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Bioactive Research of Phytochemicals Derived from Edible Plants and Fungi
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Bioactive Research of Phytochemicals Derived from Edible Plants and Fungi

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 15250

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Urszula Złotek

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry, University of Life Sciences, Lublin, Poland
Interests: bioactive compounds; biological activity; pre- and post-harvest treatments; plant food quality; food technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Małgorzata Sierocka

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
Interests: enzymes activity; enzymatic browning; antioxidant capacity; inhibitors; unprocessed food; moderately processed foods; food quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Phytochemicals as organic chemical compounds occurring naturally or produced by plants and fungi in many cases are secondary metabolites. Generally, they are produced in response to various stressful conditions to defend against biotic and abiotic threats. Many of these compounds are characterized by various bioactive properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, enzyme inhibitory, or activator effects, which determine their use in humans. Moreover, bioactive compounds can influence the structure and quality of food products. The research conducted by scientists from various fields focuses on their identification, determination, and biological activity. The bioactive compounds contained in food may significantly influence its health-promoting properties. Natural substances which occur in edible plants and fungi can determine the bioactive properties of food products. The growing consumer awareness of the health effects of nutrition prompts scientists and food producers to use bioactive compounds of natural origin to increase the nutraceutical potential of the food.

For this Special Issue on “Bioactive Research of Phytochemicals Derived from Edible Plants and Fungi’’, we welcome papers that enhance our understanding of the occurrence of natural bioactive substances, their bioactive properties, the correlation between structure and activity, potential use in food technology, and factors influencing their production by plants and fungi.

Dr. Urszula Złotek
Dr. Małgorzata Sierocka
Guest Editors

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

  • phytochemicals
  • bioactive properties
  • plant food
  • fungal bioactive compounds
  • functional food

