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Molecules
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Extraction of Food and Natural Products: Techniques and Applications
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Extraction of Food and Natural Products: Techniques and Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2024) | Viewed by 3999

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Mena Ritota

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria (CREA) Centro di Ricerca Alimenti e Nutrizione Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy
Interests: analytical chemistry; food science; sample preparation; chromatography; spectroscopy; multivariate data analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Extraction of food and natural products dates back to ancient civilizations. Since then, and still today, it has been considered an important source of ingredients for nutritional, medicinal and aesthetic applications.

Different approaches can be used for the extraction of food and natural products. Conventional extraction techniques, such as maceration, decoction, leaching, percolation, digestion, distillation, etc., are commonly used. However, in recent years, the use of more efficient, environmentally friendly, and economically advanced extraction techniques has been increasing due to better yields and qualities of the extracts, and according to the principles of green revolution: ultrasound, microwave, sub or super-critical fluid, pulsed electric fields, and extrusion, represent only some examples for the extraction of foods and natural compounds with the aim of reducing extraction time, energy and solvent consumption.

All these techniques allow the extraction, and in some cases also the production (such as essential oils), of a large number of compounds, including enzymes, peptides, proteins, (poly)phenols, polysaccharides, flavones, terpenes, and so on. All these compounds show different activities: from the use as food ingredients, to the use of nutraceuticals, or for pharmacological applications.

This Special Issue aims at collecting and disseminating some of the most significant and recent contributions to research into extraction techniques of food and natural products and their practical applications for nutritional and pharmaceutical purposes.

Dr. Mena Ritota
Guest Editor

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

  • natural products
  • foods
  • extraction processes
  • analytical techniques
  • nutritional characteristics
  • pharmaceutical properties

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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16 pages, 2897 KiB  
Article
Optimization of Polysaccharide Extraction from Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua by Freeze–Thaw Method Using Response Surface Methodology
by Ziming Wang, Shushen Wu, Jiayi Wang, Ci Yang, Yang Wang, Zhan Hu, Wei Cai and Lianghong Liu
Molecules 2024, 29(20), 4879; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29204879 - 14 Oct 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1253
Abstract
Polygonatum cyrtonema polysaccharides have a variety of pharmacological effects. The commonly used extraction methods include traditional hot water extraction, alkaline extraction, enzymatic hydrolysis method, ultrasonic-assisted extraction, etc., but there are problems such as low yield, high temperature, high cost, strict extraction conditions, and [...] Read more.
Polygonatum cyrtonema polysaccharides have a variety of pharmacological effects. The commonly used extraction methods include traditional hot water extraction, alkaline extraction, enzymatic hydrolysis method, ultrasonic-assisted extraction, etc., but there are problems such as low yield, high temperature, high cost, strict extraction conditions, and insufficient environmental protection. In this study, crude polysaccharide extraction from the Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua was performed using the freeze–thaw method. Response surface methodology (RSM), based on a three-level, three-variable Box–Behnken design (BBD), was employed to obtain the best possible combination of water-to-raw material ratio (A: 30–50), freezing time (B: 2–10 h), and thawing temperature (C: 40–60 °C) for maximum polysaccharide extraction. Using the multiple regression analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA), the experimental data were fitted to a second-order polynomial equation and were used to generate the mathematical model of optimization experiments. The optimum extraction conditions were as follows: a water-to-raw material ratio of 36.95:1, a freezing time of 4.8 h, and a thawing temperature of 55.99 °C. Under the optimal extraction conditions, the extraction rate of Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua polysaccharide (PCP) was 65.76 ± 0.32%, which is well in close agreement with the value predicted by the model, 65.92%. In addition, PCP has significant antioxidant activity. This result shows that the freeze–thaw method can improve the extraction efficiency, maintain the structural integrity of polysaccharides, simplify the extraction process, promote the dispersion of polysaccharides, and is suitable for large-scale industrial production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Extraction of Food and Natural Products: Techniques and Applications)
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Review

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16 pages, 818 KiB  
Review
Research Progress on Taxus Extraction and Formulation Preparation Technologies
by Xinyu Gao, Kuilin Chen and Weidong Xie
Molecules 2024, 29(10), 2291; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29102291 - 13 May 2024
Viewed by 2143
Abstract
Taxus, as a globally prevalent evergreen tree, contains a wealth of bioactive components that play a crucial role in the pharmaceutical field. Taxus extracts, defined as a collection of one or more bioactive compounds extracted from the genus Taxus spp., have become [...] Read more.
Taxus, as a globally prevalent evergreen tree, contains a wealth of bioactive components that play a crucial role in the pharmaceutical field. Taxus extracts, defined as a collection of one or more bioactive compounds extracted from the genus Taxus spp., have become a significant focus of modern cancer treatment research. This review article aims to delve into the scientific background of Taxus extracts and their considerable value in pharmaceutical research. It meticulously sifts through and compares various advanced extraction techniques such as supercritical extraction, ultrasound extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, solid-phase extraction, high-pressure pulsed electric field extraction, and enzymatic extraction, assessing each technology’s advantages and limitations across dimensions such as extraction efficiency, extraction purity, economic cost, operational time, and environmental impact, with comprehensive analysis results presented in table form. In the area of drug formulation design, this paper systematically discusses the development strategies for solid, liquid, and semi-solid dosage forms based on the unique physicochemical properties of Taxus extracts, their intended medical uses, and specific release characteristics, delving deeply into the selection of excipients and the critical technical issues in the drug preparation process. Moreover, the article looks forward to the potential directions of Taxus extracts in future research and medical applications, emphasizing the urgency and importance of continuously optimizing extraction methods and formulation design to enhance treatment efficacy, reduce production costs, and decrease environmental burdens. It provides a comprehensive set of preparation techniques and formulation optimization schemes for researchers in cancer treatment and other medical fields, promoting the application and development of Taxus extracts in pharmaceutical sciences. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Extraction of Food and Natural Products: Techniques and Applications)
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