Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
7.4
4.2
Journals
Molecules
Special Issues
Application of Analytical Methods in Food, Drug, and Natural Products...
molecules-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Molecules Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Application of Analytical Methods in Food, Drug, and Natural Products Research: Volume II

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 5606

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Alessandra Biancolillo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio Coppito, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Interests: data analysis; chemometrics; food analysis; data-fusion; spectroscopy; classification; variable selection; analytical chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Angelo Antonio D'Archivio

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio Coppito, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Interests: chromatographic analysis; application of chemometrics to data analysis and optimization; quantitative structure–property relationship methodology; food analysis; food traceability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural products, foods, and drugs are part of our daily lives, and, often, the boundary between one another is blurred. Traditionally, natural products have been used as possible alternatives to drugs, but they have attained increasing attention in the past few years. Today, natural products can be found in different areas, e.g., in cosmetics, for exploiting their potential beneficial effects, or in pharmaceutical formulations, for integrating possible deficiencies, to mention but a few fields of their application. Food can be viewed as a particular type of natural product. In fact, even in the gastronomic sector, there is growing interest in organic products, grown and harvested following environmentally friendly procedures. This interest in high-quality foodstuffs and natural products highlights the awareness of their use and assumptions regarding their salubrious effects on consumers. Despite the clear benefits that food and natural products can provide, there are situations in which it is necessary to develop synthetic pharmaceutical drugs. Consequently, on one hand, it is of interest to understand the characteristics and properties of food and natural products; on the other, it is still necessary for old and new drugs to be studied and developed to expand our resources for treating diseases and ailments. In light of these considerations, it is clear that analytical chemistry has a key role to play. It is its task to investigate these substances, characterize their properties, and evaluate any advantages or disadvantages of their intake.

The present Special Issue rests on this rationale and aims at collecting papers on the applications of analytical methodologies finalized for the characterization of food, natural products, and drugs. In light of this, the submission of research focused on the use of analytical tools to assess these products is highly encouraged. If they cover the same area of interest, reviews that provide an overview of the latest trends in this regard are also very welcome.

Dr. Alessandra Biancolillo
Prof. Dr. Angelo Antonio D'Archivio
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

  • food characterization
  • food quality check
  • natural products characterization
  • natural products’ properties
  • novel analytical methods in food/natural products analysis
  • drugs characterization
  • drugs quality check

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

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

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

18 pages, 9730 KiB  
Article
Influence of Sulfur Fumigation on Angelicae Dahuricae Radix: Insights from Chemical Profiles, MALDI-MSI and Anti-Inflammatory Activities
by Changshun Wang, Yongli Liu, Xiaolei Wang, Zhenhe Chen, Zhenxia Zhao, Huizhu Sun, Jian Su and Ding Zhao
Molecules 2025, 30(1), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30010022 - 25 Dec 2024
Viewed by 716
Abstract
Background: Angelicae Dahuricae Radix (ADR) is used as both a traditional Chinese medicine and a food ingredient in China and East Asian countries. ADR is generally sun-dried post-harvest but is sometimes sulfur-fumigated to prevent decay and rot. Although there are some studies on [...] Read more.
Background: Angelicae Dahuricae Radix (ADR) is used as both a traditional Chinese medicine and a food ingredient in China and East Asian countries. ADR is generally sun-dried post-harvest but is sometimes sulfur-fumigated to prevent decay and rot. Although there are some studies on the effect of sulfur fumigation on ADR, they are not comprehensive. Methods: This study used HPLC fingerprinting, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI), in vitro anti-inflammatory assays, and metabolite analysis in blood based on UPLC-MS/MS to assess the impact of sulfur fumigation on the active ingredients of ADR. Results: There were significant decreases in specific coumarins and amino acids, particularly byakangelicol, oxypeucedanin, L-proline, and L-arginine, following sulfur fumigation. Among the 185 metabolites in blood, there were 30 different compounds, and oxypeucedanin was the most obvious component to decrease after sulfur fumigation. ADR showed anti-inflammatory activity regardless of sulfur fumigation. However, the effects on the production of cytokines in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells were different. Conclusions: Chemometric analysis and in vitro anti-inflammatory studies suggested that byakangelicol and oxypeucedanin could serve as potential quality markers for identifying sulfur-fumigated ADR. These findings provide a chemical basis for comprehensive safety and functional evaluations of sulfur-fumigated ADR, supporting further research in this field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Analytical Methods in Food, Drug, and Natural Products Research: Volume II)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

