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 927

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, Via Marengo 2, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Interests: cell-based nutrition; microalgae; cyanobacteria; sustainable nutrition; antioxidant activity; space exploration; life support systems; bio-ISRU

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 (1 paper)

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Research

22 pages, 1140 KiB  
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
Viewed by 330
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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