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Exploring the Antioxidant Activity of Natural Extracts: New Findings and Potential Food- and Non-Food-Related Applications

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 November 2026 | Viewed by 5045

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Victoria V. Volkis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Natural Sciences, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, MD 21853, USA
Interests: phytochemistry; materials science; applications in agriculture and food; antifouling; resin extraction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants have long been recognized for their medicinal properties, with antioxidants playing a crucial role in protecting cells from oxidative stress and related diseases, acting as radical scavengers. Antioxidants, particularly those derived from plant extracts, have gained significant attention due to their potential to mitigate these harmful effects and promote overall health. However, over the last decade, potential antioxidant sources have expanded, including algae, shells, milk, fish, fungi, and more.

Recent scientific advancements have focused on identifying and utilizing plant-derived antioxidants to enhance health and develop novel therapeutic applications. Studies have demonstrated that bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and carotenoids found in plant extracts exhibit strong antioxidant properties, making them valuable candidates for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and food preservation applications. The exploration of antioxidant activity in plant extracts offers a promising avenue for understanding their potential benefits in disease prevention and sustainable healthcare solutions. However, many of their potential applications lie outside of the pharmaceutical and biomedical fields, such as food preservation, cosmetics, packaging, antifouling protection, etc.

The Special Issue "Exploring the Antioxidant Activity of Natural Extracts: New Findings and Potential Food- and Non-Food-Related Applications" aims to advance the understanding of natural antioxidants derived from plant, microbial, and other biological sources. This issue will focus on identifying novel antioxidant compounds, optimizing extraction techniques, and evaluating their effectiveness in various applications. By highlighting both food-related and non-food-related uses, the issue seeks to bridge the gap between fundamental research and practical applications in industries such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, agriculture, and materials science. It presents the collection of the most recent findings in plants with extreme antioxidant content, also known as superfruits, best growth management practices correlated with the antioxidant yield from such fruits, innovating extraction and processing techniques and industrial technologies, nanotechnology polymeric and antifouling coatings with antioxidants incorporated, their use in environmental protection, and many other topics.

Molecules is an international, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to chemistry and its interdisciplinary applications. Its scope includes organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, natural products chemistry, materials science, and analytical chemistry. This Special Issue aligns with the journal’s scope by emphasizing the chemical characterization, bioactivity, and technological applications of antioxidant molecules. Given the journal’s commitment to publishing cutting-edge research, this issue will contribute valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms and industrial potential of natural antioxidants. 

By bridging fundamental research with applied science, this issue aims to accelerate the development of sustainable solutions utilizing natural antioxidants, fostering advancements across multiple disciplines.

As a part of this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Plant sources of antioxidants and best growth practices correlated with antioxidant yield
  • Superfruits and specialty crops for antioxidant extraction
  • Extraction and processing methods that preserve antioxidants
  • Proof of health benefits brought about by antioxidants. Examples: anti-obesity, anti-inflammation, anti-cancer, anti-viral activities, etc.
  • Food processing to create products rich in antioxidants
  • Non-food-related applications of antioxidants. Examples: antifouling protection, immune boosters for other plants, and conductive elements of batteries
  • New biomedical applications of antioxidants

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Victoria V. Volkis
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 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. Molecules 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 2700 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

  • natural antioxidants
  • superfruits
  • specialty crops
  • polyphenols
  • flavonoids
  • tannins
  • anthocyanins
  • carotenoids
  • vitamins
  • phytochemistry
  • extraction techniques
  • processing
  • functional food
  • sustainable technology
  • technical applications
  • antifouling
  • obesity
  • inflammation
  • diabetes
  • cosmetics
  • pharmaceuticals
  • environmental protection
  • material science
  • radical scavenging
  • nutraceuticals

