Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.7
5.1
Journals
Foods
Special Issues
Delivery Systems for Improved Bioavailability of Bioactive Food Ingredients
foods-logo
Submit to Foods Review for Foods Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Delivery Systems for Improved Bioavailability of Bioactive Food Ingredients

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 (15 May 2026) | Viewed by 805

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jixian Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China
Interests: bioactive food ingredients; encapsulation technology; food physical processing; delivery system
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Chaoting Wen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China
Interests: food protein/polysaccharide-based delivery carrier; physical processing; liposome nanocarrier; precise food nutrition
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Many bioactive food ingredients possess significant health-promoting properties, yet their practical applications remain limited due to their low solubility, poor stability, and insufficient absorption in the human gastrointestinal tract. Overcoming these challenges is essential to enhancing their bioavailability and ensuring they exert their intended physiological effects. Recent advances in delivery systems have opened new pathways to protect sensitive bioactive compounds during processing, storage, and digestion while also facilitating their controlled release and improved uptake at target sites. This Special Issue aims to gather cutting-edge research and comprehensive reviews on the design, fabrication, and evaluation of novel delivery systems. We welcome contributions focusing on various encapsulation strategies, such as emulsion-based systems, nanoliposomes, nanoparticles, and hydrogels, that enhance the stability, solubility, and targeted delivery of bioactive food ingredients. Studies investigating the behavior of these systems under simulated gastrointestinal conditions, their interaction with biological barriers, and in vitro or in vivo bioavailability assessments are particularly encouraged. In addition to original research articles, insightful reviews that summarize recent developments, identify emerging trends, and discuss future directions in this rapidly evolving field are highly appreciated. This Special Issue seeks to provide a platform for academic and industrial researchers to share innovative ideas and practical solutions that can bridge the gap between laboratory research and real-world food applications.

Dr. Jixian Zhang
Dr. Chaoting Wen
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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

  • bioactive compounds
  • delivery systems
  • bioavailability
  • encapsulation stability
  • controlled release
  • functional foods
  • health benefits

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 (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

27 pages, 1657 KB  
Article
Valorization of Goat Blood: Hydrolysate Production, Identification, Stability, and Bioavailability upon Gastrointestinal Digestion of Peptides with Dual ACE and DPP-IV Inhibitory Properties
by Phanthipha Laosam, Yong Yue, Pichitpon Luasiri, Saranya Suwanangul, Nattapol Pongsamai, Daranee Chokchaichamnankit, Jisnuson Svasti, Chantragan Srisomsap, Mahmoud Rouabhia and Papungkorn Sangsawad
Foods 2026, 15(10), 1783; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15101783 - 18 May 2026
Abstract
Goat blood, a major slaughterhouse by-product, was systematically valorized into dual-function bioactive peptides through an optimized four-step process. Four blood preparations—whole blood (HB), anticoagulant-treated blood (HBS), red blood corpuscles (BC), and plasma (PM)—were subjected to heat pretreatment (90 °C, 15 min) and enzymatic [...] Read more.
Goat blood, a major slaughterhouse by-product, was systematically valorized into dual-function bioactive peptides through an optimized four-step process. Four blood preparations—whole blood (HB), anticoagulant-treated blood (HBS), red blood corpuscles (BC), and plasma (PM)—were subjected to heat pretreatment (90 °C, 15 min) and enzymatic hydrolysis. Neutrase hydrolysis of heat-pretreated whole blood at 8% substrate concentration for 4 h (HBN-8) yielded optimal protein recovery (44.38%) with dual ACE (88.24%) and DPP-IV (81.13%) inhibition. Ultrafiltration enriched bioactive peptides in the ≤3 kDa fraction (DPP-IV: 87.8%; ACE: 65.5%). LC-MS/MS de novo sequencing identified 14 novel peptide sequences (4–9 amino acids), with the most potent SEC fraction showing IC50 values of 0.89 and 0.45 mg Leu eq./mL for DPP-IV and ACE inhibition, respectively. Critically, simulated gastrointestinal digestion enhanced rather than diminished bioactivity, with ACE inhibition increasing progressively to 60.91% at the intestinal phase, supported by predicted generation of bioactive fragments from parent sequences. Caco-2 assays confirmed peptide safety (100–1000 µg/mL) and demonstrated 10.47% transepithelial transport with retained dual inhibitory activities. This study establishes goat blood as a sustainable source of orally bioavailable, GI-stable peptides for the development of functional foods targeting hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Delivery Systems for Improved Bioavailability of Bioactive Food Ingredients)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

36 pages, 23136 KB  
Review
Food-Grade Delivery Systems for Hepatoprotective Functional Foods: From Rational Design and Delivery Mechanisms to Industrial Processing and Nutritional Intervention
by Jieyu Wang, Ying Wang, Lingjun Tong, Guoyan Liu, Jixian Zhang, Xin Xu and Chaoting Wen
Foods 2026, 15(10), 1713; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15101713 - 13 May 2026
Viewed by 255
Abstract
The liver is a crucial metabolic organ in humans and is susceptible to oxidative stress, which can have an adverse impact on human health. Nutritional intervention with food-derived bioactive substances has the potential to improve liver health. However, their application in functional foods [...] Read more.
The liver is a crucial metabolic organ in humans and is susceptible to oxidative stress, which can have an adverse impact on human health. Nutritional intervention with food-derived bioactive substances has the potential to improve liver health. However, their application in functional foods is limited by low oral stability and bioavailability. Therefore, a food-grade oral delivery system is required to enhance their stability and utilization efficiency. This review summarizes the research progress on the use of foodborne bioactive substances through food-grade oral delivery systems for nutritional intervention in liver oxidative stress. Firstly, this review introduces the physiological basis of liver-enriched active substances in food and the design principles of food-grade carriers. Furthermore, we summarize the types of delivery systems, including protein-based systems, polysaccharide and protein–polysaccharide composite systems, and lipid and emulsion systems, as well as emerging food-derived structural carriers. Additionally, we outline the methods for evaluating liver exposure, such as simulated digestion, intestinal transport, and hepatocyte uptake. Finally, we discuss the potential applications of machine learning in carrier design and process optimization, and analyze challenges, including large-scale production, sensory quality, and food regulations. This review provides a comprehensive theoretical and technical foundation for the development of food-grade oral delivery systems, aiming to bridge the gap between advanced delivery technologies and practical industrial applications in the functional food sector. The insights presented are expected to accelerate the development of next-generation liver health-promoting foods with high bioavailability and stable nutritional effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Delivery Systems for Improved Bioavailability of Bioactive Food Ingredients)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop