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Novel Edible Proteins: Strategies for Improving Nutrient Bioavailability

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 March 2026 | Viewed by 4

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food and Nutrition Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Interests: food science; food technology; nutrition; product development; protein; fermentation and bioavailability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food and Nutrition Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Interests: food science; food technology; nutrition; saccharides; protein; food analysis and bioavailability

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Novel edible proteins, sourced from plants, insects, fungi, algae, and even animal cells, are emerging as key ingredients in the future of food due to their sustainability, health benefits, and functional properties. These alternative protein sources are gaining significant attention as the global population increases and the need for environmentally sustainable and nutritionally adequate foods intensifies. However, their broader application is often limited by their poor nutritional and sensorial properties, such as poor digestibility, undesirable tastes and textures, and the presence of anti-nutritional factors. Addressing these challenges is essential to unlocking the full nutritional and functional potential of novel protein sources. 

This Special Issue invites contributions focused on innovative strategies to improve the nutrient bioavailability of novel protein sources. We welcome work exploring chemical, physical, biological, and technological approaches aimed at improving digestion, absorption, nutrient release, and functional utility in the human body. 

Topics of interest include but are not limited to protein structural modification, chemical modification, fermentation, enzymatic processing, protein–matrix interactions, and in vitro/in vivo assessments of bioavailability. Interdisciplinary work linking food chemistry, processing, materials science, biotechnology, and nutrition is especially encouraged.

Dr. Yaqin Wang
Dr. Ndegwa Henry Maina
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 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. 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

  • proteins
  • nutrient
  • bioavailability
  • protein modification
  • fermentation
  • chemistry
  • digestion
  • digestibility
  • anti-nutritional factors
  • health

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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