From Plants to Products: Extraction, Purification, and Application of Bioactive Compounds and Peptides
A special issue of Separations (ISSN 2297-8739). This special issue belongs to the section "Analysis of Natural Products and Pharmaceuticals".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: bioactive peptides; proteins; plant based-proteins; functional foods; phytochemicals; valorization of food wastes and by-products; 3D food printing; novel extraction methods; instrumental analysis, including HPLC, RP-HPLC, LC-MS-MS, and spectrophotometric analysis.
Interests: non-thermal processing; ultrasound treatment; pulsed electric field treatment; drying; osmotic dehydration; food quality; food packaging; edible films; bioactive compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Plant-derived foods are valuable sources of diverse bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, and bioactive proteins and peptides. These compounds exhibit a wide range of health-promoting properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antihypertensive, and anticancer activities. Efficient extraction and isolation of these bioactives are essential for their application in functional foods, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals. This Special Issue highlights recent advances in innovative and sustainable extraction techniques, such as ultrasound-assisted, microwave-assisted, enzymatic hydrolysis, and supercritical fluid extraction, all fo which enhance yield, selectivity, and environmental compatibility. Particular attention is given to the isolation of bioactive proteins and peptides, including enzymatic processes that release functional peptides from plant proteins. This Special Issue also explores state-of-the-art purification, identification, and characterization methods that ensure the bioactivity, stability, and bioavailability of these compounds. Emphasis is placed on green technologies aligned with the circular bioeconomy and zero-waste principles. Applications of the extracted compounds in food fortification, dietary supplements, therapeutic agents, and clean-label product development are also discussed. By bringing together original research, reviews, and case studies, this Special Issue offers a comprehensive overview of current strategies, challenges, and future directions for isolating high-value bioactives from plant-based foods to support human health and sustainable food innovation.
Dr. Ahmed A. Zaky
Dr. Malgorzata Nowacka
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. Separations 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 2600 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
- Plant-derived foods
- Bioactive peptides
- Plant proteins
- Extraction techniques
- Enzymatic hydrolysis
- Green extraction methods
- Sustainable processing
- Functional foods
- Circular bioeconomy.
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