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Extraction, Identification and Isolation of Chemical Compounds in Natural Matrices,...
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Extraction, Identification and Isolation of Chemical Compounds in Natural Matrices, 2nd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2025) | Viewed by 3195

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Cristina Caleja

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Bragança, Portugal
Interests: food technologies; bioactive compounds; bio-waste recovery; food innovation; sustainable research
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The first edition of the Special Issue ‘Extraction, Identification and Isolation of Chemical Compounds in Natural Matrices’ was a real success. This edition included interesting work that characterized different natural matrices as rich sources of bioactive compounds. Several studies valued these matrices to explore their bioactive potential with a view to their application in different sectors ensuring the maintenance of health and well-being. After receiving so many interesting submissions in the first edition, we intend to publish a second edition. We consider it interesting to publish studies on the identification and isolation of bioactive molecules from different natural matrices that can guarantee the full potential of these sources. This can only be guaranteed if optimal conditions are defined that guarantee greater extractability of these compounds, identifying the most sustainable and innovative technological strategies.

In this sense, this second edition intends to bring together works on the natural matrices currently being explored that examine the characterization and identification of the compounds of interest as well as the definition of the optimal conditions for extracting these bioactive compounds. Additionally, exploration and application in different sectors, namely food, pharmaceuticals and textiles, may be investigated in this second edition of the Special Issue.

Dr. Cristina Caleja
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

  • bioactive compounds
  • natural matrices
  • health benefits
  • industry potential
  • natural molecules

