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Phytochemicals: Extraction, Optimization, Identification, Biological Activities, and Applications in the...
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Phytochemicals: Extraction, Optimization, Identification, Biological Activities, and Applications in the Food, Nutraceutical, and Pharmaceutical Industries (3rd Edition)

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Pharmaceutical Processes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 April 2026 | Viewed by 3367

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ibrahim Abu-Reidah

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CREAIT, Core Science Facility, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X5, Canada
Interests: phytochemicals; liquid and gas chromatography; bioactive compounds; functional ingredients; analytical methods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite submissions to this Special Issue, entitled ‘Phytochemicals: Extraction, Optimization, Identification, Biological Activities, and Applications in the Food, Nutraceutical, and Pharmaceutical Industries (3rd Edition)’.

Significant interest has grown around natural plant extracts in food and beverage applications, their roles in food technology and quality, and their therapeutic use in inhibiting certain diseases. The protective effects of healthy diets—rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—are not only due to the fiber, vitamin, and mineral contents, but also to a variety of phytochemicals, particularly phenolics, which are considered to be among the most important classes originating in plant-derived secondary metabolites. Phenolics are renowned for their possession of a wide array of remarkable biochemical and pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, antiviral, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory. As such, in addition to their phenolic-varied applications in the nutraceutical, food, and pharmaceutical industries, these compounds can prevent numerous diseases and aid in health maintenance. This Special Issue aims to gather the most recent studies regarding their chemistry, extraction methods, and analytical techniques, along with their biological activities. Interpretations of phytochemical bioactivities on a molecular basis, by means of both well-established and advanced bioanalytical techniques, are also welcome. We warmly invite researchers to participate in this Special Issue by submitting contributions in related fields. Both original research papers and global or specialized critical reviews are welcome.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Advanced analytical methodologies for the isolation, purification, and analysis of phytochemicals from food, food waste, and medicinal plants;
  • Phytochemicals and metabolites in plants, food, and biological samples;
  • Biological activities and mechanisms of action;
  • In vivo evaluations of health benefits;
  • Development of novel antioxidants and phenolic-based nutraceuticals, as well as functional ingredients.

Dr. Ibrahim Abu-Reidah
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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 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 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

  • phytochemical identification
  • biological activity
  • fingerprint
  • secondary metabolites
  • liquid and gas chromatography
  • mass spectrometry
  • analytical methods
  • phenolic compounds
  • bioactives
  • functional ingredients

