Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Foods Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Special Issue "Phytochemicals in Foods: From Molecular Properties to Biological Functions"

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

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: 15 February 2024 | Viewed by 6789

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jing Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: Plant Foods; Molecular Structure; Molecular Interactions; Nutrition Interventions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Phytochemicals has received a great amount of interest regarding their various biological functions and potential applications in food. Phytochemicals exhibit excellent structural diversity, including polyphenols, phytoestrogens, terpenoids, carotenoids, phytosterols, alkaloids, fibers, and others. The widespread presence of phytochemicals in the diet and apparent low toxicity suggests their potential to improve human health. To boost the application of phytochemicals in food industry, research on new molecule exploration, molecular properties, structural-activity relationships, biological function mechanisms and effective incorporation to food matrix should be encouraged. In this background, the Special Issue ‘Phytochemicals in Foods: From Molecular Properties to Biological Functions’ is hereby released.

Dr. Jing Zhao
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

phytochemicals
bioactive compounds
antioxidants
polyphenols
phytoestrogens
terpenoids
carotenoids
phytosterols
alkaloids
fibers
molecular properties
biological activities
health
functional foods
nutrition

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Other

14 pages, 7079 KiB

Open AccessArticle

One-Pot Self-Assembly of Core-Shell Nanoparticles within Fibers by Coaxial Electrospinning for Intestine-Targeted Delivery of Curcumin

and

Foods 2023, 12(8), 1623; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12081623 - 12 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1059

Abstract

Nanotechniques for curcumin (Cur) encapsulation provided a potential capability to avoid limitations and improve biological activities in food and pharmaceutics. Different from multi-step encapsulation systems, in this study, zein–curcumin (Z–Cur) core-shell nanoparticles could be self-assembled within Eudragit S100 (ES100) fibers through one-pot coaxial electrospinning with Cur at an encapsulation efficiency (EE) of 96% for ES100–zein–Cur (ES100–Z–Cur) and EE of 67% for self-assembled Z–Cur. The resulting structure realized the double protection of Cur by ES100 and zein, which provided both pH responsiveness and sustained release performances. The self-assembled Z–Cur nanoparticles released from fibermats were spherical (diameter 328 nm) and had a relatively uniform distribution (polydispersity index 0.62). The spherical structures of Z–Cur nanoparticles and Z–Cur nanoparticles loaded in ES100 fibermats could be observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD) revealed that hydrophobic interactions occurred between the encapsulated Cur and zein, while Cur was amorphous (rather than in crystalline form). Loading in the fibermat could significantly enhance the photothermal stability of Cur. This novel one-pot system much more easily and efficiently combined nanoparticles and fibers together, offering inherent advantages such as step economy, operational simplicity, and synthetic efficiency. These core-shell biopolymer fibermats which incorporate Cur can be applied in pharmaceutical products toward the goals of sustainable and controllable intestine-targeted drug delivery. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals in Foods: From Molecular Properties to Biological Functions)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 7882 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sonochemical Effects on the Preparation, Structure and Function of Gliadin-(−)-Epigallo-Catechin 3-Gallate Conjugates

and

Foods 2023, 12(7), 1376; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12071376 - 24 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1006

Abstract

It is essential to understand the mechanism of action of ultrasound synergistic free radical oxidation to promote covalent reactions between proteins and polyphenols. (−)-epigallo-catechin 3-gallate (EGCG) with rich bioactivity could be used to increase the functional properties of cereal protein—gliadin (GL). This study systematically explored the role of ultrasound treatment (US) on the binding mechanisms of GL and EGCG. Electrophoresis and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) confirmed the greater molecular mass of the covalent complexes in the ultrasound environment. Quantitative analysis by the phenol content revealed that the ultrasound environment increased the EGCG content in the covalent complex by 15.08 mg/g of protein. The changes in the spatial structure of the proteins were indicated by Fourier infrared and ultraviolet spectroscopy. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) found that US disrupted the aggregation of GL and the clustered structure of the covalent complexes. The results demonstrated that the water solubility of ultrasonic conjugates was significantly increased by 8.8–64.19%, the digestion rate was more efficient, and the radical scavenging capacity was twice that of GL. This research contributes to the theoretical basis for broadening the application of polyphenols in modifying protein. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals in Foods: From Molecular Properties to Biological Functions)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

12 pages, 3133 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Virtual Screening of Soybean Protein Isolate-Binding Phytochemicals and Interaction Characterization

and

Foods 2023, 12(2), 272; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12020272 - 06 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1431

Abstract

Soybean protein isolate (SPI) and small molecule interactions have drawn more and more attention regarding their benefits for both parts, while research on large-scale investigations and comparisons of different compounds is absent. In this study, a high throughput virtual screening was applied on a phytochemical database with 1130 compounds to pinpoint the potential SPI binder. Pentagalloylglucose, narcissoside, poliumoside, isoginkgetin, and avicurin were selected as the top-five ranking molecules for further validation. Fluorescence quenching assays illustrated that isoginkgetin has a significantly higher apparent binding constant (Ka) of (0.060 ± 0.020) × 10⁶ L·mol⁻¹, followed by avicularin ((0.058 ± 0.010) × 10⁶ L·mol⁻¹), pentagalloylglucose ((0.049 ± 0.010) × 10⁶ L·mol⁻¹), narcissoside ((0.0013 ± 0.0004) × 10⁶ L·mol⁻¹), and poliumoside ((0.0012 ± 0.0006) × 10⁶ L·mol⁻¹). Interface characterization by MD simulation showed that protein residues E172, H173, G202, and V204 are highly involved in hydrogen bonding with the two carbonyl oxygens of isoginketin, which could be the crucial events in SPI binding. Van der Waals force was identified as the major driven force for isoginketin binding. Our study explored SPI–phytochemical interaction through multiple strategies, revealing the molecular binding details of isoginkgetin as a novel SPI binder, which has important implications for the utilization of the SPI–phytochemical complex in food applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals in Foods: From Molecular Properties to Biological Functions)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research

13 pages, 1942 KiB

Open AccessPerspective

A Prospective Review on the Research Progress of Citric Acid Modified Starch

and

Foods 2023, 12(3), 458; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12030458 - 18 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2811

Abstract

Citric acid (CA) treatment is a convenient, mild and environmentally friendly strategy to modify the composition, structure and function of starch through hydrolysis and esterification, which expands the application of starch in industry. In this paper, the effects of CA modification on amylose content, amylopectin chain length distribution, microscopic morphology, solubility and swelling ability, thermodynamic properties, gelatinization properties, digestibility properties, texture properties and the film-forming properties of starch were summarized. The application status and development trend of CA modified starch were reviewed, which has important implications for the targeted utilization of CA modified starch in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytochemicals in Foods: From Molecular Properties to Biological Functions)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Special Issue "Phytochemicals in Foods: From Molecular Properties to Biological Functions"

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (4 papers)

Research

Other

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI