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Bioactive Compounds in Food: Extraction and Characterization

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2027 | Viewed by 2760

Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Food Product Quality, Cracow University of Economics, 30-033 Krakow, Poland
Interests: traditional, regional and organic foods; bioactive compounds in foods; enriched bakery products; food product development; food quality; food authentication
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Guest Editor
Department of Food Chemistry and Analysis, Institute of Food Technology and Food Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, D-13355 Berlin, Germany
Interests: food proteins; secondary plant metabolites; compound stability and interactions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bioactive compounds naturally present in food matrices are crucial not only for nutritional value but also for promoting health and preventing degenerative diseases. It is well-known that their beneficial effects are strongly related to their chemical structure, concentration, and interactions with other food components. Identifying, isolating, and characterizing these compounds is therefore essential to fully understand their functionality, the (biochemical) molecular mechanisms behind them, and potential applications.

Recent advances in analytical methodologies, extraction techniques, and separation technologies have opened up new opportunities for the recovery and precise characterization of bioactive compounds from a wide range of food sources. Innovative approaches such as green extraction techniques, advanced chromatographic and spectroscopic tools, as well as omics-based strategies allow for us to better understand their diversity, stability, and bioavailability. At the same time, challenges remain regarding the optimization of extraction yields, preservation of biological activity, and ensuring reproducibility and scalability for industrial applications.

This Special Issue of Molecules aims to gather cutting-edge research and comprehensive reviews addressing the extraction, isolation, purification, and structural characterization of food bioactive compounds. We warmly welcome contributions that focus on the following topics:

  • Novel and sustainable extraction techniques for bioactive compounds from plant, animal, and microbial sources;
  • Analytical methods for identification, quantification, and structural elucidation;
  • Studies on stability, interactions, and transformations during processing and storage;
  • Case studies linking extraction and characterization with potential health benefits or functional food applications.

We invite the submission of both original research articles and reviews that broaden our understanding of the extraction and characterization of food bioactive compounds and the role that they play in food science and human health.

Dr. Michał Halagarda
Prof. Dr. Sascha Rohn
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized 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
  • food matrices
  • extraction techniques
  • green technologies
  • analytical characterization
  • structural elucidation
  • stability and bioavailability
  • functional food applications