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 5296 KB  
Article
Evaluation of the Lipophilicity of 3,28-Disubstituted Betulin Derivatives with Promising Biological Properties
by Elwira Chrobak, Katarzyna Bober-Majnusz, Marta Świtalska, Joanna Wietrzyk and Ewa Bębenek
Processes 2026, 14(4), 708; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr14040708 - 20 Feb 2026
Viewed by 254
Abstract
The identification of bioactive substances among new chemical compounds is based on analyzing the relationships between structure, physicochemical properties, and potential biological activity. The aim of this study was to characterize the physicochemical properties of a group of 3,28-disubstituted betulin derivatives, which have [...] Read more.
The identification of bioactive substances among new chemical compounds is based on analyzing the relationships between structure, physicochemical properties, and potential biological activity. The aim of this study was to characterize the physicochemical properties of a group of 3,28-disubstituted betulin derivatives, which have demonstrated promising antiproliferative activity in an in vitro study. The experimental lipophilicity parameters of betulin derivatives were obtained by RP-TLC and compared with theoretical values determined using various computational programs. Physicochemical and pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using the SwissADME and pkCSM programs. The relationships between lipophilicity parameters (RM0 and logPTLC) and the anticancer activity, and physicochemical and pharmacokinetic parameters of the studied triterpenoids were analyzed. Chemometric analysis (cluster analysis, principal component analysis, and the sum of ranking differences analysis) was performed. Significant correlations were demonstrated between RM0 and logPTLC, as well as theoretically determined lipophilicity values, in the tested group of compounds. Propynoyl derivatives 4a, 5a and 6a with high antiproliferative activity against MV4-11, PC-3 and Hs249T cells are characterized by higher lipophilicity than their hydroxyl analogs (compounds 4, 5 and 6). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals: Extraction, Optimization, Identification, Biological Activities, and Applications in the Food, Nutraceutical, and Pharmaceutical Industries (3rd Edition))
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20 pages, 1636 KB  
Article
Integrated Extraction of Carotenoids, Pectin, and Insoluble-Bound Ferulic Acid from Banana Peel
by Larissa de Sousa da Silva, Elivaldo Nunes Modesto Junior, Henrique Silvano Arruda and Gustavo Araujo Pereira
Processes 2026, 14(1), 166; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr14010166 - 4 Jan 2026
Viewed by 665
Abstract
Banana peel, an abundant by-product rich in bioactive compounds, presents high functional and technological potential. Despite its potential, the industrial use of banana peel is limited by enzymatic browning. Thus, this study proposed an integrated sequential extraction process using Generally Recognized As Safe [...] Read more.
Banana peel, an abundant by-product rich in bioactive compounds, presents high functional and technological potential. Despite its potential, the industrial use of banana peel is limited by enzymatic browning. Thus, this study proposed an integrated sequential extraction process using Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) solvents and simple methodologies. With this approach, it was possible to recover high-value compounds, including (all-E)-lutein (338.05 µg/g DW), pectin (3.81 g/100 g DW), and ferulic acid (212.48 µg/g DW). In addition to maximizing recovery of bioactive compounds, the process preserved the residual lignocellulosic fraction, namely cellulose (23.14 g/100 g DW), hemicellulose (19.91 g/100 g DW), and lignin (29.63 g/100 g DW), suitable for further bioprocesses such as bioethanol production. The strategy demonstrated technological and economic feasibility, reducing operational steps, eliminating the use of chemical agents, and promoting full biomass utilization. The results confirm the potential of banana peel as a platform for obtaining natural and sustainable ingredients, aligned with the principles of biorefinery and the circular bioeconomy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals: Extraction, Optimization, Identification, Biological Activities, and Applications in the Food, Nutraceutical, and Pharmaceutical Industries (3rd Edition))
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22 pages, 1077 KB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of Secondary Metabolite Production by Cophinforma mamane and Aspergillus niger Preserved for Long-Term Methods
by Yuliana Padrón-Antonio, Lucas de Souza Falcão, Anne Terezinha Fernandes de Souza, Cleudiane Pereira de Andrade, Paulo Victor Matos da Silva, Larissa Kirsch Barbosa, Sergio Duvoisin, Jr., Ana C. Correia, António M. Jordão and Patrícia Melchionna Albuquerque
Processes 2025, 13(12), 3834; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13123834 - 27 Nov 2025
Viewed by 786
Abstract
Endophytic fungi are recognized for their capacity to produce bioactive metabolites, yet their metabolic output is strongly modulated by preservation strategies. This study evaluated the influence of three long-term preservation methods—PDA slants with mineral oil (PB), Castellani’s method (PC), and filter paper with [...] Read more.
Endophytic fungi are recognized for their capacity to produce bioactive metabolites, yet their metabolic output is strongly modulated by preservation strategies. This study evaluated the influence of three long-term preservation methods—PDA slants with mineral oil (PB), Castellani’s method (PC), and filter paper with mineral oil (PF)—on the production of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity by the Amazonian endophytes Cophinforma mamane and Aspergillus niger. Post-reactivation morphological analyses revealed method-dependent changes in colony pigmentation, texture, and sporulation intensity. PB preservation induced the most vigorous growth and enhanced sporulation in A. niger. For extracellular metabolites (AcOEt extracts), PB yielded the highest total phenolic content in A. niger (258.24 mg GAE/g), whereas PF and PC favored C. mamane (154.48 and 153.33 mg GAE/g). For intracellular ethanolic extracts, PB was most effective for C. mamane, producing 206.19 mg GAE/g for total phenols and the highest antioxidant activities (EC50 = 1.40 mg/mL and FRAP = 95.61 µmol TE/g). HPLC–DAD identified protocatechuic acid as the predominant compound, which was especially abundant in PC and PF-preserved A. niger (60.76 and 85.38 µg/mg, respectively). Multivariate correlations indicated syringic (r = 0.53) and p-coumaric (r = 0.63) acids as the main contributors to antioxidant potential. These findings demonstrate that preservation methods may positively or negatively modulate fungal biosynthetic capacity, underscoring the importance of species-specific preservation protocols for maintaining metabolic stability in culture collections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals: Extraction, Optimization, Identification, Biological Activities, and Applications in the Food, Nutraceutical, and Pharmaceutical Industries (3rd Edition))
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26 pages, 2093 KB  
Article
Phytochemical Profile and Cosmeceutical Potential of Leaf Extracts of Two Species of the Anacardiaceae Family from the Mediterranean Scrubland: Pistacia lentiscus L. and Pistacia atlantica Desf.
by Mouna Belkessam, Manon Genva, Ahmed Kouki, Louise Vilain, Moussa Ahmed-Alem, Marouane Mohaddab, Pierre Leonel K. Tafokeu Taguimjeu, Safia El-Bok, Mossadok Ben-Attia and Marie-Laure Fauconnier
Processes 2025, 13(11), 3712; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13113712 - 17 Nov 2025
Viewed by 1359
Abstract
Skin aging involves oxidative stress, inflammation, and hyperpigmentation, prompting growing interest in plant-based treatments. Pistacia lentiscus L. and Pistacia atlantica Desf. (Anacardiaceae), North African pharmacopoeia species with recognized phytotherapeutic and cosmeceutical properties, were analyzed to elucidate these biological activities through their phytochemical composition [...] Read more.
Skin aging involves oxidative stress, inflammation, and hyperpigmentation, prompting growing interest in plant-based treatments. Pistacia lentiscus L. and Pistacia atlantica Desf. (Anacardiaceae), North African pharmacopoeia species with recognized phytotherapeutic and cosmeceutical properties, were analyzed to elucidate these biological activities through their phytochemical composition and in vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hyperpigmentation potentials. Leaves were successively extracted with hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol. The methanolic leaf extract of P. atlantica exhibited the highest total phenolic content (430.28 ± 0.01 mg GAE/g), while P. lentiscus showed the highest flavonoid content (230.00 ± 0.01 mg QE/g). LC–MS/MS analysis identified thirteen major phenolic compounds, including methyl gallate and myricitrin. Biological assays revealed that P. lentiscus exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity (IC50 = 5.19 ± 0.01 µg/mL) and the highest ferric-reducing power, whereas P. atlantica showed strong inhibition of protein denaturation (139.10 ± 0.55 µg/mL). Both extracts displayed potent anti-lipoxygenase activity (IC50 = 22.53 ± 0.05 and 22.67 ± 0.04 µg/mL, respectively), as well as anti-tyrosinase effects (IC50 = 39.80 ± 0.08 and 38.25 ± 0.02 µg/mL, respectively). Altogether, these findings underscore the cosmetic potential of these Pistacia species and support their use as valuable raw materials for the development of dermatological treatments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals: Extraction, Optimization, Identification, Biological Activities, and Applications in the Food, Nutraceutical, and Pharmaceutical Industries (3rd Edition))
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