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Plant Foods Ingredients as Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals III

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2024) | Viewed by 3196

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Interests: food science and technology; plant food bioactive compounds; functional foods and ingredients
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Functional foods and nutraceuticals have similar characteristics in terms of their nutritional value compared to conventional foods. Indeed, these food products provide disease-preventing and health-promoting effects when consumed as part of a balanced diet. In this context, functional foods, which contain components, nutrients, or bioactive compounds that exert selective beneficial effects on one or more functions of the organism, are widely distributed in the food market.

It is estimated that more than 3 million cases of chronic diseases and cancer over a year could be avoided with a healthy and balanced diet that includes functional foods. Health claims are important value-added features for consumers and therefore for the food industry since they can give a competitive advantage to a functional food products or food ingredients. The EFSA authority only accepts health claims in functional foods and nutraceuticals based on strong scientific evidence. Therefore, further research is required to elucidate the association between functional foods and nutraceuticals containing phytochemicals and human health.

In this Special Issue of Molecules, we would like to collate papers dealing with the topic of plant food ingredients as functional foods and nutraceuticals and their relation to human health. In broad terms, the study of phytochemicals present in functional foods and nutraceuticals derived from vegetables, fruits, cereals, pulses, among others, and the study of their potential bioactivity (in vitro and in vivo), potential health effects, disease risk reduction effects, and effects on disease biomarkers will be considered.

We welcome different types of manuscripts, including original research articles and up-to-date reviews (systematic reviews and meta-analyses). Topics may include recent advances and knowledge regarding the associations of phytochemicals present in functional foods and nutraceuticals, their intake, and nutritional biomarkers, considering disease risk reduction, including cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and other chronic diseases.

Dr. Maria Ciudad-Mulero
Dr. Patricia Morales
Prof. Dr. Virginia Fernández-Ruiz
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • nutraceuticals
  • functional foods
  • plant ingredients
  • phytochemicals
  • health claims, in vitro and in vivo studies

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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32 pages, 1801 KiB  
Article
Development of Novel Honey- and Oat-Based Cocoa Beverages—A Comprehensive Analysis of the Impact of Drying Temperature and Mixture Composition on Physical, Chemical and Sensory Properties
by Kristina Tušek and Maja Benković
Molecules 2024, 29(19), 4665; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29194665 - 30 Sep 2024
Viewed by 643
Abstract
This research aimed to assess the influence of drying temperature (50, 60 and 70 °C), honey/oat flour ratio (60:40, 50:50 and 40:60) and cocoa contents (5, 6.25 and 7.5 g/100 g) on the physical (color, moisture content, bulk density, flowability (Hausner ratio, Carr [...] Read more.
This research aimed to assess the influence of drying temperature (50, 60 and 70 °C), honey/oat flour ratio (60:40, 50:50 and 40:60) and cocoa contents (5, 6.25 and 7.5 g/100 g) on the physical (color, moisture content, bulk density, flowability (Hausner ratio, Carr index), dispersibility, solubility, and particle size), chemical (total dissolved solids, conductivity, pH, amount of sugar, color, total polyphenolic content, and antioxidant activity), and sensory properties (powder appearance, color, odor; and beverage appearance, color, odor, sweetness, bitterness, taste, texture) of a newly developed cocoa powder mixture in which honey was used as a sweetener and oat flour as a filler. Also, a further aim of this study was to optimize the composition of the mixture based on chemical, physical and sensory properties. Based on the optimization results, the highest total polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity were achieved at 70 °C with a honey/oat ratio of 50% and a cocoa content of 7.5 g. Drying temperature has a significant effect on powder odor and beverage odor, as well as on beverage bitterness, while the honey/oat flour ratio has a significant effect on color, with primarily values L* and a*. The cocoa contents mostly affect total polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Foods Ingredients as Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals III)
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11 pages, 2805 KiB  
Article
Effect of Adding Chestnut Inner Skin on Allergenic Protein, Antioxidant Properties, and Quality of Bread
by Yoko Tsurunaga and Eishin Morita
Molecules 2024, 29(4), 863; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29040863 - 15 Feb 2024
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Abstract
Wheat-dependent, exercise-induced anaphylaxis has no fundamental cure and requires patients to refrain from wheat consumption or to rest after eating. Although hypoallergenic wheat production by enzymatic degradation or thioredoxin treatment has been investigated, challenges still exist in terms of labor and efficacy. We [...] Read more.
Wheat-dependent, exercise-induced anaphylaxis has no fundamental cure and requires patients to refrain from wheat consumption or to rest after eating. Although hypoallergenic wheat production by enzymatic degradation or thioredoxin treatment has been investigated, challenges still exist in terms of labor and efficacy. We investigated a hypoallergenic wheat product manufacturing technology that takes advantage of the property of tannins to bind tightly to proteins. Commercially available bread wheat (BW) and hypoallergenic wheat (1BS-18 “Minaminokaori”, 1BS-18M) were used. Chestnut inner skin (CIS) was selected as a tannin material based on the screening of breads with added unused parts of persimmon and chestnut. Hypoallergenicity was evaluated using Western blotting. The effect of CIS addition on the antioxidative properties of bread was also measured. For both BW and 1BS-18M, CIS addition reduced the immunoreactivity of wheat allergens. Antioxidant activities increased with increasing CIS substitution. However, 10% CIS-substituted breads were substantially less puffy. Five percent CIS substitution was optimal for achieving low allergenicity, while maintaining bread quality. The strategy investigated herein can reduce allergies related to wheat bread consumption. In this study, the evaluation of hypoallergenicity was limited to instrumental analysis. In the future, we will evaluate hypoallergenicity through clinical trials in humans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Foods Ingredients as Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals III)
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Review

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25 pages, 1911 KiB  
Review
Quercetin: A Promising Candidate for the Management of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD)
by Julia Markowska, Kamila Kasprzak-Drozd, Przemysław Niziński, Magdalena Dragan, Adrianna Kondracka, Ewa Gondek, Tomasz Oniszczuk and Anna Oniszczuk
Molecules 2024, 29(22), 5245; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29225245 - 6 Nov 2024
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Abstract
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) represents a chronic liver disease. The development of MASLD is influenced by a multitude of diseases associated with modern lifestyles, including but not limited to diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia and obesity. These conditions are often consequences of [...] Read more.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) represents a chronic liver disease. The development of MASLD is influenced by a multitude of diseases associated with modern lifestyles, including but not limited to diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia and obesity. These conditions are often consequences of the adoption of unhealthy habits, namely a sedentary lifestyle, a lack of physical activity, poor dietary choices and excessive alcohol consumption. The treatment of MASLD is primarily based on modifying the patient’s lifestyle and pharmacological intervention. Despite the absence of FDA-approved pharmacological agents for the treatment of MASLD, several potential therapeutic modalities have demonstrated efficacy in reversing the histopathological features of the disease. Among the botanical ingredients belonging to the flavonoid group is quercetin (QE). QE has been demonstrated to possess a number of beneficial physiological effects, including anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antifungal properties. Additionally, it functions as a natural antioxidant. Preclinical evidence indicates that QE may play a beneficial role in reducing liver damage and improving metabolic health. Early human studies also suggest that QE may be an effective treatment for MASLD due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and lipid-regulating properties. This review aims to summarize the available information on the therapeutic effects of QE in MASLD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Foods Ingredients as Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals III)
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