Plant Food-Derived Bioactive Components: Advances in Health Benefits and Extraction Method

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2025) | Viewed by 2190

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, University Campus, S.P. Monserrato-Sestu Km 0.700, 09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy
Interests: food chemistry; medicinal plants; natural products; polyphenols; functional foods; health-related claims; bioactive compounds; plant-derived compounds; nutraceuticals; food waste and by-products
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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Piazza d’Armi, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Interests: bioactive compounds; plant-based nutraceuticals; antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity; sustainable bioprocesses; microalgae and cyanobacteria; agro-industrial byproducts; food waste valorization; green nanotechnology; space-enabled food production; in situ resource utilization (ISRU)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, several scientific studies have highlighted a positive correlation between specific lifestyle-related pathologies and dietary patterns. In this regard, natural bioactive compounds have proven useful and effective for managing and preventing different human chronic diseases. Plant-based foods represent a bountiful reservoir of significant bioactive compounds characterized by notable chemical heterogeneity and are already harnessed in the formulation of food supplements and nutraceutical products. The chemical diversity of bioactive molecules results in diverse mechanisms of action, ensuring broad coverage of human health conditions such as chronic coronary thrombosis, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, aging, and others. Therefore, given the pivotal role of chemical composition in the efficacy of extracts, accurate extraction and identification of active constituents from plant extracts are imperative. Consumer interest in health promotion and disease risk reduction has led to a rapid increase in scientific research in this field and the popularity of plant food-derived products, but this topic remains challenging. Thus, this Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in conventional and green extraction technologies and to examine the beneficial activities of plant-based foods and their components, studied through in vitro and in vivo models. Additionally, researchers are encouraged to submit papers reporting protocols for the separation, purification, and structural identification of active ingredients. Chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques are recommended for the identification and quantification of bioactive components.

Dr. Sarais Giorgia
Dr. Giacomo Fais
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • plant foods
  • conventional and green extraction
  • sustainability
  • bioactive compounds
  • polyphenols
  • health benefits
  • biological activity
  • antioxidant effect
  • nutraceuticals
  • functional foods

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 1089 KB  
Article
Eco-Friendly Extraction of Olive Leaf Phenolics and Terpenes: A Comparative Performance Analysis Against Conventional Methods
by Lucía López-Salas, Xavier Expósito-Almellón, Anderson Valencia-Isaza, Alejandro Fernández-Arteaga, Rosa Quirantes-Piné, Isabel Borrás-Linares and Jesús Lozano-Sánchez
Foods 2025, 14(17), 3030; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14173030 - 29 Aug 2025
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Abstract
The present study focuses on recovering phenolic compounds and terpenes from olive leaves, which are generated as by-products during olive oil processing. To this end, conventional extraction/maceration (CE) and advanced extraction techniques such as subcritical water extraction (SWE), pressurized fluid extraction (PLE) and [...] Read more.
The present study focuses on recovering phenolic compounds and terpenes from olive leaves, which are generated as by-products during olive oil processing. To this end, conventional extraction/maceration (CE) and advanced extraction techniques such as subcritical water extraction (SWE), pressurized fluid extraction (PLE) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) were employed to compare and determine the most effective procedure. The phenolic and terpenoid composition of the extracts revealed a total of 33 compounds in HPLC-QTOF-MS analysis. According to these findings, the optimal extraction techniques for the maximum recovery of secoiridoids from olive leaves were PLE and UAE, with no significant difference between them (21.9891 ± 2.5521 mg/g DW and 21.0888 ± 1.3494 mg/g DW, respectively). Regarding to flavonoids, UAE was the most effective extraction technique, yielding 4.9837 ± 0.6739 mg/g DW. However, SWE recovered the highest amount of phenolic alcohols (7.4201 ± 0.9848 mg/g DW), which could be due to degradation of the secoiridoids during extraction. Conversely, UAE was more successful than the other techniques for the extraction of the terpene family (0.7373 ± 0.0601 mg/g DW). The present study therefore focuses on comparing different extraction techniques for revalorizing olive leaves as a source of bioactive compounds, specifically polyphenols and terpenes, due to their beneficial health properties. Full article
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14 pages, 1897 KB  
Article
Type I Interferon-Enhancing Effect of Cardamom Seed Extract via Intracellular Nucleic Acid Sensor Regulation
by Abdullah Al Sufian Shuvo, Masahiro Kassai and Takeshi Kawahara
Foods 2025, 14(15), 2744; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14152744 - 6 Aug 2025
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Abstract
The induction of type I interferon (IFN) via intracellular nucleic acid sensors may be useful in preventing viral infections. However, little is known about the effect of natural plant materials on sensor responses. We previously found that cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton) [...] Read more.
The induction of type I interferon (IFN) via intracellular nucleic acid sensors may be useful in preventing viral infections. However, little is known about the effect of natural plant materials on sensor responses. We previously found that cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton) seed extract (CSWE) enhanced type I IFN expression and prevented influenza virus infection. In this study, we investigated the effect of CSWE on type I IFN responses using intracellular nucleic acid sensor molecules. Human lung epithelial A549 cells were treated with CSWE and transfected with poly(dA:dT) or poly(I:C) using lipofection. CSWE and 1,8-cineole, the major CSWE components, dose-dependently induced type I IFNs and IFN-stimulated genes in both poly(dA:dT)- and poly(I:C)-transfected A549 cells. The type I IFN-enhancing effect of CSWE was dependent on the stimulator of interferon genes (STING), whereas the effect of 1,8-cineole was independent of STING and mediated by the down-regulation of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-inducible poly-ADP-ribose polymerase expression. Our study suggests that CSWE has the potential to act as a beneficial antiviral agent by enhancing homeostatic type I IFN production. Full article
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22 pages, 1140 KB  
Article
Nutritional and Chemical Characterization of Red and Purple Potatoes Peels: A Polyphenol-Rich By-Product
by Debora Dessì, Giacomo Fais and Giorgia Sarais
Foods 2025, 14(10), 1740; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14101740 - 14 May 2025
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Abstract
Potato peel represents a major by-product of the potato-processing industry and a promising source of bioactive compounds with potential health benefits. This study investigates the biochemical and nutritional composition of peels from five purple and two red potato cultivars, with particular attention to [...] Read more.
Potato peel represents a major by-product of the potato-processing industry and a promising source of bioactive compounds with potential health benefits. This study investigates the biochemical and nutritional composition of peels from five purple and two red potato cultivars, with particular attention to their phytochemical profiles and antioxidant properties. Total phenolic content, carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids were quantified using UV–visible spectrophotometry. The phytochemical composition was further characterized via High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with a Diode-Array Detector (HPLC-DAD). Antioxidant and radical-scavenging capacities of the extracts were assessed through Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays. Significant variability was observed across cultivars for all measured parameters. While all samples were rich in carbohydrates and proteins, they shared a common phenolic profile dominated by chlorogenic acid and its derivatives, as well as caffeic acid. Anthocyanin composition, however, was highly cultivar-specific. Notably, all extracts demonstrated strong antioxidant and antiradical activities, in agreement with their high total phenolic content. These findings highlight the potential of red and purple potato peels as valuable sources of functional ingredients for food and nutraceutical applications. Full article
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