Functional Gels Loaded With Natural Products (2nd Edition)

Dear Colleagues,

Building on the success of the first edition, we are excited to launch a broader second edition of our Special Issue “Functional Gels Loaded with Natural Products”.

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/gels/special_issues/1QR2YWBCQA

In consideration of the fact that gels are increasingly applied in the production of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food systems, this Special Issue intends to review the quality of gels and assess their biological activity through in vitro scientific study.

Currently, researchers are examining and practically applying hydrogels, for which natural and synthetic gelling agents are used to gelify aqueous phases. On the other hand, oleogels, due to their acceptable rheological and sensory properties and ability to incorporate lipophilic active substances, have also shown strong potential for application in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries. Gels can be used both externally and internally, and both edible gels and in situ local-effect gels are currently receiving increasing attention. The choice of gelling agent depends on the intended use of the gel and the active substances to be incorporated. Natural components are selected for gel composition based on their biological properties, with natural extracts or biologically active compounds with anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties often incorporated. Gels loaded with natural products must be stable, release active compounds, and exhibit suitable physicochemical properties. When selecting plant extracts, significant attention is paid to their chemical composition analysis and standardization.

This Special Issue aims to gather the latest data on the modeling and quality assessment of hydrogels, oleogels, and in situ gels; the chemical composition of incorporated natural components; biological activity; in vitro release studies of active compounds.

Prof. Dr. Kristina Ramanauskienė
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. Gels is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2100 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.