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Natural Antioxidants in Functional Food

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2025 | Viewed by 3550

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Departamento de Ingeniería en Alimentos, Colegio de Ciencias e Ingenierías, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito 170157, Ecuador
Interests: liquid chromatography; chromatography; antioxidant activity; biochemistry; natural product chemistry; food chemistry; extraction; diabetes; mass spectrometry; nutrition
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Guest Editor
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Interests: food science and technology; vegetable food products; functional foods and health claims
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Guest Editor
School of Dentistry and Medical Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Locked Bag 588, Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia
Interests: dietary antioxidants; functional foods; meatbolic diseases; oxidative stress; food chemistry
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Antioxidants present in functional foods constitute a topic of great interest. They are at the heart of various fields of research due to their potential to prevent various pathologies, such as non-communicable chronic degenerative diseases related to aging, oxidative stress, and even poor lifestyle choices. Among the main biological mechanisms of antioxidants are their ability to inhibit the oxidation of macromolecules and protect the organism from the deleterious effect of free radicals and reactive species. In food, antioxidants that are naturally present, intentionally added, or have their content increased by biotechnological or genetic improvement techniques (e.g., vitamin C, tocopherols, carotenoids, or anthocyanins) that contribute to increasing the food’s functional effect and therefore enhance its biological effect on consumers. Antioxidants also delay or prevent food degradation and rancidity, preserving quality and extending the food’s useful life. This is precisely the current direction that the food industry is taking as a response to new trends of consumers, who are increasingly aware that a diet rich in antioxidants is directly related to good health and well-being.

In this Special Issue of Molecules, we would like to bring together original research articles and up-to-date reviews (systematic reviews and meta-analyses), opinion papers, and letters to the editor that address issues related to natural antioxidants and their sources, as well as their role in functional foods and their relationship with human and animal health.

For this Special Issue, we will especially welcome manuscripts that address: (i) exotic foods as new foods; (ii) the extraction, isolation, characterization, identification, and quantification of antioxidant molecules from novel and exotic foods; (iii) the bioactivity, bioaccessibility, and bioavailability of antioxidants; (iv) their action mechanisms and interaction with other components of the food matrix of origin or of other foods; and (v) analytical techniques and in vitro, in vivo, and in silico tests for their characterization.

Dr. José Miguel Álvarez-Suárez
Prof. Dr. Montana Camara
Dr. Abishek Santhakumar
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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
  • bioactive compounds
  • functional foods
  • novel foods
  • exotic foods
  • health and nutrition claims

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 4112 KiB  
Article
Impact of Processing on the Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Activity of Sorghum bicolor L. Moench
by Aduba Collins, Abishek Santhakumar, Sajid Latif, Kenneth Chinkwo, Nidhish Francis and Christopher Blanchard
Molecules 2024, 29(15), 3626; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29153626 - 31 Jul 2024
Viewed by 755
Abstract
Sorghum, a cereal grain rich in nutrients, is a major source of phenolic compounds that can be altered by different processes, thereby modulating their phenolic content and antioxidant properties. Previous studies have characterised phenolic compounds from pigmented and non-pigmented varieties. However, the impact [...] Read more.
Sorghum, a cereal grain rich in nutrients, is a major source of phenolic compounds that can be altered by different processes, thereby modulating their phenolic content and antioxidant properties. Previous studies have characterised phenolic compounds from pigmented and non-pigmented varieties. However, the impact of processing via the cooking and fermentation of these varieties remains unknown. Wholegrain flour samples of Liberty (WhiteLi1 and WhiteLi2), Bazley (RedBa1 and RedBa2), Buster (RedBu1 and RedBu2), Shawaya black (BlackSb), and Shawaya short black 1 (BlackSs) were cooked, fermented, or both then extracted using acidified acetone. The polyphenol profiles were analysed using a UHPLC-Online ABTS and QTOF LC-MS system. The results demonstrated that combining the fermentation and cooking of the BlackSs and BlackSb varieties led to a significant increase (p < 0.05) in total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activities, as determined through DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS assays. The 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity of WhiteLi1, BlackSb, RedBu2, and BlackSs increased by 46%, 32%, 25%, and 10%, respectively, post fermentation and cooking. Conversely, fermentation only or cooking generally resulted in lower phenolic content and antioxidant levels than when samples were fully processed compared to raw. Notably, most of the detected antioxidant peaks (53 phenolic compounds) were only detected in fermented and cooked black and red pericarp varieties. The phenolic compounds with the highest antioxidant activities in pigmented sorghum included 3-aminobenzoic acid, 4-acetylburtyic acid, malic acid, caffeic acid, and luteolin derivative. Furthermore, the growing location of Bellata, NSW, showed more detectable phenolic compounds following processing compared to Croppa Creek, NSW. This study demonstrates that sorghum processing releases previously inaccessible polyphenols, making them available for human consumption and potentially providing added health-promoting properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Antioxidants in Functional Food)
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Review

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18 pages, 1521 KiB  
Review
A Review of Foods of Plant Origin as Sources of Vitamins with Proven Activity in Oxidative Stress Prevention according to EFSA Scientific Evidence
by María Ciudad-Mulero, Laura Domínguez, Patricia Morales, Virginia Fernández-Ruiz and Montaña Cámara
Molecules 2023, 28(21), 7269; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28217269 - 25 Oct 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1684
Abstract
Beyond their nutritional benefits, vitamins could decrease the risk of chronic diseases due to their potent antioxidant capacity. The present work is aimed at reviewing the state of the art regarding (1) the vitamins involved in oxidative stress prevention in accordance with the [...] Read more.
Beyond their nutritional benefits, vitamins could decrease the risk of chronic diseases due to their potent antioxidant capacity. The present work is aimed at reviewing the state of the art regarding (1) the vitamins involved in oxidative stress prevention in accordance with the requirements established by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and (2) the foods of plant origin that are sources of those vitamins and have potential benefits against oxidative stress in humans. According to the European regulations based on EFSA scientific evidence, riboflavin, vitamin C, and vitamin E are those vitamins subjected to the approved health claim “contribute to the protection of cells from oxidative stress”. Scientific studies conducted in humans with some natural food sources of riboflavin (almonds, wheat germ, mushrooms, oat bran), vitamin C (guava, kale, black currant, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, orange), and vitamin E (hazelnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachio nuts, extra virgin olive oil, dates, rye) have been performed and published in the literature. However, no food of plant origin has obtained a favorable EFSA opinion to substantiate the approval of health claims related to its potential properties related to oxidative stress prevention. Further studies (concretely, well-controlled human intervention studies) must be carried out in accordance with EFSA requirements to provide the highest level of scientific evidence that could demonstrate the potential relationship between foods of plant origin and antioxidant capacity. This review could be useful for the scientific community to study the application of health claims referring to the antioxidant capacity potentially exerted by foods of plant origin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Antioxidants in Functional Food)
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