Advanced Bioprocesses for the Valorization of Agroindustrial Waste into Probiotic Foods and Bioactive Compounds
A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Process Engineering".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 11
Special Issue Editors
Interests: fermented foods; functional foods; starch; pulses; bioactive compounds; agroindustrial by-products; food physical–chemistry properties
Interests: bioactive compounds; phenolic compounds; food by-products; functional foods; neuroprotective compounds
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The intensification of global agroindustrial production generates massive volumes of by-products and waste, posing critical sustainability challenges and representing a significant loss of nutrient-rich biomass. In this scenario, the transition to a circular economy in the food sector is imperative. Bioprocesses, especially fermentation, emerge as key technologies for upcycling these materials, transforming them from environmental liabilities into high value-added sources. Thus, the strategic application of fermentation, whether by single microorganisms or microbial consortia, offers immense potential to unlock the latent value contained in these matrices, converting them into high-performance products for human health. This Special Issue invites the scientific community to submit cutting-edge contributions that explore the use of fermentative and enzymatic processes to develop functional food ingredients, probiotic foods, and bioactive compounds (e.g., peptides, phenolic acids, vitamins, enzymes) from agroindustrial waste. We seek works that not only demonstrate technical feasibility but also elucidate the biochemical mechanisms and evaluate the application potential of the products obtained, fostering innovation at the interface between biotechnology, process engineering, and food science.
We invite the submission of original research articles and reviews addressing the following topics, but not limited to them:
- Optimization of solid-state fermentation (SSF) and submerged fermentation (SF) of waste.
- Development of high-density probiotic cultures using by-products.
- Selection, engineering, and application of microorganisms and consortia for bioconversion.
- Optimization of bioreactors to produce enzymes and bioactive compounds (bioactive peptides, prebiotics, vitamins, and antioxidants).
- Advanced technologies for the extraction and purification of bioactive compounds.
- Characterization of the biological activity (in vitro and in vivo) of bioproducts.
- Studies on the bioavailability, safety, and toxicology of new ingredients.
- Development of new fermented foods from by-products.
- Innovative methods for incorporating functional ingredients into food matrices.
- Analysis of the physicochemical and sensory properties of new products.
- Evaluation of the viability and stability of probiotics in functional foods.
- Biorefinery concepts for the comprehensive recovery of agro-industrial waste.
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and technical–economic feasibility of bioprocesses.
- Strategies for waste reduction and contributions to the circular bioeconomy.
Thanks, and we hope you consider participating in this Special Issue.
Prof. Dr. Juliana Aparecida Correia Bento
Prof. Dr. Maressa Caldeira Morzelle
Dr. Tatianne Ferreira de Oliveira
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 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. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2400 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
- agroindustrial waste
- valorization
- fermentation
- probiotics
- prebiotics
- bioactive compounds
- bioprocesses
- process optimization
- functional foods
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