Isolation and Characterization of Natural Products/Secondary Metabolites

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the emergent concerns of society with regard to health and sustainability issues have encouraged companies to design greener formulations containing bioactive compounds (such as polyphenols, vitamins, minerals, and pigments) with recognized pro-healthy effects, including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. Simultaneously, a healthy diet encompasses a source of natural antioxidants with protective effects against lifestyle-related diseases. Extraction is a critical step in the isolation, identification, and employment of bioactive compounds from natural sources. These bioactive molecules encompass added-value ingredients with attractive applications in different industries. Despite the huge number of publications on the isolation and characterization of natural products, there is still much interest around this topic and a lack of papers regarding the bioactivity of plant-derived extracts.

This Special Issue intends to explore the latest advances in antioxidant extraction from natural sources and their characterization regarding bioactive compounds with health benefits. Manuscripts dedicated to plant extraction are also welcome. A special emphasis will be given to eco-friendly technologies with a deep insight into polyphenol characterization using analytical methodologies (such as HPLC-DAD, HPLC-MS, and NMR), in vitro assays, and in vivo studies to evaluate bioactivity and safety, addressing potential final applications. Ms. Diana Andreia Tavares Pinto from the Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, Polytechnic of Porto will also assist in editing this Special Issue.

Dr. Diana Andreia Tavares Pinto
Dr. Julián Lozano-Castellón
Dr. Anna Vallverdú-Queralt
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 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. 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.