Bioactive and (Poly)Phenolic Compounds: Characterization & Properties into Food and Health Benefits

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods, and Novel Foods".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 July 2023) | Viewed by 21321

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: plant physiology; abiotic stresses and mitigation strategies; agrarian sciences and food biotechnology; fruit science; valorization of bio-based products and and co-products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Research Centre-Vila Real (CQ-VR), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: wine microbiology; volatile acidity bio-reduction; food sensory evaluation; wine sensory evaluation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bioactive and (poly)phenolic compounds are gaining increasing interest in the field of food sciences and technologies, due to their health benefits, nutritional value, and to the potentialities for their technological exploitation in sustainable food chains. Several food sources, including fruit, vegetables, crops, beverages, wine, as well as new unexploited and under-utilized sources (i.e., algae), which naturally contain valuable amounts of (poly)phenolic compounds. The influence of the digestive process on the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of these compounds, and the advantages of nanoencapsulation and their application in functional foods, which could allow research focusing on the actual biological dimension of (poly)phenols is one of the interests of this Special Issue. Moreover, scientific studies focused on the usage of food-grade polyphenolic extracts as food additives and technological aids; on their recovery from food wastes, showing a remarkable impulse in the last few decades; and on the relevance of non-extractable (poly)phenols (NEPP) or macromolecular antioxidants as food bioactive compounds are also of great interest. We welcome reports on the current strategies to enhance the content of these bioactives in foods, on setting up formulations that increase their bioavailability and bioactivity, and on the determination of their mechanism of action through in vitro and in vivo models. This Special Issue aims at collecting current knowledge and recent advances in the field of food compounds, envisaging both research articles and reviews which investigate their role on food composition, food technology, nutraceutical, and health.

Dr. Berta Gonçalves
Prof. Dr. Alice Vilela
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • (poly)phenolic compounds
  • bioactive compounds
  • nutraceutical value
  • flavonoids
  • in vitro and in vivo functionality
  • bioaccessibility and bioavailability

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 5625 KiB  
Article
Effects of Dietary Tannic Acid on Obesity and Gut Microbiota in C57BL/6J Mice Fed with High-Fat Diet
by Jiangmin Fang, Lirong Zeng, Yalun He, Xiong Liu, Tongcun Zhang and Qiong Wang
Foods 2022, 11(21), 3325; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11213325 - 23 Oct 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2344
Abstract
Dietary tannic acid, as a natural polyphenolic, has many important biological activities. This study aimed to investigate the effect of dietary tannic acid on obesity and gut microbiota in mice with a high-fat diet. Male C57BL/6J mice fed a high-fat diet were treated [...] Read more.
Dietary tannic acid, as a natural polyphenolic, has many important biological activities. This study aimed to investigate the effect of dietary tannic acid on obesity and gut microbiota in mice with a high-fat diet. Male C57BL/6J mice fed a high-fat diet were treated with dietary tannic acid for eight weeks. Results showed that dietary tannic acid reduced the body weight gain, regulated glycolipid metabolism, improved the insulin resistance, and attenuated the liver oxidative stress in high-fat diet-fed mice. Moreover, both dietary tannic acid intervention groups repaired the gut barrier damage caused by a high-fat diet, especially in the 50 mg/kg/d dietary tannic acid intervention group. Interestingly, the effect of dietary tannic acid on serum endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) content was correlated with the abundance of the LPS-producing microbiota. In addition, dietary tannic acid altered the abundance of obesity-related gut microbiota (Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Bacteroides, Alistipes, and Odoribacter) in the 150 mg/kg/d dietary tannic acid intervention group, while it was not effective in the 50 mg/kg/d dietary tannic acid intervention group. These findings suggested the potential effect of dietary tannic acid for the prevention and control of obesity. Full article
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Review

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19 pages, 747 KiB  
Review
Composition of Nuts and Their Potential Health Benefits—An Overview
by Berta Gonçalves, Teresa Pinto, Alfredo Aires, Maria Cristina Morais, Eunice Bacelar, Rosário Anjos, Jorge Ferreira-Cardoso, Ivo Oliveira, Alice Vilela and Fernanda Cosme
Foods 2023, 12(5), 942; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12050942 - 23 Feb 2023
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 14118
Abstract
The possibility that nut intake may defend human health is an interesting point of view and has been investigated worldwide. Consequently, nuts are commonly promoted as healthy. In recent decades, the number of investigations proposing a correlation between nut consumption and a decrease [...] Read more.
The possibility that nut intake may defend human health is an interesting point of view and has been investigated worldwide. Consequently, nuts are commonly promoted as healthy. In recent decades, the number of investigations proposing a correlation between nut consumption and a decrease in the risk of key chronic diseases has continued to increase. Nuts are a source of intake of fiber, and dietary fiber is associated with a reduced occurrence of obesity and cardiovascular diseases. Nuts likewise provide minerals and vitamins to the diet and supply phytochemicals that function as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and phytoestrogens agents and other protective mechanisms. Therefore, the main goal of this overview is to summarize current information and to describe the utmost new investigation concerning the health benefits of certain nuts. Full article
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18 pages, 1750 KiB  
Review
Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) Nutritional and Phenolic Composition Interactions with Chestnut Flavor Physiology
by Maria João Santos, Teresa Pinto and Alice Vilela
Foods 2022, 11(24), 4052; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11244052 - 14 Dec 2022
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3985
Abstract
The European chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.), is an environmentally and economically important species in Europe, mainly for fruit production. The chestnut fruit is well-known for its nutritional properties, namely its high concentration of carbohydrates (starch) and its low-fat content, as well as [...] Read more.
The European chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.), is an environmentally and economically important species in Europe, mainly for fruit production. The chestnut fruit is well-known for its nutritional properties, namely its high concentration of carbohydrates (starch) and its low-fat content, as well as being one of the few fruits that do not contain gluten. Due to its chemical and nutritional characteristics beneficial to health, the sweet chestnut is a food recommended at different levels. The biochemistry of the mouth and nose of a human being is very complex. However, understanding the different interactions between the biochemistry of our sensory organs and food helps us to comprehend certain concepts, such as flavor and how it is involved in the sensory evaluation of the chestnuts. For the selection of high-quality products, it is necessary to develop reliable methods both from a qualitative and sensory point of view, and chestnut is a fruit with unique sensory characteristics that can be used in various gastronomic dishes, from main courses to desserts. Full article
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