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Functional Foods Enriched with Natural Bioactive Compounds

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 587

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Department of Chemistry and Biodynamics of Food, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of Polish Academy of Sciences, 10-748 Olsztyn, Poland
2. Institute of Food Technology of Plant Origin, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 31 Wojska Polskiego Street, 60-624 Poznań, Poland
Interests: food science and nutrition; food chemistry; bioactive compounds; nutritional interventions; clinical trials; volatile organic compounds; gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Functional foods offer health benefits that extend beyond basic nutrition. These foods are often enriched with additional nutrients or contain bioactive compounds that can enhance health and reduce the risk of disease. Natural bioactive compounds, found in plants, animals, and other organisms, exhibit biological activity in the body. Compounds such as flavonoids, polyphenols, and carotenoids provide various health benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects. They are crucial in protecting cells from damage, supporting the immune system, and lowering the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.

The growing interest in developing new functional foods and products fortified with bioactive compounds from natural sources underscores the importance of this field. Utilizing by-products that still contain bioactive compounds can not only improve the taste and properties of food products but also reduce the environmental burden of waste.

This Special Issue aims to cover a broad range of topics, including the development of new functional products, quality assessment of fortified products, sensory analysis of functional foods, chemical composition of natural ingredients, valorization of by-products, long-term health effects of consuming functional foods, the bioavailability of bioactive compounds, and the economic feasibility of large-scale production.

Dr. Natalia Drabińska
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • functional food
  • bioactive compounds
  • phytochemicals
  • fortification
  • valorization
  • by-products
  • polyphenols
  • glucosinolates
  • gluten-free
  • probiotics
  • prebiotics
  • health benefits
  • sensory analysis
  • bioavailability

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

21 pages, 874 KiB  
Article
Functional Fruit Snacks Enriched with Natural Sources of Fructooligosaccharides: Composition, Bioactive Compounds, Biological Activity, and Consumer Acceptance
by Paulina Nowicka, Michalina Marcińczak, Martyna Szydłowska and Aneta Wojdyło
Molecules 2025, 30(12), 2507; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30122507 - 7 Jun 2025
Viewed by 53
Abstract
This study aimed to develop innovative fruit leather with programmed health-promoting properties, enriched with fructooligosaccharides (FOS) from chicory and Jerusalem artichoke. Their physicochemical properties were assessed, including the profile of polyphenolic compounds, pro-health effects, and sensory characteristics. The products contained various fruits (including [...] Read more.
This study aimed to develop innovative fruit leather with programmed health-promoting properties, enriched with fructooligosaccharides (FOS) from chicory and Jerusalem artichoke. Their physicochemical properties were assessed, including the profile of polyphenolic compounds, pro-health effects, and sensory characteristics. The products contained various fruits (including pear, red currant, peach, and haskap berry) and 10% FOS powders. It was shown that the addition of FOS reduced acidity and total sugar content while increasing fiber content—especially fructans—and selected minerals (K, Mg, Zn). The addition of FOS also modulated the profile of polyphenolic compounds, whereas fruit leather without FOS was characterized by a higher concentration of these compounds. It was shown that the addition of chicory significantly modulates the ability to inhibit α-glucosidase. At the same time, in the case of the Jerusalem artichoke, the inhibition efficiency depends on the type of fruit matrix. Sensory-wise, the highest scores were given to recipes without FOS additives, with Jerusalem artichoke being better accepted than chicory. The results indicate the potential of using FOS as a functional additive, but their effects on taste and texture require further optimization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Foods Enriched with Natural Bioactive Compounds)
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