analysis of pharmaceutical adulterants are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Supplements: Composition, Health Benefits, Adulteration, and Safety)
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