Phenolic and Polyphenolic Compounds in Plant-Based Foods: Antioxidant Activity, Mechanisms and Potential Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 303

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, University of Scranton, Scranton, PA, USA
Interests: analytical chemistry; diabetology; nutritional biochemistry; glycation; ascorbic acid; antioxidant assays; lipids; diabetes; metabolism; food chemistry; anthocyanins; nutraceuticals; phytochemicals; bioactive; herbal medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polyphenols are a group of compounds synthesized in plant food to protect plants from UV radiation and predators. There are over 10,000 compounds which are more prevalent in food than vitamins and which are more powerful in in vitro antioxidants. They are the major antioxidants in the diet of humans. They are bound to the plant in fiber, released during digestion, and metabolized in the body, reaching all cells.

They were found to be beneficial to human health after the emergence of epidemiological studies in the 1970s. They have been extensively identified in plants and foods by the use of LC-MS techniques. They have been found to work for the benefit of human health by multiple mechanisms, including antioxidant and gut health and others yet to be discovered. Recent advances highlight their potential in human health through mechanisms such as oxidative stress modulation, gut microbiota regulation, and epigenetic regulation.

This Special Issue aims to collate cutting-edge research focused on the following topics:

  • Analytical Innovations: Advanced techniques (e.g., LC-MS, metabolomics) for polyphenol profiling and bioavailability assessment in emerging plant-based foods.
  • Mechanistic Insights: Elucidating anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, or signaling pathways of specific polyphenol classes (e.g., flavonoids, lignans).
  • Applications: Sustainable extraction methods, polyphenol-enriched functional food design, and clinical evidence for chronic disease management.

We welcome the submission of original studies and reviews addressing challenges in standardization, synergistic effects, or translational applications to this Special Issue, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue between food chemists, nutritionists, and pharmacologists.

Prof. Dr. Joe Vinson
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

  • polyphenols
  • antioxidants
  • mechanisms
  • health benefits
  • bioavailability
  • plant-based functional foods
  • LC-MS
  • metabolomics
  • structure–activity relationship

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
Back to TopTop