12 pages, 2329 KiB  
Article
Detection of Total Aflatoxins in Herbal Medicines Based on Lateral Flow Assay with Contamination Ratio Model
by Xiao-Ya Qin, Rui Feng, Heng Zhou, Hui-Qin Pan, Hao Wang, Xiao-Jing Huang, Jian-Ying Shen, Qing Hu and Shen Ji
Molecules 2024, 29(24), 5827; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29245827 - 10 Dec 2024
Viewed by 882
Abstract
In this study, we developed a colloidal gold immunochromatographic strip (CGIS) method that used the matrix-matched calibration curves of contamination ratio models to quantitatively determine the total aflatoxin in five herbal medicines. This approach addresses issues related to false results and poor accuracy [...] Read more.
In this study, we developed a colloidal gold immunochromatographic strip (CGIS) method that used the matrix-matched calibration curves of contamination ratio models to quantitatively determine the total aflatoxin in five herbal medicines. This approach addresses issues related to false results and poor accuracy associated with conventional methods. The CGIS was analyzed using a Vertu touch reader, and the matrix-matched calibration was established based on the absorbance ratios of the T and C lines, as well as the logarithmic values of the total aflatoxin concentrations. The total aflatoxins could be accurately and digitally detected from 2.5 to 40 μg/kg, and the LOD of total aflatoxins was 1 μg/kg in the five herbal medicines. The recovery rates from the spiked samples ranged from 65.1% to 98.6%, and the RSD was less than 16.9%. A total of 229 samples were analyzed by both CGIS and HPLC-FLD, with agreement ranging from 78.4% to 132.6% (Arecae semen), 82.6% to 133.0% (Nelumbinis semen), 79.9% to 117.9% (Coicis semen), 78.1% to 119.0% (Platycladi semen), and 76.1% to 123.0% (Ziziphi spinosae semen). This process for the discrimination of the CGIS results was established to assess if samples met the requirement of aflatoxin limits, which could save approximately 75% in time and reduce the workload of retesting by a designated confirmatory reference method to less than 10%. This study demonstrated that the application of matrix-matched calibration curves based on contamination ratio models to CGIS can effectively enhance the rapid quantitative determination capability of total aflatoxins in herbal medicine matrices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Analytical Methods in Food, Drug, and Natural Products Research: Volume II)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

24 pages, 9523 KiB  
Article
Two Small Molecule Drugs with Topical Applications, Diflunisal and Naphazoline, and Their Potentially Toxic Photodegradants: Analysis by Chemical and Biological Methods
by Karolina Lejwoda, Anna Gumieniczek, Agata Filip and Beata Naumczuk
Molecules 2024, 29(17), 4122; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29174122 - 30 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1079
Abstract
Because of their topical application in patients and meaningful UV/VIS absorptive properties, the degradation and potential toxicity under irradiation of diflunisal (DIF) and naphazoline (NAF) were studied. In addition, the impact of pH on their photostability was examined, showing the highest degradation of [...] Read more.
Because of their topical application in patients and meaningful UV/VIS absorptive properties, the degradation and potential toxicity under irradiation of diflunisal (DIF) and naphazoline (NAF) were studied. In addition, the impact of pH on their photostability was examined, showing the highest degradation of acidic DIF at pH 1 and 13 and the highest degradation of basic NAF at pH below 7. An LC–UV analysis and chemical tests showed the first-order kinetics for their degradation and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). A UPLC-HRMS/MS analysis allowed us to identify four degradants of DIF (from DD-1 to DD-4) and six degradants of NAF (from ND-1 to ND-6). When Toxtree software was used, a high class III of toxicity was observed for DD-2, DD-3, and DD-4, and for all the NAF degradants. Furthermore, the ND-2 product, i.e., 2-[(1-methylnaphthalen-2-yl)methyl]-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole, was shown to present medium mutagenic and high tumorigenic effects according to OSIRIS Property Explorer. In addition, two in vitro tests on BALB/c 3T3 mouse fibroblasts showed a phototoxic effect of DIF and NAF at the lowest concentrations tested, i.e., 5 µg/mL. Thus, our present results could be useful to design further phototoxicity studies for DIF and NAF to minimize the risk of phototoxicity due to their photodegradation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Analytical Methods in Food, Drug, and Natural Products Research: Volume II)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 3455 KiB  
Article
Quality Marker Discovery and Quality Evaluation of Eucommia ulmoides Pollen Using UPLC-QTOF-MS Combined with a DPPH-HPLC Antioxidant Activity Screening Method
by Fengqian Guo, Yichun Yang, Yu Duan, Chun Li, Huimin Gao, Hongyu Liu, Qiping Cui, Zhongyuan Guo, Xiaoqian Liu and Zhimin Wang
Molecules 2023, 28(13), 5288; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28135288 - 7 Jul 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2198
Abstract
Pollen, as an important component of Eucommia ulmoides (EUP), is rich in nutrients and is receiving increasing attention. At present, there are no reports on research related to the chemical composition and quality standards of EUP, and there are significant quality differences and [...] Read more.
Pollen, as an important component of Eucommia ulmoides (EUP), is rich in nutrients and is receiving increasing attention. At present, there are no reports on research related to the chemical composition and quality standards of EUP, and there are significant quality differences and counterfeit phenomena in the market. This study used a UPLC-QTOF-MS system to identify 49 chemical components in EUP for the first time. In the second step, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)-HPLC antioxidant activity screening technology was used to identify the main active components of EUP, quercetin-3-O-sophoroside (QSH), quercetin-3-O-sambubioside (QSB), and quercetin 3-O-neohesperidoside (QNH), and their purification, preparation, and structure identification were carried out. Third, molecular docking was used to predict the activity of these components. Fourth, the intracellular ROS generation model of RAW264.7 induced by H2O2 was used to verify and evaluate the activity of candidate active ingredients to determine their feasibility as Q-markers. Finally, a quality control method for EUP was constructed using the three selected components as Q-markers. The identification of chemical components and the discovery, prediction, and confirmation of characteristic Q-markers in EUP provide important references for better research on EUP and the effective evaluation and control of its quality. This approach provides a new model for the quality control of novel foods or dietary supplements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Analytical Methods in Food, Drug, and Natural Products Research: Volume II)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop