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Recent Advances in the Biological Functions of Plant-Based Foods
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Recent Advances in the Biological Functions of Plant-Based Foods

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 (28 February 2022) | Viewed by 19017

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Kyung-Jin Yeum

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Food Bioscience, College of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Konkuk University, Chungju-si 27478, Republic of Korea
Interests: fat-soluble vitamins; carotenoids; flavonoids; oxidative stress; functional foods; metabolic syndrome; human study

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The role of plant-based foods is a hotly discussed issue considering the rapid increase in chronic diseases due to lifestyle changes as well as dietary habits in today’s society. Even though it is well documented that there is a strong association between plant-based foods and a reduced risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, research on the biological functions of plant foods and their applications need to be expanded into new areas.

In this Special Issue, we are encouraging the submission of manuscripts related to recent strategies in urban agriculture for improving the nutritional quality of plant foods for humans, recent progress in evaluating the functional bioavailability of plant foods, and recent developments in medicinal plant research.

Dr. Kyung-Jin Yeum
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. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2900 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

  • companion planting
  • functional bioavailability
  • bioactive components
  • omics strategy
  • medicinal herbs

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 1938 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Valorization of Sambucus nigra L. Berries: From Crop Biodiversity to Nutritional Value of Juice and Pomace
by Carina Pedrosa Costa, Samuel Patinha, Alisa Rudnitskaya, Sónia A. O. Santos, Armando J. D. Silvestre and Sílvia M. Rocha
Foods 2022, 11(1), 104; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11010104 - 31 Dec 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3024
Abstract
Improvement of dietary and ecological biodiversity, namely by exploring autochthonous varieties, is a key point to the construction of a more sustainable food system and planetary health. However, the environmental sustainability continues to face huge challenges, reflecting the importance of achieving a better [...] Read more.
Improvement of dietary and ecological biodiversity, namely by exploring autochthonous varieties, is a key point to the construction of a more sustainable food system and planetary health. However, the environmental sustainability continues to face huge challenges, reflecting the importance of achieving a better understanding about the functional role of biodiversity in ecosystems. Thus, the main objective of this research is to contribute to the sustainable valorization of Sambucus nigra L. berries through a comprehensive approach to evaluate the effects of elderberry’s cultivar, harvest year, and plantation field on the physicochemical berry composition. Moreover, the nutritional value of elderberry juice and respective dried pomace was determined. This complementary information is of huge utility for the rational and, as much as possible, integral use of elderberries. The harvest year, followed by field and the interaction of harvest × field, accounted for the highest impact on the berry’s physicochemical parameters, indicating the importance of the combined impact of the macro- and mesoclimate conditions on plant metabolism. Elderberry juice and dried pomace are a good source of carbohydrates (ca. 12 and 82%, respectively) and have low amounts of fat (≤2.5%), making them low-energy foods. Dried pomace may also represent a potential alternative source of vegetal protein (ca. 6%). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in the Biological Functions of Plant-Based Foods)
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18 pages, 2722 KiB  
Article
Breba Fruits Characterization from Four Varieties (Ficus carica L.) with Important Commercial Interest in Spain
by Dámaris Núñez-Gómez, Pilar Legua, Juan José Martínez-Nicolás and Pablo Melgarejo
Foods 2021, 10(12), 3138; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10123138 - 17 Dec 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3279
Abstract
Although most of the published articles generalize with the fruit of the fig tree (Ficus carica L.), the differentiation between fig and breba is increasingly common in the bibliography. In this regard, keep in mind that the fig tree generally produces two [...] Read more.
Although most of the published articles generalize with the fruit of the fig tree (Ficus carica L.), the differentiation between fig and breba is increasingly common in the bibliography. In this regard, keep in mind that the fig tree generally produces two crops a year, the parthenocarpic breba, also called as early fig, and the main non-parthenocarpic crop, the fig proper. In this study, four brebas varieties (‘Colar’, ‘SuperFig1’, ‘Cuello de Dama Negro’ and ‘San Antonio’) were selected in order to identify compositional, nutritional, and chemical diversity. These varieties were chosen for their commercial relevance in Spain. Color (internal and external), fruit and peel weight, size, pH, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), maturity index (MI), sugar, and organic content were determined for all the breba fruits samples. In addition, polyphenolic profile, amino acids, and volatile aromatic compounds were also identified. The varieties ‘Colar’ and ‘SuperFig1’ showed the highest fruit weight and size, while ‘Cuello de Dama Negro’ presented the higher pulp yield. The higher organic acid and sugar contents were determined for ‘SuperFig1’ and ‘Cuello de Dama Negro’, respectively. Although in low concentrations, the phenolic compound quercetin 3-(6-O-acetyl-beta-glucoside) and the amino acid tyrosine were only detected in the ‘’Cuello de Dama Negra’ and ‘SuperFig1’ fruits, respectively. Of the eighty volatile aromatic compounds identified, only eight were common in four varieties. An important knowledge gap was identified in relation to the characterization of the two Ficus carica L. crops, that is, the differentiation and specification in the literature when working with brebas and/or figs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in the Biological Functions of Plant-Based Foods)
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Review

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18 pages, 438 KiB  
Review
Temporal Change in Iron Content of Vegetables and Legumes in Australia: A Scoping Review
by Erica Eberl, Alice Shimin Li, Zi Yin Joanne Zheng, Judy Cunningham and Anna Rangan
Foods 2022, 11(1), 56; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11010056 - 27 Dec 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4683
Abstract
Studies in UK and US have reported a temporal decline in the iron content of plant-based foods. Limited research on this topic has been conducted in Australia. The aim of this scoping review was to provide a comprehensive evaluation on the temporal change [...] Read more.
Studies in UK and US have reported a temporal decline in the iron content of plant-based foods. Limited research on this topic has been conducted in Australia. The aim of this scoping review was to provide a comprehensive evaluation on the temporal change in iron content of Australian vegetables and legumes from 1900 onward. A systematic search of electronic databases, websites, backward reference searching, and Australian food composition tables was conducted. A total of 34 articles and six versions of Australian food composition databases published between 1930s to 2021, were included in this review. Overall, iron content of vegetables and legumes were assessed at limited time points and geographical origin, cultivars, sampling and analytical techniques varied across studies. The majority of vegetables had similar iron content between two or more timepoints but decreases of 30–50% were noted for sweet corn, red-skinned potatoes, cauliflower and green beans while increases of 150–300% were seen for Hass avocadoes, mushrooms and silverbeet. More pronounced reductions in iron content were observed for legumes, with higher and more variable values reported pre-2000 compared to recent years. Due to limited data and variations in sampling and analytical techniques, no definitive conclusions could be established. As plant-based diets are becoming more popular, consistent monitoring of the nutrient composition of staple plant-based foods is strongly recommended. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in the Biological Functions of Plant-Based Foods)
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18 pages, 2263 KiB  
Review
Pharmacological Activities for Morus alba L., Focusing on the Immunostimulatory Property from the Fruit Aqueous Extract
by Bo-Yoon Chang, Bong-Seong Koo and Sung-Yeon Kim
Foods 2021, 10(8), 1966; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10081966 - 23 Aug 2021
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 7021
Abstract
Depending on the extraction method, numerous compounds that have specific pharmacological effects can be obtained from M. alba L. There is a growing scientific interest in health problems related to aging. Efforts to develop safe immune-enhancing pharmaceuticals are increasing. This review aims to [...] Read more.
Depending on the extraction method, numerous compounds that have specific pharmacological effects can be obtained from M. alba L. There is a growing scientific interest in health problems related to aging. Efforts to develop safe immune-enhancing pharmaceuticals are increasing. This review aims to summarize and critically discuss the immunity enhancement effects and pharmaceutical efficacy of M. alba L. extracts. The scientific database search was conducted using Google Scholar, Web of Science, and PubMed until May 2021. Additional articles were identified and obtained from references in the retrieved articles. Ethanol or methanol extraction of various parts of M. alba L. identified a large amount of phenols and flavonoids, which are effective for immunosuppression, antioxidants, and cardiovascular diseases, and are antibacterial, and anticancer. Water extraction of M. alba L. enhanced the innate immune response based on immune cell activation. A polysaccharide and an alkaloid related to increased macrophage activity were isolated from M. alba L. fruit extracts. M. alba L. fruit water extracts primarily induced the production of pro-inflammatory substances, in model organisms, via TLR4 in immune cells. Water extracts have been shown to be effective in pathogen defense and tumor suppression by enhancing macrophage activity. Based on our literature review on the bioactivity of M. alba L. fruit extracts, particularly in relation to their immunity enhancement activity, we anticipate that M. alba-derived pharmaceuticals will have excellent potential in future medical research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in the Biological Functions of Plant-Based Foods)
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