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

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

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