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Nutrients
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Functional Foods: Exploring the Health Benefits of Bioactive Compounds
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Functional Foods: Exploring the Health Benefits of Bioactive Compounds

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemicals and Human Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 September 2025) | Viewed by 8246

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Małgorzata Tyszka-Czochara

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food Chemistry and Nutrition, Medical College, Jagiellonian University, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland
Interests: molecular aspects of natural compound activity, including the regulation of signaling pathways; mechanisms of cytotoxicity of natural compounds; the effects of phytochemicals and pharmaceuticals on mitochondrial process regulation, including the role of the AMPK signaling pathway and autophagy; targeting cell metabolism for novel therapies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In this Special Issue, we call for original research, short communications, and review articles comprehensively exploring and summarizing the potential of functional foods in human nutrition. We invite you to submit papers regarding the health benefits of foods containing bioactive compounds and/or the potential of specific products to reduce the risk of chronic disease beyond basic nutrition.

Natural dietary compounds, defined as food components, have been used for a long time and can be easily incorporated into an individual’s everyday diet with little effort. Growing evidence has shown that functional foods may contribute to reducing the prevalence of coronary heart diseases, metabolic disorders, inflammation, and even cancer. Consumers’ acceptance of functional foods is increasing, and their interest in the relationship between food and quality of life is also growing.

This Special Issue is dedicated to exploring the latest findings on the role of well-characterized bioactive compounds such as carotenoids, vitamins, proteins, fatty acids, and plant sterols, as well as fermented food, fiber, probiotics, and prebiotics. Papers may comprise various aspects of novel and tailored functional foods in human nutrition.

The physiological benefits of bioactive compounds in functional foods have been demonstrated to have multiple mechanisms of action, including regulation of cell signaling, gene expression, balancing of oxidative stress, modulation of the inflammation response, endocrine system functioning, and many others. Therefore, innovative investigation methods related to nutritional problems using epigenetics, genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and bioinformatics approaches are also appreciated. Authors are invited to submit studies performed using animal models or in vitro experiments if the relevance of these results to the human model is discussed. We are also interested in studies demonstrating the bioavailability and safety aspects of functional foods.

Dr. Małgorzata Tyszka-Czochara
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. Nutrients 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 2900 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

  • functional foods
  • novel food
  • human nutrition aspects
  • human health
  • disease prevention
  • macronutrients
  • micronutrients
  • plant bioactive compounds
  • signaling pathway regulation
  • gene expression
  • synergic effect

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 1991 KB  
Article
Dietary Intakes and Exposures to Minerals and Trace Elements from Cereal-Based Mixtures: Potential Health Benefits and Risks for Adults
by Martina Mrázková, Daniela Sumczynski, Lenka Šenkárová and Richardos Nikolaos Salek
Nutrients 2025, 17(17), 2848; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17172848 - 31 Aug 2025
Viewed by 931
Abstract
Background: Foods containing nutraceuticals from the mineral element group are being developed to compensate for the problem of deficiency in billions of people around the world. This research focuses on essential elements of patented cereal-based mixtures to complement the deficiencies of these elements [...] Read more.
Background: Foods containing nutraceuticals from the mineral element group are being developed to compensate for the problem of deficiency in billions of people around the world. This research focuses on essential elements of patented cereal-based mixtures to complement the deficiencies of these elements and, at the same time, assesses their safety in terms of toxic elements in the human diet. Methods: The mineral and trace element contents in the mixtures were determined using the ICP-MS method with a subsequent evaluation of the contributions of the mixtures to the essential and toxic reference values based on dietary intakes and exposures for adults at 60, 80 and 100 kg of adult body weight and a portion size of 50 g. The potential health risk was evaluated using a metal pollution index. Results: The concentrations of minerals and trace elements in the cereal-based mixtures analyzed were as follows: K (up to 4150 µg/g) ≥ P > Mg > Ca > Na > Fe > Zn > Mn > Cu > Al > Ba (up to 4.40 µg/g) > Sr (up to 480 ng/g) ≥ Ti ≥ Ni > Ce ≥ Co > As ≥ Cs > Ag ≥ Li > Se > Be > Cr > Tl > Pb ≥ Hg > Ho > Cd > Sn (up to 1.12 ng/g). The mixtures contribute significantly to the reference values for Mn, Cu, Zn, Fe, and P for adults. Individual dietary exposure values of toxic elements for adults weighing 60 kg decrease in this order: Al (10.1 µg/kg bw/day) > Ni (362 ng/kg bw/day) > As ≥ Pb > Ag > Hg > Cd > and Sn (0.93 ng/kg bw/day). Conclusions: In terms of Regulation (EU) No 1924/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on nutrition and health claims made on foods, the cereal-based mixtures could be labelled “source of” Mn, Cu, Zn, Fe, and P when their contributions to the reference values exceeded 15%; in addition, “low sodium/salt” or “very low sodium/salt” can be applied. The mixtures contribute insignificantly to the toxic reference values of Al, Sn, Hg, Cd, Ni, and Ag, and the exposure values of Pb for developmental neurotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and cardiovascular effects were considered safe. Regarding the metal pollution index of mixtures, there is no concern for potential health effects. Cereal-based mixtures are suitable for use in the food industry as a potential source of beneficial micronutrients for the human diet, although bioaccessible studies should not be neglected. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Foods: Exploring the Health Benefits of Bioactive Compounds)
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20 pages, 2284 KB  
Article
Balancing the Cellular Inflammatory-Homeostatic Axis Through Natural Ingredient Supplementation
by Valentina Bordano, Chiara Gerbino, Valentina Boscaro, Patrizia Rubiolo, Arianna Marengo, Stefania Pizzimenti, Marie Angèle Cucci, Stefania Cannito, Jessica Nurcis, Margherita Gallicchio, Simona Federica Spampinato, Luigi Cangemi, Claudia Bocca, Chiara Dianzani, Arianna Carolina Rosa and Elisa Benetti
Nutrients 2025, 17(16), 2587; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17162587 - 8 Aug 2025
Viewed by 641
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Dietary supplements are sources of nutrients or other substances that added to a healthy lifestyle help to preserve human homeostasis. Since inflammation is one of the major contributors to the alteration of homeostasis, this work investigated the effects of a multi-ingredient dietary [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Dietary supplements are sources of nutrients or other substances that added to a healthy lifestyle help to preserve human homeostasis. Since inflammation is one of the major contributors to the alteration of homeostasis, this work investigated the effects of a multi-ingredient dietary supplement on human macrophages, cells involved in the inflammatory response. Methods: THP-1 cells were differentiated into macrophage-like cells and polarized in M1 or M2 phenotypes. Cell migration was evaluated by Boyden chamber assay; phenotypic markers by qRT-PCR; cytokine release by ELISA and LPS/ATP-induced pyroptosis by LDH assay. The antioxidant properties of the supplement were evaluated in human and mouse fibroblasts by DCF-DA assay. After supplement treatment, cell extracts were analyzed by HPLC-PDA-MS/MS and GC-MS to evaluate the presence of the ingredients. Results: Our results showed that the dietary supplement promoted M2 migration and polarization and significantly reduced migration of M1. In a model of LPS-induced inflammation in M0, it significantly reduced NF-κB activation, COX-2 expression, and cytokine release. The supplement was not a specific inhibitor of NLRP-3, but it was able to modulate LPS priming. In addition, the supplement decreased granulocyte adhesion to HUVEC and reduced the oxidative stress in fibroblasts. The analysis of cell extracts showed the presence of the following ingredients of the formulation inside the cells: CoQ10, spermidine, resveratrol, 5-hydroxytryptophan from Griffonia simplicifolia (Vahl ex DC.) Baill., bacosides from Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettst, vit B2, B5, E acetate. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate how a combination of natural active ingredients may contribute to the maintenance of homeostasis in human cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Foods: Exploring the Health Benefits of Bioactive Compounds)
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25 pages, 2931 KB  
Article
Antioxidant, Polyphenol, Physical, and Sensory Changes in Myofibrillar Protein Gels Supplemented with Polyphenol-Rich Plant-Based Additives
by Katarzyna Leicht, Charles Odilichukwu R. Okpala, Paulina Nowicka, José Angel Pérez-Alvarez and Małgorzata Korzeniowska
Nutrients 2025, 17(7), 1232; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17071232 - 1 Apr 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1170
Abstract
Background: Plant-based additives such as blackcurrant juice and pomace, as well as herbal extracts from Melissa officinalis and Centella asiatica, possess well-established health-promoting properties. This study aimed to investigate how the incorporation of polyphenol-rich plant-based additives into a myofibrillar protein matrix could [...] Read more.
Background: Plant-based additives such as blackcurrant juice and pomace, as well as herbal extracts from Melissa officinalis and Centella asiatica, possess well-established health-promoting properties. This study aimed to investigate how the incorporation of polyphenol-rich plant-based additives into a myofibrillar protein matrix could enhance the nutritional value, antioxidant potential, and sensory quality of novel food gels. Methods: Myofibrillar protein gels were enriched with selected plant-based additives. Antioxidant properties were assessed using the ABTS radical cation decolorization assay, DPPH radical scavenging assay, and the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay. Polyphenol profiles were determined with emphasis on flavonols, flavan-3-ols, and chlorogenic acids. Physicochemical properties including pH, color, texture, energetic value, dry matter, and ash contents were measured. Sensory evaluation was conducted using consumer preference tests and descriptive sensory profiling. Results: Enriched gels contained bioactive compounds such as catechins, procyanidins, chlorogenic acids, and anthocyanins, whose presence correlated with distinct antioxidant activities. Blackcurrant pomace significantly elevated both total polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity, imparting a vivid red-purple color that influenced consumer perception. Melissa officinalis extract enhanced antioxidant potential and introduced a mild, pleasant aroma. Centella asiatica extract further improved the nutritional profile and oxidative stability of the gels, demonstrating additive and synergistic effects in both functional and sensory dimensions. Conclusions: Polyphenol-rich plant-based additives, particularly blackcurrant pomace and extracts from M. officinalis and C. asiatica, markedly improve the antioxidant capacity, nutritional value, and sensory appeal of myofibrillar protein-based food gels. These findings support their potential application in the development of functional food products tailored to consumer expectations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Foods: Exploring the Health Benefits of Bioactive Compounds)
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Review

