Special Issue "Development of Functional Plant-Based Foods and Beverages"

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Processed Horticultural Products".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 18 March 2022.

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Maria Jose Frutos Fernandez
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Agro-Food Technology Department, Miguel Hernandez University, Ctra Beniel, Km 3-2, 03312 Alicante, Spain
Interests: polyphenols; functional foods; probiotics and prebiotics; fermented foods, food additives; food flavourings, plant extracts; antioxidants; food processing effects on composition; food chemistry; interactions of food components; bioactive compounds; encapsulation
Special Issues and Collections in MDPI journals
Dr. Estefanía Valero Cases
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Group on Quality and Safety, Food Technology Department, Miguel Hernández University, 03312 Orihuela, Spain
Interests: revalorization of vegetal by-products; vegetable metabolites; development of plant based functional food; nutritional and functional quality of vegetables and plant based products; probiotic microorganism; prebiotic; fermentation; microencapsulation; antioxidants; bioavailability; in vitro and in vivo studies; sensory analysis of foods; functional foods; bioactive compounds

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Currently, consumers are demanding functional foods to improve their health and prevent the development of diseases. Among healthy foods, plant foods are a good alternative for the development of functional foods since they present fewer religious limitations, greater cultural acceptance, and can be consumed by vegans and vegetarians. Plant matrices are a good alternative due to their high micro- and macronutrient contents, and are a rich source of bioactive compounds with health-promoting properties through their antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activities. At the same time, plant matrices can be produced in a sustainable and economical way from the waste and by-products of the vegetable agro-food industries, thus improving the reduction of food waste. Another alternative to improve the functional quality in plant-based foods and drinks would be by using probiotic microorganisms through fermentative processes. Therefore, different matrices should be investigated to increase the number of healthier plant-based drinks and foods on the market.

The aim of this Special Issue is to compile recent research and high-quality review papers in the field of plant foods and drinks with high nutritional value and potential health effects. Topics include:

  • Bioavailability of bioactive compounds in vegetable matrices.
  • Control of bioactive compounds during processing and their functional quality during shelf-life.
  • In vitro and in vivo studies to evaluate the physiological effects and mechanisms of the bioactive compounds and ingredients in improving health.
  • Phytochemical characterization of plant-based functional foods and drinks.
  • Nutritional and functional quality of plant-based products.

Prof. Dr. Maria Jose Frutos Fernandez
Dr. Estefanía Valero Cases
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 papers will be 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. Horticulturae 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 1400 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

  • functional foods
  • health benefits
  • vegetable and fruit matrices
  • functional quality
  • nutritional quality
  • probiotic and prebiotic properties
  • vegetable metabolites

Published Papers

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