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

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 3037 KB  
Article
Changes in Resveratrol Containing Phytosterol Liposomes During Model Heating
by Joanna Igielska-Kalwat, Magdalena Rudzińska, Anna Grygier, Dominik Kmiecik, Katarzyna Cieślik-Boczula and Jolanta Tomaszewska-Gras
Molecules 2025, 30(23), 4645; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30234645 - 3 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 712
Abstract
Background: Phytosterols are bioactive lipids susceptible to oxidation, particularly under thermal stress. Incorporation into liposomes may enhance their stability, while resveratrol—a natural antioxidant—could further limit thermal degradation. Stigmasterol esters, which contain fatty acid residues prone to oxidation, require additional characterization to understand their [...] Read more.
Background: Phytosterols are bioactive lipids susceptible to oxidation, particularly under thermal stress. Incorporation into liposomes may enhance their stability, while resveratrol—a natural antioxidant—could further limit thermal degradation. Stigmasterol esters, which contain fatty acid residues prone to oxidation, require additional characterization to understand their behavior under heating. Methods: Liposomes composed of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) were enriched with free stigmasterol (ST), stigmasteryl myristate (ME), or stigmasteryl oleate (OE), with or without resveratrol (RES). Liposomal systems were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, zeta potential, and hydrodynamic diameter analyses. Samples were heated at 60 °C and 180 °C for 8 h to evaluate stigmasterol degradation, oxyphytosterol (SOP) formation, and decomposition of fatty acid residues in the esters. Results: Liposomes remained structurally stable at 60 °C but underwent marked alterations at 180 °C. ST formed the smallest particles, while ME and OE systems exhibited larger hydrodynamic diameters. Incorporation of resveratrol enhanced thermal and oxidative stability, reducing stigmasterol degradation (7.73–18.86% at 60 °C; 29.66–35.28% at 180 °C) and limiting SOP formation. Differences in the breakdown of myristic versus oleic acid residues highlighted the role of fatty acid type in determining thermal resistance. Conclusions: Resveratrol effectively improves the stability of liposomes containing stigmasterol or its esters and mitigates oxidative damage under thermal stress. Protective effects were particularly evident at moderate temperatures, indicating the potential of resveratrol–phytosterol liposomes as thermally stable delivery systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring the Antioxidant Activity of Natural Extracts: New Findings and Potential Food- and Non-Food-Related Applications)
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Review

