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Green Extraction Methods: Unlocking Bioactive Potential for Natural Food Products...
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Green Extraction Methods: Unlocking Bioactive Potential for Natural Food Products and Functional Foods

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods, and Novel Foods".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 2594

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Alena Stupar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
University of Novi Sad, Institute of Food Technology, Bulevar cara Lazara 1, Novi Sad 21000, Serbia
Interests: functional food; bioactive compounds; green extraction techniques; natural products; food chemistry; food by-products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Aleksandra Mišan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
University of Novi Sad, Institute of Technology, Blvd. Cara Lazara 1, Novi Sad 21000, Serbia
Interests: functional food; bioactive compounds; green extraction techniques; natural products; food chemistry; food by-products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The extraction of bioactive compounds from agricultural and food materials is undergoing a significant shift towards eco-friendly approaches, placing a strong emphasis on sustainability and renewability. This transformation is motivated by the urgent need to mitigate the environmental and health impacts associated with conventional solvent extraction methods. As a result, there is a growing exploration of safer and more sustainable alternatives. Driven by the rising demand for natural food products and functional foods, the investigation of green extraction methods has gained substantial momentum. These methods not only strive to enhance the bioactive potential of natural compounds but also prioritize minimizing their ecological footprint.

This special issue focuses on the latest advancements in green extraction techniques such as supercritical fluid extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, and enzyme-assisted extraction. Additionally, it aims to explore optimization parameters to maximize yield and bioactivity while addressing sustainability concerns through energy efficiency, waste reduction, and eco-friendly solvents. Characterization of extracted bioactive compounds and their applications in functional foods, nutraceuticals, and dietary supplements will also be highlighted, alongside regulatory challenges and comparative studies against traditional extraction methods, providing a comprehensive overview.

Dr. Alena Stupar
Dr. Aleksandra Mišan
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

  • bioactive compounds
  • eco-friendly approaches
  • green extraction techniques
  • optimization parameters
  • eco-friendly solvents
  • food technology
  • functional foods

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1036 KiB  
Article
Unlocking the Functional Food Potential of Capparis spinosa: Optimizing Ultrasound Extraction, Phytochemical Analysis, and Assessing Antioxidative Activities
by Abdulhakim Naffati, Aleksandra Mišan, Saša Kenig, Katja Kramberger, Zala Jenko Pražnikar, Ana Petelin, Aleksandra Cvetanović Kljakić, Abdelmoumen Benmerzoug, Nasrien Elfarrah and Alena Stupar
Foods 2025, 14(10), 1768; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14101768 - 16 May 2025
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Abstract
This study explores the potential of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) for efficiently recovering bioactive compounds, particularly rutin, from the often-overlooked leaves of Capparis spinosa. By fine-tuning important extraction parameters such as ultrasound power, temperature, and ethanol concentration, this research achieved maximum yields of [...] Read more.
This study explores the potential of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) for efficiently recovering bioactive compounds, particularly rutin, from the often-overlooked leaves of Capparis spinosa. By fine-tuning important extraction parameters such as ultrasound power, temperature, and ethanol concentration, this research achieved maximum yields of total phenolic content and rutin, establishing these leaves as a sustainable and valuable source of phytochemicals for applications in functional foods, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis revealed a high rutin content (15.51 mg/g DW), accompanied by considerable amounts of quercetin-3-glucoside and catechin. In vitro assays revealed the extract’s strong antioxidative properties, effectively safeguarding Caco-2 and Hep G2 cells against oxidative stress and significantly lowering reactive oxygen species levels. Additionally, the extract enhanced the expression of vital antioxidative enzymes and demonstrated no toxicity at the tested concentrations, confirming its safety for dietary supplement use. These findings underscore the extract’s strong safety profile and notable bioefficacy, reinforcing its suitability for incorporation into health-oriented formulations such as functional foods, dietary supplements, or nutraceutical products. Beyond demonstrating biological relevance, this research also advances the sustainable valorization of Capparis spinosa leaf biomass—an underutilized resource with high phytochemical potential—while contributing to the development of innovative, plant-based strategies for disease prevention and overall health enhancement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Extraction Methods: Unlocking Bioactive Potential for Natural Food Products and Functional Foods)
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20 pages, 661 KiB  
Article
Novel Green Strategy to Recover Bioactive Compounds with Different Polarities from Horned Melon Peel
by Teodora Cvanić, Mirjana Sulejmanović, Milica Perović, Jelena Vulić, Lato Pezo, Gordana Ćetković and Vanja Travičić
Foods 2024, 13(18), 2880; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13182880 - 11 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1221
Abstract
Around 20–30% of the horned melon’s weight is peel. This peel is often discarded or underutilized despite containing valuable bioactive compounds. Conventional methods for extracting polyphenols and carotenoids from horned melon peel are typically inefficient, environmentally harmful, or require significant time and energy. [...] Read more.
Around 20–30% of the horned melon’s weight is peel. This peel is often discarded or underutilized despite containing valuable bioactive compounds. Conventional methods for extracting polyphenols and carotenoids from horned melon peel are typically inefficient, environmentally harmful, or require significant time and energy. The potential of green cloud point extraction (CPE) or green surfactant-based extraction for recovering bioactives with different polarities from this kind of by-product has not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, this study focused on optimizing CPE process parameters using a one-variable-at-a-time (OVAT) approach. Optimal CPE demonstrated superior yields compared to conventional, ultrasound, microwave, ultrasound-assisted CPE, and microwave-assisted CPE methods. Further, a Plackett–Burman design identified key factors influencing optimal CPE conditions, while artificial neural network (ANN) analysis assessed each input variable’s impact on outcomes. Maximum extraction efficiency for total phenolics (352.49 mg GAE/100 g), total carotenoids (16.59 mg β-carotene/100 g), and antioxidant activity (989.02 μmol TE/100 g) was achieved under conditions of: surfactant type = Tween 80, surfactant concentration = 2%; solid:liquid ratio = 1:100; pH = 6612; equilibration temperature = 35 °C; equilibration time = 60 min; salt type = NaCl; salt concentration = 16.4%; centrifugation speed = 7906× g ; centrifugation time = 13.358 min; and No. of CPE steps = Step 1. This comprehensive approach aimed to enhance the understanding and optimization of CPE for maximizing the recovery of bioactives from the horned melon peel, addressing the inefficiencies of traditional extraction methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Extraction Methods: Unlocking Bioactive Potential for Natural Food Products and Functional Foods)
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