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Novel Sources of Food Molecules with Pro-healthy Potential

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2023) | Viewed by 12770

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Joanna Kapusta-Duch

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Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Balicka 122, 30-149 Krakow, Poland
Interests: human nutrition; dietetics; brassica vegetables; nutrients; non-essential nutrients; vitamin C; β-carotene; total polyphenols; chemical contaminants; antioxidant activity; nutritive value; starch digestibility; vegetables; iodine absorption; chemical analysis
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Prof. Dr. Barbara Borczak

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Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Krakow, Poland
Interests: plant-based foods; antioxidant activity; glycaemic index; antitumor and antidiabetic activity of plant-based food; toxins in food
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Teresa Leszczyńska

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Guest Editor

Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Krakow, Poland
Interests: health-promoting properties of food; chronic non-communicable diseases; assessment of human nutrition and nutritional status
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Diet critically affects human health due to the many nutrients, non-nutrients and chemical contaminants of food. Some efforts are being made to produce functional and healthy foods with the application of novel sources of molecules that may have multifunctional properties, from protecting the human organism against the development of some chronic non-communicable diseases, to increasing the natural mechanisms of human immunity and preserving against some viral and bacterial diseases. At the same time, there is a constantly growing interest concerning the effects of free radicals on the human body. Reactive species of oxygen interact with biological molecules, such as lipids, DNA and proteins, and may cause structural and functional damages, as well as possibly producing pro-inflammatory cytokines and chronic inflammations. It was reported that, at the root of the development of many diseases, including chronic non-communicable diseases, oxidative stress may play a crucial role. Therefore, dietary molecules with healthy properties are significant for maintaining optimal status in the body. The present Special Issue, highlights, without being convoluted, the potential of valuable food compounds that can be used as an effective prevention strategy against the development of various human cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and metabolic disorders.

Prof. Dr. Joanna Kapusta-Duch
Prof. Dr. Barbara Borczak
Prof. Dr. Teresa Leszczyńska
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

health quality parameters
multifunctional properties
novel food
future food
functional food
gene expressions
function of genes, biomolecules and cells and their effects on the state of the organism
molecular biology

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 1676 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of a Purified Blueberry Extract on In Vitro Probiotic Mucin-Adhesion and Its Effect on Probiotic/Intestinal Pathogen Systems

by Sara Silva, Eduardo M. Costa, Hélder Oliveira, Vitor De Freitas, Rui M. Morais, Conceição Calhau and Manuela Pintado

Molecules 2022, 27(20), 6991; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27206991 - 18 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1391

Abstract

Several arguments have been made to substantiate the need for natural antimicrobials for the food industry. With blueberry extracts, the most compelling are both their healthy connotation and the possibility of obtaining a multipurpose solution that can be an antioxidant, colorant, and antimicrobial. From an antimicrobial perspective, as blueberry/anthocyanin-rich extracts have been associated with a capacity to inhibit harmful bacteria while causing little to no inhibition on potential probiotic microorganisms, the study of potential benefits that come from synergies between the extract and probiotics may be of particular interest. Therefore, the present work aimed to evaluate the effect of an anthocyanin-rich extract on the adhesion of five different probiotics as well as their effect on the probiotics’ capacity to compete with or block pathogen adhesion to a mucin/BSA-treated surface. The results showed that, despite some loss of probiotic adhesion, the combined presence of extract and probiotic is more effective in reducing the overall amount of adhered viable pathogen cells than the PROBIOTIC alone, regardless of the probiotic/pathogen system considered. Furthermore, in some instances, the combination of the extract with Bifidobacterium animalis Bo allowed for almost complete inhibition of pathogen adhesion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Sources of Food Molecules with Pro-healthy Potential)

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12 pages, 290 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Polyphenolic Characterization, Antioxidant, Antihyaluronidase and Antimicrobial Activity of Young Leaves and Stem Extracts from Rubus caesius L.

by Anna Hering, Justyna Stefanowicz-Hajduk, Rafał Hałasa, Marta Olech, Renata Nowak, Piotr Kosiński and J. Renata Ochocka

Molecules 2022, 27(19), 6181; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27196181 - 21 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1390

