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Biofunctional Molecule Exploratory Research on Application in Food and Health II

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2025 | Viewed by 10268

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Bey-Hing Goh

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Guest Editor

Sunway Biofunctional Molecules Discovery Centre, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Petaling Jaya 47500, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Interests: natural products; microbial drug discovery; molecular oncology; ethnopharmacology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Wei Hsum Yap

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Guest Editor

Centre for Drug Discovery and Molecular Pharmacology (CDDMP), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (FHMS), Taylor’s University, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
Interests: macrophage foam cells; inflammation pharmacology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Today, bioactive compounds from nature continue to benefit mankind in various fields, including in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, pesticide, and cosmetic industries. Many naturally derived secondary metabolites with therapeutic potential have immense potential in the research pipeline for their application as functional foods, therapeutic and cosmetic agents for the benefit of mankind. They exhibit various biological effects, including their ability to regulate cellular and metabolic processes, as well as to activate or inhibit protein targets, such as receptors or enzymes with a beneficial response in the human body. Their consumption has been correlated to the prevention and treatment of different diseases and to the promotion of good health. In this Special Issue, we would like to emphasize the high value of natural products, which can be used for the development of health and food supplements and as potential cosmeceutical applications.

Dr. Bey-Hing Goh
Dr. Wei Hsum Yap
Guest Editors

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Keywords

bioactive compounds
functional foods
food supplements
natural products

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 16898 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Comparison Analysis of Four Different Drying Treatments on the Volatile Organic Compounds of Gardenia Flowers

by Jiangli Peng, Wen Ai, Xinyi Yin, Dan Huang and Shunxiang Li

Molecules 2024, 29(18), 4300; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29184300 - 11 Sep 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 566

Abstract

The gardenia flower not only has extremely high ornamental value but also is an important source of natural food and spices, with a wide range of uses. To support the development of gardenia flower products, this study used headspace gas chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC–IMS) technology to compare and analyze the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of fresh gardenia flower and those after using four different drying methods (vacuum freeze-drying (VFD), microwave drying (MD), hot-air drying (HAD), and vacuum drying (VD)). The results show that, in terms of shape, the VFD sample is almost identical to fresh gardenia flower, while the HAD, MD, and VD samples show significant changes in appearance with clear wrinkling; a total of 59 volatile organic compounds were detected in the gardenia flower, including 13 terpenes, 18 aldehydes, 4 esters, 8 ketones, 15 alcohols, and 1 sulfide. Principal component analysis (PCA), cluster analysis (CA), and partial least-squares regression analysis (PLS-DA) were performed on the obtained data, and the research found that different drying methods impact the VOCs of the gardenia flower. VFD or MD may be the most effective alternative to traditional sun-drying methods. Considering its drying efficiency and production cost, MD has the widest market prospects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofunctional Molecule Exploratory Research on Application in Food and Health II)

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14 pages, 2536 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Differential Anti-Fibrotic and Remodeling Responses of Human Dermal Fibroblasts to Artemisia sp., Artemisinin, and Its Derivatives

by Pamela Weathers, Melissa Towler, Bushra Hafeez Kiani, David Dolivo and Tanja Dominko

Molecules 2024, 29(9), 2107; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29092107 - 2 May 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1322

Abstract

Fibrosis is a ubiquitous pathology, and prior studies have indicated that various artemisinin (ART) derivatives (including artesunate (AS), artemether (AM), and dihydroartemisinin (DHA)) can reduce fibrosis in vitro and in vivo. The medicinal plant Artemisia annua L. is the natural source of ART and is widely used, especially in underdeveloped countries, to treat a variety of diseases including malaria. A. afra contains no ART but is also antimalarial. Using human dermal fibroblasts (CRL-2097), we compared the effects of A. annua and A. afra tea infusions, ART, AS, AM, DHA, and a liver metabolite of ART, deoxyART (dART), on fibroblast viability and expression of key fibrotic marker genes after 1 and 4 days of treatment. AS, DHA, and Artemisia teas reduced fibroblast viability 4 d post-treatment in up to 80% of their respective controls. After 4 d of treatment, AS DHA and Artemisia teas downregulated ACTA2 up to 10 fold while ART had no significant effect, and AM increased viability by 10%. MMP1 and MMP3 were upregulated by AS, 17.5 and 32.6 fold, respectively, and by DHA, 8 and 51.8 fold, respectively. ART had no effect, but A. annua and A. afra teas increased MMP3 5 and 16-fold, respectively. Although A. afra tea increased COL3A1 5 fold, MMP1 decreased >7 fold with no change in either transcript by A. annua tea. Although A. annua contains ART, it had a significantly greater anti-fibrotic effect than ART alone but was less effective than A. afra. Immunofluorescent staining for smooth-muscle α-actin (α-SMA) correlated well with the transcriptional responses of drug-treated fibroblasts. Together, proliferation, qPCR, and immunofluorescence results show that treatment with ART, AS, DHA, and the two Artemisia teas yield differing responses, including those related to fibrosis, in human dermal fibroblasts, with evidence also of remodeling of fibrotic ECM. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofunctional Molecule Exploratory Research on Application in Food and Health II)

