Production and Applications of Nature-Based Bioactive Compounds in Food, Cosmetic, Agricultural, and Pharmaceutical Sectors
A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2027
Special Issue Editors
Interests: antioxidants; bioactive compounds; exopolysaccharides; extremophilic microorganisms; green extractions; pigments; waste valorization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: antioxidants; eco-sustainable extraction methods; phenolic compounds; quali/quantitative analyses; waste valorization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Nature, in all its forms, represents an inexhaustible source of biologically active molecules with a wide range of potential applications across multiple sectors, including health, food, agriculture, and cosmetics. In recent years, growing concerns regarding human and animal health, as well as environmental sustainability, have driven a progressive shift from synthetic products—whose safety is increasingly debated—towards natural alternatives. This trend has stimulated an active and continuous search for new natural sources capable of providing bioactive compounds.
This Special Issue, titled “Production and Applications of Nature-Based Bioactive Compounds in Food, Cosmetic, Agricultural, and Pharmaceutical Sectors”, includes plant-based and microbial sources. Both sources have the potential to significantly contribute to the production and application of natural compounds that exhibit biological activities.
The aim of this Special Issue is to collect and present the latest advancements in the production, characterization, and application of bioactive compounds derived from natural sources in food, cosmetic, agricultural, and pharmaceutical sectors.
We invite researchers to submit their contributions in the form of original research papers or reviews. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Eco-sustainable extraction and characterization of plant-based bioactive compounds;
- Production and characterization of bioactive compounds from microorganisms (pigments, biopolymers, lipids, and carbohydrates);
- Evaluation of the biological properties of nature-based active products;
- Novel applications in the above-mentioned sectors.
Dr. Alessandra Morana
Dr. Giuseppe Squillaci
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 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
- agro-waste valorization
- anticancer activity
- antimicrobial compounds
- anti-inflammatory activity
- antioxidants
- bioactive compounds from microorganisms
- circular economy
- medicinal and aromatic plants
- nature-based active ingredients
- skin protection
- pigments
- biopolymers
- lipids
- carbohydrates
- food
- cosmetics
- agriculture
- pharmaceuticals
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