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33 pages, 431 KB  
Review
Health-Promoting Properties and the Use of Fruit Pomace in the Food Industry—A Review
by Ewa Raczkowska and Paweł Serek
Nutrients 2024, 16(16), 2757; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16162757 - 18 Aug 2024
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4165
Abstract
Fruit pomace, a by-product of the fruit industry, includes the skins, seeds, and pulp most commonly left behind after juice extraction. It is produced in large quantities: apple residues alone generate approximately 4 million tons of waste annually, which is a serious problem [...] Read more.
Fruit pomace, a by-product of the fruit industry, includes the skins, seeds, and pulp most commonly left behind after juice extraction. It is produced in large quantities: apple residues alone generate approximately 4 million tons of waste annually, which is a serious problem for the processing industry but also creates opportunities for various applications. Due to, among other properties, their high content of dietary fiber and polyphenolic compounds, fruit residues are used to design food with functional features, improving the nutritional value and health-promoting, technological, and sensory properties of food products. This article presents the health-promoting (antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial) properties of fruit pomace. Moreover, the possibilities of their use in the food industry are characterized, with particular emphasis on bread, sweet snack products, and extruded snacks. Attention is paid to the impact of waste products from the fruit industry on the nutritional value and technological and sensory characteristics of these products. Fruit pomace is a valuable by-product whose use in the food industry can provide a sustainable solution for waste management and contribute to the development of functional food products with targeted health-promoting properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Foods: Exploring the Health Benefits of Bioactive Compounds)
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