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15 pages, 1635 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Starch Properties of Roasting Rice from Naturally High-Resistant Starch Rice Varieties

by Ruifang Yang, Jianhao Tang, Qi Zhao, Zhongze Piao, Gangseob Lee, Changzhao Wan and Jianjiang Bai

Molecules 2023, 28(17), 6408; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28176408 - 2 Sep 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2268

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of moisture content control on the characteristics, properties, and in vitro starch digestion of roasted rice powder made from natural high-resistant starch (RS) rice varieties. The results demonstrate that adjusting the moisture content before roasting significantly affects the RS content of the roasted rice powder. Among various moisture levels tested, the addition of 15% water (rice-to-water ratio of 85:15) before roasting resulted in the highest RS content, reaching 22.61%. Several key parameters of the rice samples before and after optimal moisture control were analyzed, including thermal stability, chain length distribution, volatile flavor composition, and scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, in vitro digestion properties were measured. The findings revealed that the volatile flavor compounds in the high-RS roasted rice significantly increased compared to non-roasted rice. Moreover, the thermal stability of the rice samples improved, and the chain length distribution exhibited significant changes. The water absorption and expansion properties were significantly lower in the high-RS roasted rice. Furthermore, the in vitro starch digestion of the roasted flour made from high-RS rice showed a significantly lower digestion rate compared to common rice, indicating a lower starch hydrolysis index in high-RS rice with the sbe-rs genotype. Overall, the roasting process of natural high-RS rice modifies its characteristics, increases the RS content, enhances the flavor, and results in a lower starch digestion rate compared to common rice. This study provides valuable data for the food industry to promote the application of high-RS rice varieties with mutations in the SBEIIb gene, such as Youtangdao2 (YTD2). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofunctional Molecule Exploratory Research on Application in Food and Health II)

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21 pages, 1964 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fortification of Fermented Camel Milk with Salvia officinalis L. or Mentha piperita Leaves Powder and Its Biological Effects on Diabetic Rats

by Magdy Ramadan Shahein, Mahmoud Ibrahim El-Sayed, Enrique Raya-Álvarez, Abdelmoneim Ahmed Elmeligy, Mohamed A. Mohamady Hussein, Murad A. Mubaraki, Ahmad Agil and Ehab Kotb Elmahallawy

Molecules 2023, 28(15), 5749; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28155749 - 29 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2182

Abstract

The incorporation of fermented camel milk with natural additives possesses numerous benefits for the treatment of various pathological and metabolic conditions. The present study investigated the impact of fortification of fermented camel milk with sage or mint leaves powder (1 and 1.5%, respectively) on glucose and insulin levels, lipid profile, and liver and kidney functions in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. The gross chemical composition of sage and peppermint leaves powder was studied. The chemical composition of sage and mint extracts was performed using liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) of sage and mint extracts. Furthermore, a total of forty-two adult normal male albino rats were included in this study, whereas one group was kept as the healthy control group (n = 6 rats) and diabetes was induced in the remaining animals (n = 36 rats) using alloxan injection (150 mg/kg of body weight). Among diabetic rats groups, a control group (n = 6 rats) was kept as the diabetic control group whereas the other 5 groups (6 rats per group) of diabetic rats were fed fermented camel milk (FCM) or fermented camel milk fortified with 1 and 1.5% of sage or mint leaves powder. Interestingly, the oral administration of fermented camel milk fortified with sage or mint leaves powder, at both concentrations, caused a significant decrease in blood glucose level and lipid profile, and an increase in insulin level compared to the diabetic control and FCM groups. Among others, the best results were observed in the group of animals that received fermented camel milk fortified with 1.5% sage powder. In addition, the results revealed that the fermented camel milk fortified with sage or mint leaves powder improved the liver and kidney functions of diabetic rats. Our study concluded that the use of sage and mint leaves powder (at a ratio of 1.5%) with fermented camel milk produces functional food products with anti-diabetic activity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofunctional Molecule Exploratory Research on Application in Food and Health II)

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Review

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21 pages, 2279 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Application of Natural Carotenoids in Multiple Fields and Their Encapsulation Technology: A Review

by Yinglan Li, Yanna Zhao, Huaizhen Zhang, Zhuang Ding and Jun Han

Molecules 2024, 29(5), 967; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29050967 - 22 Feb 2024

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3226

Abstract

Carotenoids, which are inherent pigments occurring in plants and microorganisms, manifest a diverse array of vivid hues. Owing to their multifarious health advantages, carotenoids have engendered substantial interest among scholars and consumers alike. Presently, carotenoids are extensively employed in the realms of food, nutrition and health commodities, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, rendering them an indispensable constituent of our quotidian existence. Therefore, the objective of this review is to present a succinct and methodical examination of the sources, constituents, and factors influencing formation of carotenoids. Particular attention will be given to encapsulation strategies that maintain intrinsic characteristics, as the growing desire for carotenoids is propelled by individuals’ escalating standards of living. Moreover, the applications of natural carotenoids in multiple fields, including pharmaceutical, food and feed, as well as cosmetics, are discussed in detail. Finally, this article explores the main challenges hindering the future advancement of carotenoids, aiming at facilitating their effective integration into the circular economy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofunctional Molecule Exploratory Research on Application in Food and Health II)

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