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Separations
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Extraction and Characterization of Food Components
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Extraction and Characterization of Food Components

A special issue of Separations (ISSN 2297-8739). This special issue belongs to the section "Analysis of Food and Beverages".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 895

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Bárbara Elisabeth Teixeira Costa

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Guest Editor
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Nutrition, Federal Fluminense University (UFF), Niterói, RJ, Brazil
Interests: vegetable oils; extraction; fatty acids; supercritical fluid extraction; Soxhlet extraction; ultrasound-assisted extraction; green extraction; food chemistry; nutrition; lipid chemistry; lipid analysis; lipid oxidation; antioxidant activity; lipid extraction; chromatography; nutraceuticals; bioactivity; food analysis; food composition; phytochemical analysis; agricultural chemistry; food science and technology; food processing; food and nutrition; food quality; food biochemistry; encapsulation; emulsification

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the search for nutrients, bioactive substances and novel ingredients from natural sources for nutrition and health applications has emerged in relation to increased concerns from consumers about their health and a more natural daily intake of food, which has pressured the food industry to discover and develop novel food products using natural additives in place of synthetic ones. Diverse plant materials and foods are well known as great sources of nutrients and bioactive compounds, which can be obtained by using different separation techniques, such as physical, chemical or enzyme-assisted extraction. Among these techniques, supercritical and subcritical fluid extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, enzyme-assisted extraction, hot water extraction, and pressurized water extraction, among others, have emerged as alternative green methods. Otherwise, conventional extraction methods, such as solvent-based and mechanical pressing, are still prevalent in industrial facilities due to their versatility, high yield and relatively low cost. Separation methods are among the key steps in obtaining target compounds with higher quality and yield, as well as superior market value. Thus, this Special Issue focuses on presenting diverse extraction methodologies, both conventional and green, including, but not limited to, posthaste isolation and characterization of the extracted natural compounds (nutrients and bioactive substances) from different food matrices. We welcome different types of manuscript submissions, including original research articles and up-to-date reviews.

Prof. Dr. Bárbara Elisabeth Teixeira Costa
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. 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

  • extraction
  • green extraction methods
  • optimization
  • bioactive compounds
  • nutrients
  • antioxidants
  • food matrix
  • food by-products
  • lipid extraction
  • characterization

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 1169 KiB  
Article
The Selective Extraction of Natural Sesquiterpenic Acids in Complex Matrices: A Novel Strategy for Isolating Zizanoic Acid in Vetiver Essential Oil
by Ian Gardel Carvalho Barcellos-Silva, Ananda da Silva Antonio, Mateus Curty Cariello da Silva, Fernanda de Melo Regazio Cariello, Fernando Hallwass, Monica Costa Padilha and Valdir Florencio Veiga-Junior
Separations 2025, 12(6), 163; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations12060163 - 17 Jun 2025
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Abstract
Essential oils are complex mixtures of apolar components, mainly phenylpropanoids, monoterpenes, and sesquiterpenes. Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides (L.) Nash) is a non-endemic grass in several tropical regions, widely used for slope stabilization and erosion control because of its long and deep roots that [...] Read more.
Essential oils are complex mixtures of apolar components, mainly phenylpropanoids, monoterpenes, and sesquiterpenes. Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides (L.) Nash) is a non-endemic grass in several tropical regions, widely used for slope stabilization and erosion control because of its long and deep roots that help to bind the soil together, preventing landslides and soil loss. From these roots, vetiver essential oil is obtained, which is extracted and produced worldwide and highly valued for its diverse range of bioactive substances used by the cosmetics and perfume industries. These substances, present in a very complex mixture, are difficult to isolate. Zizanoic acid is a very rare substance in nature and also very interesting because of the biological properties already described. In the present study, zizanoic acid was selectively isolated with 84–87% purity from vetiver commercial essential oils, in which it was present at less than 10%, using KOH-impregnated silica gel column chromatography alone. The experiments were monitored using GC-MS and UHPLC-HRMS, and the isolated substances (zizanoic and valerenic acids) were further determined by NMR experiments. The whole methodology and analytical approach proved to be very efficient for natural product complex mixture analysis and also very selective, allowing for a distinct capacity to recover carboxylic acids from complex biological samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Extraction and Characterization of Food Components)
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Review

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27 pages, 3488 KiB  
Review
Current Perspectives on the Extraction, Isolation, and Identification of Fats and Fatty Acids Using Conventional and Green Methods
by Ytaiara Lima-Pereira, Esther Maria Oliveira de Souza, David Silva dos Reis, Ian Gardel Carvalho Barcellos-Silva, Karine Sayuri Lima Miki, Valdir F. Veiga-Júnior and Barbara Elisabeth Teixeira-Costa
Separations 2025, 12(6), 160; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations12060160 - 13 Jun 2025
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Abstract
The global demand for oils and lipids, particularly those derived from vegetable sources with high polyunsaturated fatty acid content, has posed significant challenges for the food industry. This trend is largely driven by growing consumer awareness of health and nutrition. To meet this [...] Read more.
The global demand for oils and lipids, particularly those derived from vegetable sources with high polyunsaturated fatty acid content, has posed significant challenges for the food industry. This trend is largely driven by growing consumer awareness of health and nutrition. To meet this demand, it is essential to not only identify richer sources of lipids but also develop efficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly methods for their extraction, isolation, and characterization. In this context, the present work provides a comprehensive review of current perspectives on the extraction, isolation, and identification of lipids and fatty acids, comparing conventional and green methodologies for food applications. Ideally, analytical and processing methodologies for obtaining food-grade materials should prioritize low energy consumption, minimal or no use of hazardous substances, and the generation of non-polluting residues, thereby safeguarding both human health and the environment. In recent years, green extraction techniques have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional methods, offering partial or complete replacements, such as ultrasound-assisted extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, supercritical and subcritical fluid extraction, and others. However, significant advancements are still required to fully address these concerns. Techniques such as chromatography and spectrometry play pivotal roles in the isolation and identification process, especially gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry or with flame ionization detectors; while separating individual fatty acids based on their chain length and degree of unsaturation, reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is quite a helpful approach. Furthermore, the isolation and structural elucidation of fatty acids are critical steps in ensuring the nutritional quality and commercial viability of lipid products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Extraction and Characterization of Food Components)
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