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 3715 KiB  
Article
Alkaloid Extraction from Coptis chinensis Franch. Using Ultrasound-Assisted Aqueous Solutions of Surfactants, Organic Acids, Deep Eutectic Solvents, and Supramolecular Deep Eutectic Solvents
by Khan Viet Nguyen, Nhan Trong Le, Vy Thao Thi Dang, Oleh Koshovyi, Ain Raal and Hoai Thi Nguyen
Molecules 2025, 30(7), 1418; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30071418 - 22 Mar 2025
Viewed by 541
Abstract
Berberine, palmatine, and coptisine are bioactive alkaloids commonly found in medicinal plants, including Coptis chinensis Franch. (Ranunculaceae). To address the limitations of conventional volatile organic solvents, this study employed eco-friendly solvents—aqueous solutions of surfactants, carboxylic acids, and deep eutectic solvents—to extract these alkaloids. [...] Read more.
Berberine, palmatine, and coptisine are bioactive alkaloids commonly found in medicinal plants, including Coptis chinensis Franch. (Ranunculaceae). To address the limitations of conventional volatile organic solvents, this study employed eco-friendly solvents—aqueous solutions of surfactants, carboxylic acids, and deep eutectic solvents—to extract these alkaloids. Among the solvents tested, lactic acid, malic acid, and pyruvic acid exhibited the highest extraction efficiencies. Optimal extraction conditions for ultrasound-assisted extraction were determined via response surface methodology. For lactic acid, optimal conditions included a concentration of 96% (w/w), a liquid-to-solid ratio of 30.0 mL/g, and a temperature of 60.0 °C, yielding 139.6 ± 0.2 mg/g of total alkaloids. Malic acid at 40.0% (w/w), 30.0 mL/g, and 80.0 °C produced 133.0 ± 0.5 mg/g, while pyruvic acid at 88.0% (w/w), 30.0 mL/g, and 75.0 °C resulted in 146.3 ± 0.4 mg/g. The recovery efficiencies of these alkaloids were further enhanced using macroporous resins. The XAD-8 and AB-8 resins achieved recovery rates of 80.11 ± 0.78% and 79.00 ± 1.06%, respectively, for lactic acid extracts. The LSA-40 resin yielded efficiencies of 95.58 ± 1.40% and 89.86 ± 0.90% for malic and pyruvic acid extracts, respectively. Notably, the combination of malic acid as an extraction solvent and the HPD-400 resin achieved an impressive alkaloid recovery yield of 79.52% from C. chinensis. This work represents the first reported application of this approach and highlights the potential of green solvents and macroporous resins for sustainable and efficient alkaloid extraction from C. chinensis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Extraction, Identification and Isolation of Chemical Compounds in Natural Matrices, 2nd Edition)
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17 pages, 4958 KiB  
Article
Scots Pine Bark Extracts as Co-Hardeners of Epoxy Resins
by Tomasz Szmechtyk
Molecules 2025, 30(1), 65; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30010065 - 27 Dec 2024
Viewed by 672
Abstract
Extracts from natural waste like bark or leaves are great sources of phytochemicals, which contain functional groups (hydroxyl, carboxylic, vinyl, allyl) attractive in terms of polymer synthesis. In this study, the synthesis of epoxy with an extract of Scots pine bark as a [...] Read more.
Extracts from natural waste like bark or leaves are great sources of phytochemicals, which contain functional groups (hydroxyl, carboxylic, vinyl, allyl) attractive in terms of polymer synthesis. In this study, the synthesis of epoxy with an extract of Scots pine bark as a natural co-hardener was evaluated. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy was used for the identification of phytochemicals with conjugated dienes and quantification of TPC. Also, the total solid content (TSC) of representative extracts was calculated. The best extract in terms of total phenolic content (TPC) value was selected as a co-hardener and investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for thermal effects and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR FTIR) for reactions between functional groups. Also, the mechanical properties (flexural modulus, flexural strength, impact strength, Shore D hardness) and density of composition were obtained for extract-based epoxy and compared to reference sample values. Results were discussed in terms of future research and improvement of compositions. Also, potential applications were proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Extraction, Identification and Isolation of Chemical Compounds in Natural Matrices, 2nd Edition)
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18 pages, 13047 KiB  
Article
Utilizing Headspace–Gas Chromatography–Ion Mobility Spectroscopy Technology to Establish the Volatile Chemical Component Fingerprint Profiles of Schisandra chinensis Processed by Different Preparation Methods and to Perform Differential Analysis of Their Components
by Yiping Yan, Bowei Sun, Mengqi Wang, Yanli Wang, Yiming Yang, Baoxiang Zhang, Yining Sun, Pengqiang Yuan, Jinli Wen, Yanli He, Weiyu Cao, Wenpeng Lu and Peilei Xu
Molecules 2024, 29(24), 5883; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29245883 - 13 Dec 2024
Viewed by 783
Abstract
In order to characterize the volatile chemical components of Schisandra chinensis processed by different Traditional Chinese Medicine Processing methods and establish fingerprint profiles, headspace–gas chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) technology was employed to detect, identify, and analyze Schisandra chinensis processed by five different methods. [...] Read more.
In order to characterize the volatile chemical components of Schisandra chinensis processed by different Traditional Chinese Medicine Processing methods and establish fingerprint profiles, headspace–gas chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) technology was employed to detect, identify, and analyze Schisandra chinensis processed by five different methods. Fingerprint profiles of volatile chemical components of Schisandra chinensis processed by different methods were established; a total of 85 different volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in the experiment, including esters, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, terpenes, olefinic compounds, nitrogen compounds, lactones, pyrazines, sulfur compounds, thiophenes, acid, and thiazoles. Principal component analysis (PCA), Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA), and Pearson correlation analysis methods were used to cluster and analyze the detected chemical substances and their contents. The analysis results showed significant differences in the volatile chemical components of Schisandra chinensis processed by different methods; the Variable Importance in Projection (VIP) values of the OPLS-DA model and the P values obtained from one-way ANOVA were used to score and screen the detected volatile chemical substances, resulting in the identification of five significant chemical substances with the highest VIP values: Alpha-Farnesene, Methyl acetate,1-octene, Ethyl butanoate, and citral. These substances will serve as marker compounds for the identification of Schisandra chinensis processed by different methods in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Extraction, Identification and Isolation of Chemical Compounds in Natural Matrices, 2nd Edition)
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