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45 pages, 3419 KB  
Review
Solvent-Based Extraction Recovers Phytochemicals from Medicinal Plants Demonstrating Anticancer and Chemopreventive Potential: A Review
by Cecile Ojong, Samuel A. Besong and Alberta N. A. Aryee
Molecules 2026, 31(7), 1202; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31071202 - 4 Apr 2026
Viewed by 483
Abstract
Cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, with current therapies often limited by toxicity, drug resistance, and reduced efficacy in advanced stages. Medicinal plants represent important sources of bioactive compounds (BACs) with anticancer and chemopreventive potential; however, their successful application [...] Read more.
Cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, with current therapies often limited by toxicity, drug resistance, and reduced efficacy in advanced stages. Medicinal plants represent important sources of bioactive compounds (BACs) with anticancer and chemopreventive potential; however, their successful application is strongly influenced by extraction strategies that determine phytochemical recovery and downstream biological activity. This review evaluates solvent-based extraction techniques used to extract BACs from medicinal plants with reported anticancer properties, synthesizing peer-reviewed articles from PubMed and Google Scholar published between 2020 and 2025. Solvent-based methods, including Soxhlet and maceration, were most widely applied due to their operational simplicity and the preservation of structurally diverse metabolites while percolation, decoction, infusion, and hydro-distillation were sparsely utilized. Extraction strategy and solvent polarity emerged as primary factors shaping phytochemical profiles, with phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids identified as dominant classes. Reported half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) ranged from highly potent (0.12 µg/mL) to weak (30,000 µg/mL), reflecting variability driven by extraction parameters and plant matrix complexity. Anticancer mechanisms commonly involved apoptosis induction, cell-cycle arrest, reactive oxygen species-mediated cytotoxicity, and inhibition of proliferative signaling pathways across breast, cervical, colon, lung, liver, and prostate cancer models. Although solvent-based extraction approaches remain widely used, their context-dependent nature and lack of standardization limit reproducibility. Overall, anticancer and chemotherapeutic efficacy is primarily governed by BAC composition, while extraction methods act as upstream modulators. Future progress requires phytochemical-informed, standardized workflows supported by hybrid extraction systems, AI-assisted optimization, and advanced bioavailability and delivery systems to enable reproducible and clinically relevant translation of plant-derived chemotherapeutics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring the Antioxidant Activity of Natural Extracts: New Findings and Potential Food- and Non-Food-Related Applications)
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52 pages, 5252 KB  
Review
Enhanced Bioavailability and Health Benefits of Blueberry Anthocyanins: An Updated Review on Mechanisms and Approaches
by Rabia Ramzan, Zafarullah Muhammad, Adnan Amjad, Hafiz Rizwan Sharif, Guoqiang Zhang and Ana Chen
Molecules 2026, 31(5), 793; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31050793 - 27 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1151
Abstract
Blueberries are highly valued for their nutritional content, primarily due to their high anthocyanin content, which is the principal bioactive compound contributing to their health-enhancing properties. Extensive research has established that blueberry anthocyanins exhibit significant antioxidant activity and confer various health benefits, including [...] Read more.
Blueberries are highly valued for their nutritional content, primarily due to their high anthocyanin content, which is the principal bioactive compound contributing to their health-enhancing properties. Extensive research has established that blueberry anthocyanins exhibit significant antioxidant activity and confer various health benefits, including anti-cardiovascular, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects, as well as enhancements in cognitive function and visual acuity. Nonetheless, the chemical instability of anthocyanins, influenced by environmental factors such as temperature, light, oxygen, pH, and enzymatic activity, presents a substantial challenge for their effective application, leading to reduced stability, limited bioavailability, and decreased efficacy in functional foods and nutraceuticals. Using a defined search strategy focused on recent advances, this review synthesizes the chemical structures, biological activities, and health benefits of blueberry anthocyanins and critically examines strategies to improve their stability and bioavailability, including nanoparticulate systems, microencapsulation, based on delivery systems like protein, polysaccharides, liposomes, multiple emulsions, and composite delivery systems. Additionally, this review underscores the current research status and translational prospects for the industrial application of blueberry anthocyanins while also considering key scalability issues, including carrier regulation, sensory effects, and shelf-life stability. Developing practical approaches to enhance anthocyanin stability and bioavailability is crucial for maximizing their therapeutic potential and advancing the use of blueberries as functional foods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring the Antioxidant Activity of Natural Extracts: New Findings and Potential Food- and Non-Food-Related Applications)
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28 pages, 3164 KB  
Review
From Broad-Spectrum Health to Targeted Prevention: A Review of Functional Foods in Chronic Disease Management
by Xinyun Zhang, Qinghua Zeng and Wanchong He
Molecules 2026, 31(1), 103; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31010103 - 26 Dec 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1503
Abstract
Chronic diseases, characterized by their high prevalence and protracted course, represent a paramount challenge to global public health, necessitating effective, evidence-based preventive strategies. While functional foods are widely recognized for their potential, a comprehensive synthesis elucidating their multitargeted mechanisms within a “food-medicine homology” [...] Read more.
Chronic diseases, characterized by their high prevalence and protracted course, represent a paramount challenge to global public health, necessitating effective, evidence-based preventive strategies. While functional foods are widely recognized for their potential, a comprehensive synthesis elucidating their multitargeted mechanisms within a “food-medicine homology” framework and a clear trajectory from broad-spectrum health promotion to targeted intervention remains lacking. This review bridges this critical gap by systematically evaluating the scientific evidence and application potential of functional foods, with a specific focus on key bioactive compounds—β-glucan, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), dietary fiber, and catechins. We provide a critical analysis of how these components orchestrate synergistic effects at molecular, cellular, and systemic levels to counteract core pathological processes, including oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, metabolic dysregulation, and gut microbiota imbalance. Our unique contribution lies in integrating the ancient wisdom of food-medicine homology with modern multi-omics and evidence-based research, thereby proposing a refined nutritional intervention paradigm. The review offers critical insights into the convergent actions of these bioactives, their dose-response relationships substantiated by clinical meta-analyses, and the emerging role of gut microbiota-derived metabolites. Furthermore, this review also explores the emerging evidence for synergistic interactions among these key bioactives, proposing that their combined use may yield amplified and more network-based protective effects against chronic diseases through complementary mechanisms, aims to develop integrated prevention strategies targeting both cardiometabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. The integrated prevention strategies systematically connect mechanistic insights into bioactive compounds, evaluates the strength of clinical evidence, and examines the implications for regulatory standards and societal acceptance, thereby bridging the gap between basic science, clinical application, and public health policy. The “mechanism-to-evidence-to-regulation” framework in this review links molecular insights with clinical validation and regulatory implications, offering a holistic perspective rarely addressed in existing literature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring the Antioxidant Activity of Natural Extracts: New Findings and Potential Food- and Non-Food-Related Applications)
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