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 2270 KB  
Article
Brewing-Method-Dependent Changes in the Bioactive Compound Profile and Antioxidant Potential of Coffee Beverages
by Magdalena Sęk, Urszula Cięciel, Małgorzata Tkacz, Sascha Rohn and Michał Halagarda
Molecules 2026, 31(12), 2163; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31122163 - 19 Jun 2026
Viewed by 1047
Abstract
Coffee is an important dietary source of bioactive antioxidant compounds contributing to the antioxidant properties of coffee beverages. While brewing affects yield of total antioxidants, it is still not really clear which individual (phenolic) compounds contribute to the antioxidant activity the most. A [...] Read more.
Coffee is an important dietary source of bioactive antioxidant compounds contributing to the antioxidant properties of coffee beverages. While brewing affects yield of total antioxidants, it is still not really clear which individual (phenolic) compounds contribute to the antioxidant activity the most. A method combining chromatographic separation and individual antioxidant evaluation might therefore be useful. This study aimed at evaluating the antioxidant potential of the compounds in coffee beverages using a high-performance liquid chromatography approach directly coupled to the well-known trolox equivalent antioxidative capacity (TEAC) assay (HPLC-onlineTEAC). The study further evaluated the influence of different brewing methods (‘Americano’, ‘V60’, ‘French press’, and ‘cold brew’) on the bioactive compound profile and antioxidant potential of Arabica coffee beverages. The brewing method significantly affected caffeine content, chlorogenic acid composition, total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant activity of the analyzed beverages (p < 0.05). Cold brew samples exhibited the highest total radical scavenging activity and concentrations of major caffeoylquinic acid isomers (3-CQA, 4-CQA, and 5-CQA). In contrast, “French-pressed” beverages were characterized by the highest TPC values, while V60 samples generally showed the lowest antioxidant-related parameters. Chlorogenic acids accounted for more than 84% of the total antioxidant potential of all analyzed beverages, whereas monocaffeoylquinic acids represented the dominant fraction responsible for radical-scavenging activity. The results indicate that prolonged low-temperature extraction favors the recovery and preservation of highly reactive chlorogenic acid isomers and contributes to the enhanced antioxidant potential of coffee beverages, beyond the effect of coffee dose alone. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compounds in Food: Extraction and Characterization)
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18 pages, 1009 KB  
Article
Potential of North American Acorns as an Underutilized Food Source: Morphology, Nutritional Composition and Content of Bioactive Compounds in Quercus virginiana Acorns of Different Natural Populations
by José Valero-Galván, Oscar A. Muñoz-Bernal, Raquel González-Fernández, Jesús V. Jorrín-Novo and Laura A. De la Rosa
Molecules 2026, 31(9), 1438; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31091438 - 27 Apr 2026
Viewed by 547
Abstract
Quercus acorns have been part of animal or human diets; however, their nutritional potential depends on morphological and chemical characteristics highly influenced by genetic and geographical factors. Research on the Quercus genus has focused on Asian and European species overlooking the American taxa. [...] Read more.
Quercus acorns have been part of animal or human diets; however, their nutritional potential depends on morphological and chemical characteristics highly influenced by genetic and geographical factors. Research on the Quercus genus has focused on Asian and European species overlooking the American taxa. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the morphological and nutritional characteristics, and the content and profile of bioactive compounds of acorns from four populations of the American species Quercus virginiana from the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. Discriminant function analysis showed a well-established group formed by the two southern populations (CH), while the two northern populations were separated into different groups (CJA and CJB). CH populations showed smaller seeds (1.4 g, 2.0 cm length) and higher starch (57–58%), oleic acid (65–70%), phenolic compounds (78–176 mg GAE/g), flavonoids (29–37 mg CE/g), and antioxidant activity (278–282 μmol TE/g). Acorns from the CJA population were the largest (2.3 g, 2.4 cm length) and displayed the highest protein content (7.0%). Acorns from the CJB population showed the highest values for ash (2.2%), sugars (13.8%), palmitic and linoleic acids (19.1%), and condensed tannins (0.26 CE/g). Fourteen polyphenolic compounds were identified: twelve hydrolysable tannins; one hydroxycinnamic acid, and one flavonol. These variations reflected the impact of local climatic and geographic conditions and may influence the potential use of Quercus acorns in sustainable agriculture and food development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compounds in Food: Extraction and Characterization)
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Review

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21 pages, 2389 KB  
Review
Cannabidiol in Dietary Supplements: Characteristics, Routes of Administration, Bioavailability, and Research Challenges
by Angelika Talar-Śpionek, Edyta Juszczuk-Kubiak and Marek Roszko
Molecules 2026, 31(13), 2385; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31132385 - 7 Jul 2026
Viewed by 552
Abstract
Cannabidiol (CBD) has gained increasing attention as an ingredient in dietary supplements and functional foods due to its potential health-promoting properties. As a major non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid derived from Cannabis sativa L., CBD has been associated with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects. However, its [...] Read more.
Cannabidiol (CBD) has gained increasing attention as an ingredient in dietary supplements and functional foods due to its potential health-promoting properties. As a major non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid derived from Cannabis sativa L., CBD has been associated with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects. However, its application in nutraceutical products remains challenging because of its low and variable oral bioavailability, limited long-term safety data, and ongoing regulatory requirements. In the European Union (EU), CBD-containing products are classified as Novel Foods and require a comprehensive safety assessment before market authorisation. This review summarises current knowledge on CBD in dietary supplements, providing an overview of its chemical characteristics, routes of administration, and the key factors influencing its absorption and pharmacokinetics. It also reviews the main CBD formulations available in dietary supplements, including oils, capsules, gummies, and e-liquids, with particular emphasis on their characteristics relevant to CBD stability and bioavailability, as well as current regulatory frameworks. Finally, the major scientific and technological challenges associated with CBD-containing dietary supplements are highlighted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioactive Compounds in Food: Extraction and Characterization)
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