Abstract

Fruits are the main food part of the European dewberry (Rubus caesius L.), known as a source of polyphenols and antioxidants, while very little attention is paid to leaves and stems, especially young first-year stems. The purpose of this work was to analyze for the first time water and ethanol extracts obtained from young, freshly developed, leaves and stems of the European dewberry to determine their antioxidant and biological activity, whereas most of the papers describe biological properties of leaves collected during summer or autumn. As the phytochemical profile changes during the growing season, the quantitative and qualitative content of flavonoid glycosides and flavonoid aglycones was analyzed using reversed phase liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). The ability to inhibit hyaluronidase as well as antioxidant activity (2,2 diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl: DPPH and ferric antioxidant power: FRAP) were estimated. Extracts were also analyzed against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The results of the qualitative phytochemical analysis indicated the presence of flavonoid aglycones and flavonoid glycosides, with the highest amount of tiliroside, hyperoside, isoquercetin, astragalin, rutin and catechin in ethanol extracts. DPPH and FRAP tests proved the high antioxidant activity of the extracts from leaves or stems and the antihyaluronidase assay revealed for the first time that water and ethanol extracts obtained from the stems exhibited the ability to inhibit hyaluronidase activity resulting in an IC₅₀ of 55.24 ± 3.21 and 68.7 ± 1.61 μg/mL, respectively. The antimicrobial activity has never been analyzed for European dewberry and was the highest for Clostridium bifermentans and Clostridium sporogenes—anaerobic sporulation rods as well as Enterococcus faecalis for both water and ethanol extracts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Sources of Food Molecules with Pro-healthy Potential)

15 pages, 347 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antioxidative Properties and Acrylamide Content of Functional Wheat-Flour Cookies Enriched with Wild-Grown Fruits

by Barbara Borczak, Marek Sikora, Joanna Kapusta-Duch, Maria Fołta, Agnieszka Szewczyk, Gabriela Zięć, Ivo Doskočil and Teresa Leszczyńska

Molecules 2022, 27(17), 5531; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27175531 - 28 Aug 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1496

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of widely grown fruits (wild roses, elderberries, sea buckthorns, rowans, chokeberries, and hawthorns) as a functional ingredient in wheat-flour cookie formulation on antioxidative properties with a simultaneous reduction of the carcinogen-like compound acrylamide. The organoleptic features of the cookies were assessed by a panel of consumers. The following parameters were measured: chemical composition, total polyphenols, polyphenolic profile, antioxidant activity, and acrylamide content. The overall ratings of the tested cookies with the addition of chokeberries, hawthorns, sea buckthorns, and elderberries were more than satisfactory, while wild rose and rowan cookies were the most widely accepted and best rated by the panelists. The antioxidant activity of the tested cookies was 1.1–15.22 μmol trolox·g⁻¹ dm and 2.46–26.12 μmol Fe (II)·g⁻¹ dm as measured by the ABTS and FRAP methods, respectively. All the fruit-enriched cookies had significantly higher antioxidative properties (p < 0.05) in comparison to the control cookies, but among the fruit-enriched cookies, there were differences in the quality and quantity of particular polyphenols. The acrylamide content was significantly decreased by 59% (hawthorn), 71% (rowan), 87% (wild rose), 89% (sea buckthorn), 91% (elderberry), and 94% (chokeberry) compared with the control cookies (p < 0.05). Cookies enriched with wild-grown fruits could constitute a promising novel snack food. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Sources of Food Molecules with Pro-healthy Potential)

18 pages, 1253 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Flavonoid and Phenolic Acid Profiles of Dehulled and Whole Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc Seeds Commonly Consumed in South Africa

by Jane N. C. Okafor, Mervin Meyer, Marilize Le Roes-Hill and Victoria A. Jideani

Molecules 2022, 27(16), 5265; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27165265 - 18 Aug 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1734

