Enzyme Technology: Applications in Food Nutrition

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 May 2026) | Viewed by 3565

Editor


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Guest Editor
Beijing Engineering and Technology Research Center of Food Additives, Beijing Technology & Business University (BTBU), No. 33 Fucheng Road, Haidian, Beijing 100048, China
Interests: food enzyme engineering; food biotechnology; food microbiology; food nutrition; oligopeptides
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Enzyme technology, as a core component of modern biotechnology, has been increasingly applied in the field of food nutrition in recent years. Enzymes, with their efficient and specific catalytic properties, are used to optimize food processing, enhance nutritional value, and develop functional foods, for example, improving the digestion and absorption rate of proteins through enzymatic hydrolysis technology, or using transglutaminase to enhance food texture. The application of lactase has solved the nutritional intake problem of lactose-intolerant populations. In addition, enzyme technology can also be used to develop low-sugar, low-fat and other healthy foods, responding to the modern consumer’s demand for nature, nutrition and sustainability. With the development of enzyme engineering and immobilization technology, the innovative application potential of enzymes in the field of food nutrition will be further realized, providing key technical support for the research and development of healthy foods.

Prof. Dr. Ke Xiong
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • enzyme catalysis
  • optimization of food processing
  • nutritional reinforcement
  • functional foods
  • enzymatic hydrolysis
  • enzymatic hydrolysis of proteins
  • enzyme engineering
  • biotransformation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

47 pages, 5133 KB  
Review
Current Progress and Future Directions of Enzyme Technology in Food Nutrition: A Comprehensive Review of Processing, Nutrition, and Functional Innovation
by Yu-Yang Yao, Yuan Ye, Ke Xiong, Shu-Can Mao, Jia-Wen Jiang, Yi-Qiang Chen, Xiang Li, Han-Bing Liu, Lin-Chang Liu, Bin Cai and Shuang Song
Foods 2026, 15(2), 402; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15020402 - 22 Jan 2026
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3207
Abstract
Enzyme technology, characterized by high efficiency, environmental compatibility, and precise controllability, has become a pivotal biocatalytic approach for quality enhancement and nutritional improvement in modern food industries. This review summarizes recent advances and underlying mechanisms of enzyme applications in food processing optimization, nutritional [...] Read more.
Enzyme technology, characterized by high efficiency, environmental compatibility, and precise controllability, has become a pivotal biocatalytic approach for quality enhancement and nutritional improvement in modern food industries. This review summarizes recent advances and underlying mechanisms of enzyme applications in food processing optimization, nutritional enhancement, and functional food development. In terms of process optimization, enzymes such as transglutaminase, laccase, and peroxidase enhance protein crosslinking, thereby markedly improving the texture and stability of dairy products, meat products, and plant-based protein systems. Proteases and lipases play essential roles in flavor development, maturation, and modulation of sensory attributes. From a nutritional perspective, enzymatic hydrolysis significantly improves the bioavailability of proteins, minerals, and dietary fibers, while simultaneously degrading antinutritional factors and harmful compounds, including phytic acid, tannins, food allergens, and acrylamide, thus contributing to improved food safety and nutritional balance. With respect to functional innovation, enzyme-directed production of bioactive peptides has demonstrated notable antihypertensive, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory activities. In addition, enzymatic synthesis of functional oligosaccharides and rare sugars, glycosylation-based modification of polyphenols, and enzyme-assisted extraction of plant bioactive compounds provide novel strategies and technological support for the development of functional foods. Owing to their high specificity and eco-friendly nature, enzyme technologies are driving food and nutrition sciences toward more precise, personalized, and sustainable development pathways. Despite these advances, critical research gaps remain, particularly in the limited mechanistic understanding of enzyme behavior in complex food matrices, the insufficient integration of multi-omics data with enzymatic process design, and the challenges associated with translating laboratory-scale enzymatic strategies into robust, data-driven, and scalable industrial applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enzyme Technology: Applications in Food Nutrition)
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