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Underutilized Natural Sources in Food and Dietary Supplements

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 October 2021) | Viewed by 19469

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacy, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
Interests: green extraction of food products; food byproduct valorization; lipid oxidation; antioxidants; chromatography; head-space analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Consumers are increasingly interested in food that not only serves as a source of nutrients and high organoleptic qualities, but also has functional properties, including ethical and sustainability qualities. This Special Issue will provide new findings and information concerning the valorization of underutilized natural sources from agriculture, forestry, and fishing. Since they could be exploited in a strategic and eco-sustainable perspective of a zero-residue circular economy. In details, the following topics will be considered:

  • Green methods aimed at extracting bioactive molecules from agro-industrial byproducts and waste, as potential underutilized sources to be exploited both in the food sector and in other sectors.
  • Green methods aimed at the purification of bioactive molecules.
  • Formulation of bioactive molecules to improve their shelf-life and/or their bioavailability.
  • Functional tests and verification of bioactive molecules for specific applications (foods, supplements, cosmetics, drugs, fine chemical products, packaging materials, etc.)
  • Integration of bioactive molecules in final applications.
  • Development of innovative functional foods and food supplements.

Prof. Dr. Raffaella Boggia
Dr. Paola Zunin
Dr. Federica Turrini
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Agriculture byproducts
  • forestry byproducts
  • fishing byproducts
  • food byproducts and wastes
  • food recycling
  • green technologies
  • bioactive molecules
  • functional foods
  • dietary supplements
  • food packaging

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1197 KiB  
Article
Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Miller, Cultivar Rosa) Solid By-Products Remaining after the Distillation of the Essential Oil
by Federica Turrini, Margherita Beruto, Luciano Mela, Paolo Curir, Giorgia Triglia, Raffaella Boggia, Paola Zunin and Fernando Monroy
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(12), 5495; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11125495 - 14 Jun 2021
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4556
Abstract
FINNOVER is an EU Interreg-Alcotra project that aims to bring new perspectives to floriculture enterprises by recovering useful bioproducts from the waste produced during processing of several aromatic species. In this study, a new operation strategy to recover lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) [...] Read more.
FINNOVER is an EU Interreg-Alcotra project that aims to bring new perspectives to floriculture enterprises by recovering useful bioproducts from the waste produced during processing of several aromatic species. In this study, a new operation strategy to recover lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) solid by-products remaining after the extraction of the essential oil was developed. Pulsed ultrasound-assisted extraction was employed as a sustainable and eco-compatible technology to extract, in a very short time (10 min), this agricultural waste using a food-grade solvent (a mixture of ethanol/water). All the extracts obtained from both flower and leaf waste and flower-only residues, exhibit a promising total phenolic content (38–40 mg gallic acid/g of dry waste), radical scavenging activity (107–110 mg Trolox/g of dry waste) and total flavonoid content (0.11–0.13 mg quercetin/g of dry waste). Moreover, the chromatographic analysis of these extracts has shown that this overlooked agriculture waste can represent a valuable source of multifunctional compounds. Particularly, they exhibit a content of polyphenols and flavonoids up to 200 times higher than the corresponding leachate, and they are a valuable source of gentisic acid (1.4–13 mg/g dry waste) representing a new low-cost ingredient usable in different fields (i.e., cosmetic). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Underutilized Natural Sources in Food and Dietary Supplements)
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15 pages, 1223 KiB  
Article
Characterization and Biotechnological Potential of Two Native Marine Microalgae Isolated from the Tunisian Coast
by Jamila Ben Mohamed, Jihen Elleuch, Marwa Drira, Maria Ángeles Esteban, Philippe Michaud, Slim Abdelkafi and Imen Fendri
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(11), 5295; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11115295 - 7 Jun 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3026
Abstract
Microalgae are attracting considerable interest worldwide. In the present study, two native microalgae strains isolated from Tunisian cost were identified as Chlamydomonas sp. and Navicula sp. We characterized their pigment and protein contents, as well as their carbohydrate and lipid productivity. The predominant [...] Read more.
Microalgae are attracting considerable interest worldwide. In the present study, two native microalgae strains isolated from Tunisian cost were identified as Chlamydomonas sp. and Navicula sp. We characterized their pigment and protein contents, as well as their carbohydrate and lipid productivity. The predominant fatty acids were found to be α-linolenic acid (C18:3n-3) and palmitoleic acid (C16:1n-7) for Chlamydomonas sp. and Navicula sp. strains respectively. Microalgae methanol extracts showed important in vitro antibacterial activity against all tested gram negative bacteria. Antioxidant activities of methanol extracts were investigated by determining radical scavenging activity according to DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) methods. MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay showed that the newly isolated microalgae were not toxic and have potential application in the fish feeds domain as a supplement in fish meal. Also, the biosorption of cadmium from aqueous solutions by microalgae living cells was evaluated. Large removal capacities were obtained with values ranging from 89.8% to 99.38%. These results are very promising as a starting point for a potential application of these new isolates for in situ bioremediation of heavy metals contaminating aqueous systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Underutilized Natural Sources in Food and Dietary Supplements)
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Review

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26 pages, 1044 KiB  
Review
Underutilization Versus Nutritional-Nutraceutical Potential of the Amaranthus Food Plant: A Mini-Review
by Olusanya N. Ruth, Kolanisi Unathi, Ngobese Nomali and Mayashree Chinsamy
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(15), 6879; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11156879 - 27 Jul 2021
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 10479
Abstract
Amaranthus is a C4 plant tolerant to drought, and plant diseases and a suitable option for climate change. This plant could form part of every region’s cultural heritage and can be transferred to the next generation. Moreover, Amaranthus is a multipurpose plant that [...] Read more.
Amaranthus is a C4 plant tolerant to drought, and plant diseases and a suitable option for climate change. This plant could form part of every region’s cultural heritage and can be transferred to the next generation. Moreover, Amaranthus is a multipurpose plant that has been identified as a traditional edible vegetable endowed with nutritional value, besides its fodder, medicinal, nutraceutical, industrial, and ornamental potentials. In recent decade Amaranthus has received increased research interest. Despite its endowment, there is a dearth of awareness of its numerous potential benefits hence, it is being underutilized. Suitable cultivation systems, innovative processing, and value-adding techniques to promote its utilization are scarce. However, a food-based approach has been suggested as a sustainable measure that tackles food-related problem, especially in harsh weather. Thus, in this review, a literature search for updated progress and potential uses of Amaranthus from online databases of peer-reviewed articles and books was conducted. In addition, the nomenclature, nutritional, and nutraceutical value, was reviewed. The species of focus highlighted in the review include, A. blitum, A. caudatus, A. cruentus, A. dubius, A. hypochondriacus, A. spinosus, A. thunbergii, A. tricolor, and A. viridis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Underutilized Natural Sources in Food and Dietary Supplements)
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