Abstract

Bambara groundnut (BGN) is an underexploited crop with a rich nutrient content and is used in traditional medicine, but limited information is available on the quantitative characterization of its flavonoids and phenolic acids. We investigated the phenolic profile of whole seeds and cotyledons of five BGN varieties consumed in South Africa using UPLC-qTOF-MS and GC-MS. Twenty-six phenolic compounds were detected/quantified in whole seeds and twenty-four in cotyledon, with six unidentified compounds. Flavonoids include flavan-3-ol (catechin, catechin hexoside-A, catechin hexoside-B), flavonol (quercetin, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, rutin, myricetin, kaempherol), hydroxybenzoic acid (4-Hydroxybenzoic, 2,6 Dimethoxybenzoic, protocatechuic, vanillic, syringic, syringaldehyde, gallic acids), hydroxycinnamic acid (trans-cinnamic, p-coumaric, caffeic, ferulic acids) and lignan (medioresinol). The predominant flavonoids were catechin/derivatives, with the highest content (78.56 mg/g) found in brown BGN. Trans-cinnamic and ferulic acids were dominant phenolic acid. Cotyledons of brown and brown-eyed BGN (317.71 and 378.59 µg/g) had the highest trans-cinnamic acid content, while red seeds had the highest ferulic acid (314.76 µg/g) content. Colored BGN had a significantly (p < 0.05) higher content of these components. Whole BGN contained significantly (p < 0.05) higher amount of flavonoids and phenolic acids, except for the trans-cinnamic acid. The rich flavonoid and phenolic acid content of BGN seeds highlights the fact that it is a good source of dietary phenolics with potential health-promoting properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Sources of Food Molecules with Pro-healthy Potential)

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16 pages, 2055 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of the Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Mulberry (Morus alba L.) Fruits from Different Varieties in China

by Tao Chen, Fei-Fan Shuang, Qing-Yue Fu, Yu-Xiong Ju, Chen-Man Zong, Wei-Guo Zhao, Dong-Yang Zhang, Xiao-Hui Yao and Fu-Liang Cao

Molecules 2022, 27(9), 2688; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27092688 - 21 Apr 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2406

Abstract

Mulberry (Morus alba L.) fruit is a fruit with nutritional and medicinal value. It is widely cultivated in different regions of China, which may result in differences in its chemical composition. In this research, 25 mulberry fruit samples from six provinces in China were investigated. The contents of anthocyanins were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The contents of two main anthocyanins, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) and cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside (C3R), ranged from 0.656 ± 0.006 mg/g to 4.367 ± 0.243 mg/g and from 0.226 ± 0.007 mg/g to 1.649 ± 0.013 mg/g, respectively. Additionally, the contents of total phenolic, total flavonoid, vitamin C, titratable acids, reducing sugars and antioxidant capacity (FRAP, DPPH, scavenging and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity) were also assessed. The results and principal component analysis showed that the Zhongsang 5801 variety from Sichuan, Dechang had the greatest health value with the highest active compound contents. Based on our analysis, the variety from Sichuan, Dechang is a high-quality plant source for mulberry fruit cultivation. This research provides a basis for the rational development and utilization of mulberry fruit resources in China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Sources of Food Molecules with Pro-healthy Potential)

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20 pages, 24232 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chemical Composition Analysis, Cytotoxic, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Physalis angulata L.: A Comparative Study of Leaves and Fruit

by Jayachithra Ramakrishna Pillai, Adil Farooq Wali, Godfred Antony Menezes, Muneeb U. Rehman, Tanveer A. Wani, Azher Arafah, Seema Zargar and Tahir Maqbool Mir

Molecules 2022, 27(5), 1480; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27051480 - 22 Feb 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3592

Abstract

Physalis angulata L. belongs to the family Solanaceae and is distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions. Physalis angulata leaf and fruit extracts were assessed for in vitro anticancer, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic and flavonoid content. The GC-MS technique investigated the chemical composition and structure of bioactive chemicals reported in extracts. The anticancer activity results revealed a decrease in the percentage of anticancer cells’ viability in a concentration- and time-dependent way. We also noticed morphological alterations in the cells, which we believe are related to Physalis angulata extracts. Under light microscopy, we observed that as the concentration of ethanolic extract (fruit and leaves) treated HeLa cells increased, the number of cells began to decrease. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Sources of Food Molecules with Pro-healthy Potential)

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