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 6375 KiB  
Article
Effects of Steam Treatment Time and Drying Temperature on Properties of Sweet Basil’s Antioxidants, Aroma Compounds, Color, and Tissue Structure
by Yoko Tsurunaga and Mina Kanou
Foods 2023, 12(8), 1663; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12081663 - 16 Apr 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2344
Abstract
This study has developed a production method for high-quality Genova tea with excellent antioxidant properties. The antioxidant properties of each part of the Genova basil plant (i.e., leaves, flowers, and stems) were determined; the leaves and flowers showed higher antioxidant values. We also [...] Read more.
This study has developed a production method for high-quality Genova tea with excellent antioxidant properties. The antioxidant properties of each part of the Genova basil plant (i.e., leaves, flowers, and stems) were determined; the leaves and flowers showed higher antioxidant values. We also investigated the effects of steaming time and drying temperature on the antioxidant composition and properties, color, and aroma using leaves with good yield potential and high antioxidant properties. The color showed excellent green color retention with freeze- and machine-drying at 40 °C without steam-heat treatment. Steaming for 2 min was effective in maintaining high values of total polyphenol content, antioxidant properties (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazine and hydrophilic oxygen radical adsorption capacity), rosmarinic acid, and chicoric acid, and a drying temperature of ≤40 °C was recommended. Freeze-drying without steaming was the best method to retain all three of Genova’s main aroma components, Linalool, trans-alpha-bergamotene, and 2-methoxy-3-(2-propenyl)-phenol. The method developed in this study can improve the quality of dried Genova products and be applied in the food industry, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Research of Phytochemicals Derived from Edible Plants and Fungi)
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14 pages, 2599 KiB  
Article
Alleviation of Alcoholic Fatty Liver by Dendrobium officinale Flower Extracts due to Regulation of Gut Microbiota and Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Mice Exposed to Chronic Alcohol
by Jingchi Zhang, Jiakun Fan, Hui Luo, Zhengwei Liang, Yanhui Guan, Xin Lei, Nianguo Bo and Ming Zhao
Foods 2023, 12(7), 1428; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12071428 - 28 Mar 2023
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2883
Abstract
Alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD) is caused by long-term heavy alcohol consumption; therefore, useful and practical methods for the prevention of AFLD are urgently needed. The edible flower of Dendrobium officinale contains diverse flavonoids, and has shown antioxidant activity as well as antihypertensive [...] Read more.
Alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD) is caused by long-term heavy alcohol consumption; therefore, useful and practical methods for the prevention of AFLD are urgently needed. The edible flower of Dendrobium officinale contains diverse flavonoids, and has shown antioxidant activity as well as antihypertensive and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, an AFLD model was established, the protective effect of D. officinale flower (DOF) ethanol extract on AFLD was evaluated, and its mechanisms were investigated by analyzing gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). DOF extract (DOFE) supplementation promoted alcohol metabolism, restored hepatic antioxidant capacity, alleviated oxidative stress, reduced inflammatory factor levels, and inhibited dyslipidemia induced by alcohol intake in chronic alcohol-exposed mice, especially in the high DOFE group. Moreover, DOFE supplementation increased the diversity, structure, and composition of the gut microbiota in mice, restored some of the abnormal SCFA levels caused by AFLD, and helped restore intestinal function. DOFE supplementation significantly increased the relative abundance of Akkermansia, suggesting that Akkermansia may be a potential target of the protective effect of DOFE. Therefore, DOFE supplementation to improve the composition of the gut microbiota may be an effective therapeutic strategy for the prevention of AFLD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Research of Phytochemicals Derived from Edible Plants and Fungi)
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22 pages, 354 KiB  
Article
A New Bloody Pulp Selection of Myrobalan (Prunus cerasifera L.): Pomological Traits, Chemical Composition, and Nutraceutical Properties
by Francesco Sottile, Assunta Napolitano, Natale Badalamenti, Maurizio Bruno, Rosa Tundis, Monica Rosa Loizzo and Sonia Piacente
Foods 2023, 12(5), 1107; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12051107 - 5 Mar 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3249
Abstract
A new accession of myrobalan (Prunus cerasifera L.) from Sicily (Italy) was studied for the first time for its chemical and nutraceutical properties. A description of the main morphological and pomological traits was created as a tool for characterization for consumers. For [...] Read more.
A new accession of myrobalan (Prunus cerasifera L.) from Sicily (Italy) was studied for the first time for its chemical and nutraceutical properties. A description of the main morphological and pomological traits was created as a tool for characterization for consumers. For this purpose, three different extracts of fresh myrobalan fruits were subjected to different analyses, including the evaluation of total phenol (TPC), flavonoid (TFC), and anthocyanin (TAC) contents. The extracts exhibited a TPC in the range 34.52–97.63 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/100 g fresh weight (FW), a TFC of 0.23–0.96 mg quercetin equivalent (QE)/100 g FW, and a TAC of 20.24–55.33 cyanidine-3-O-glucoside/100 g FW. LC-HRMS analysis evidenced that the compounds mainly belong to the flavonols, flavan-3-ols, proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins, hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, and organic acids classes. A multitarget approach was used to assess the antioxidant properties by using FRAP, ABTS, DPPH, and β-carotene bleaching tests. Moreover, the myrobalan fruit extracts were tested as inhibitors of the key enzymes related to obesity and metabolic syndrome (α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and lipase). All extracts exhibited an ABTS radical scavenging activity that was higher than the positive control BHT (IC50 value in the range 1.19–2.97 μg/mL). Moreover, all extracts showed iron-reducing activity, with a potency similar to that of BHT (53.01–64.90 vs 3.26 μM Fe(II)/g). The PF extract exhibited a promising lipase inhibitory effect (IC50 value of 29.61 μg/mL). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Research of Phytochemicals Derived from Edible Plants and Fungi)

Review

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33 pages, 1406 KiB  
Review
Dietary Phenolic Compounds as Anticancer Natural Drugs: Recent Update on Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Trials
by Saad Bakrim, Nasreddine El Omari, Naoufal El Hachlafi, Youssef Bakri, Learn-Han Lee and Abdelhakim Bouyahya
Foods 2022, 11(21), 3323; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11213323 - 23 Oct 2022
Cited by 57 | Viewed by 5669
Abstract
Given the stochastic complexity of cancer diseases, the development of chemotherapeutic drugs is almost limited by problems of selectivity and side effects. Furthermore, an increasing number of protective approaches have been recently considered as the main way to limit these pathologies. Natural bioactive [...] Read more.
Given the stochastic complexity of cancer diseases, the development of chemotherapeutic drugs is almost limited by problems of selectivity and side effects. Furthermore, an increasing number of protective approaches have been recently considered as the main way to limit these pathologies. Natural bioactive compounds, and particularly dietary phenolic compounds, showed major protective and therapeutic effects against different types of human cancers. Indeed, phenolic substances have functional groups that allow them to exert several anti-cancer mechanisms, such as the induction of apoptosis, autophagy, cell cycle arrest at different stages, and the inhibition of telomerase. In addition, in vivo studies show that these phenolic compounds also have anti-angiogenic effects via the inhibition of invasion and angiogenesis. Moreover, clinical studies have already highlighted certain phenolic compounds producing clinical effects alone, or in combination with drugs used in chemotherapy. In the present work, we present a major advance in research concerning the mechanisms of action of the different phenolic compounds that are contained in food medicinal plants, as well as evidence from the clinical trials that focus on them. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Research of Phytochemicals Derived from Edible Plants and Fungi)
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