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Food Bioactive Compounds: Chemical Challenges and Opportunities, 2nd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 647

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Life Sciences “King Michael I” from Timisoara, Calea Aradului 119, 300645 Timisoara, Romania
Interests: microbiological analysis of multiple matrices; antimicrobial testing; obtaining extracts and essential oils; determination of plant chemical compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Life Sciences “King Michael I” from Timisoara, Calea Aradului 119, 300645 Timisoara, Romania
Interests: natural product chemistry; mass spectrometry; chromatography; esters; hydrazones;hydrazine; Schiff bases; synthesis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, there has been a growing need for both nutritional and healthy foods with superior functional properties. In this line, bioactive compounds are economically available in different foods systems, albeit with limitations in terms of quality and functionality.

The present Special Issue is placed in this context and aims to explore the following:

  1. The chemical characterisation of bioactive compounds (e.g., polyphenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids) and their importance in regard to stability, bioavailability, and efficacy.
  2. Novel methodology used in research to identify and quantify the bioactive compounds in food matrices.
  3. Their antimicrobial, antitumoral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties with implications in health.
  4. The importance of bioactive compounds in preventing food-related problems concerning food processing and preservation.
  5. New innovative opportunities regarding future applications in food technology, nutraceuticals, and functional foods for enhancement of the nutritional value and health benefits of foods.

In addition to presenting the importance of food bioactive compounds in functional foods and dietary supplements, this issue highlights the multidisciplinary character of the research, encompassing disciplines such as food science, microbiology, chemistry, pharmacology, and nutrition. Review articles providing an overview of the latest trends in this area of interest are also very welcome.

Dr. Diana Obistioiu
Dr. Iuliana Popescu
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

  • bioactive compounds
  • non-conventional extraction techniques
  • modern analytical methods
  • authenticity
  • molecular mechanism
  • functional properties
  • antimicrobial, antitumoral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 3226 KiB  
Article
Physical, Chemical, and Enzymatic Pretreatment of Spent Hops and Its Impact on Xanthohumol Extraction Yield
by Aleksandra Modzelewska, Mateusz Jackowski and Anna Trusek
Molecules 2025, 30(10), 2200; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30102200 - 18 May 2025
Viewed by 316
Abstract
Spent hops from the supercritical extraction process represent a valuable source of xanthohumol (XN), a prenylated flavonoid with demonstrated anticancer, antidiabetic, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, XN is thermally sensitive and readily isomerizes into the less bioactive iso-XN at elevated temperatures, necessitating mild [...] Read more.
Spent hops from the supercritical extraction process represent a valuable source of xanthohumol (XN), a prenylated flavonoid with demonstrated anticancer, antidiabetic, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, XN is thermally sensitive and readily isomerizes into the less bioactive iso-XN at elevated temperatures, necessitating mild extraction conditions. Previous studies have shown that the pretreatment of plant biomass can enhance the extraction efficiency of bioactive compounds. In this study, various pretreatment methods—including physical (freeze–thaw, ultrasound, and microwave), chemical (acid and base hydrolysis), and enzymatic approaches—were applied to spent hops prior to extraction, and XN yields were compared to those obtained from untreated samples. The experiments, performed in triplicate, yielded meaningful results which helped understand the raw material’s behavior in applied conditions. Due to the compound’s high thermal sensitivity, ultrasound and microwave pretreatments require precise control to prevent excessive temperature increases, making low-temperature methods more suitable. Additionally, exposure to elevated pH adversely affected XN extraction efficiency, limiting the applicability of strong alkaline pretreatments. Among the evaluated methods, freeze–thaw pretreatment proved to be a simple and effective strategy, enhancing XN extraction yields by up to 10.7 ± 0.7% through the optimization of soaking time, the solid-to-liquid ratio, and the thawing temperature. Identifying an inexpensive and efficient pretreatment method could reduce extraction time while improving yield, contributing to the sustainable utilization of spent hops as an XN source. Full article
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