Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.8
5.2
Journals
Foods
Special Issues
Plant Extracts: From Extract Technology to Health Benefits
share announcement

Plant Extracts: From Extract Technology to Health Benefits

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Foods".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 June 2023) | Viewed by 16163

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Zheng Ruan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang Key Laboratory of Fruits and Vegetables Nutrition and Processing, Institute of Nutrition and School of Food Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047, China
Interests: phytochemicals; polyphenol; functional foods; gut health; intestinal microbiota; metabolic syndrome; metabolomics; molecular nutrition
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Stefania Moccia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Research Council, Institute of Food Sciences, 83100 Avellino, Italy
Interests: green extraction; polyphenols; carotenoids; antioxidant activity; biological activity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Giuseppina Crescente

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via Vivaldi 43, 81100 Caserta, Italy
Interests: food chemistry; natural products; antioxidant activity; chemical characterization

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The extraction of plant specialized metabolites represents a challenge still today. Indeed, the recovery of bioactive compounds from by-products deriving from agri-food chains fits with the concept of environmental sustainability and circular economy. For this reason, the optimization of extraction processes based on green technologies, characterized by low energy-consuming, represents the goal for the development of large-scale methods to be implemented at an industrial level.

The topical issue regards the validation of the functional activity of the extracts on specific experimental models, that take into account the poor bioavailability and structural changes of these compounds, also due to modulation of the gut microbiota. Thus, the study of the biological effects of in vivo bio-transformed metabolites could represent another important advance in the knowledge of the mechanisms of action triggered by these compounds.

Prof. Dr. Zheng Ruan
Prof. Dr. Stefania Moccia
Dr. Giuseppina Crescente
Guest Editors

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
  • green extraction
  • natural extracts
  • bioavailability
  • gut microbiota
  • health effects

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

3 pages, 167 KiB  
Editorial
Editorial to the Special Issue “Plant Extracts: From Extract Technology to Health Benefits”
by Giuseppina Crescente and Stefania Moccia
Foods 2024, 13(3), 356; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13030356 - 23 Jan 2024
Viewed by 693
Abstract
The valorization of food industry waste is essential to the sustainable development of the agro-food industry, starting from the extraction of plant special metabolites, a challenge that still exists today [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Extracts: From Extract Technology to Health Benefits)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

17 pages, 1725 KiB  
Article
A Comparative Study between Microwave Hydrodiffusion and Gravity (MHG) and Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction (UAE): Chemical and Biological Characterization of Polyphenol-Enriched Extracts from Aglianico Grape Pomace
by Giuseppina Crescente, Giovanni Cascone, Antonio Petruzziello, Aziz Bouymajane, Maria Grazia Volpe, Gian Luigi Russo and Stefania Moccia
Foods 2023, 12(14), 2678; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12142678 - 11 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1392
Abstract
The wine industry produces large amounts of grape pomace (GP), a waste that needs to be disposed of properly. Bioactive compounds with high added value can be recovered from GP as an interesting strategy to reduce the environmental impact. Here, two different technologies [...] Read more.
The wine industry produces large amounts of grape pomace (GP), a waste that needs to be disposed of properly. Bioactive compounds with high added value can be recovered from GP as an interesting strategy to reduce the environmental impact. Here, two different technologies were employed to recover polyphenol compounds from GP: microwave hydrodiffusion and gravity (MHG) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). The further purification of UAE and MHG extracts was carried out through solid-phase extraction (SPE) to obtain three fractions, F1, F2 and F3. ATR-FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of sugar and polysaccharide components in F1, as well as non-anthocyanin and anthocyanin compounds in F2 and F3, respectively. Also, the chemical profile was determined by HPLC-UV-DAD, identifying the presence of catechin in F2, and malvidin-3-O-glucoside chloride and cyanidin chloride derivative as the main anthocyanin compounds in F3. The fractions and their parental extracts were characterized for total phenolic content (TPC) and scavenger activity by in vitro assays. We found that F2-MHG and F3-MHG contained phenol contents 6.5 and 8.5 times higher than those of the parental non-fractionated extracts. Finally, F3-MHG (100 μg/mL, w/v) was shown to reduce the proliferation of HT-29 cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Extracts: From Extract Technology to Health Benefits)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 7473 KiB  
Article
Neuroprotective Effect of White Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. Petal Tea in Rats Poisoned with Mancozeb
by Ketsarin Intui, Pimchanok Nuchniyom, Jiraporn Laoung-on, Churdsak Jaikang, Ranida Quiggins and Paiwan Sudwan
Foods 2023, 12(11), 2175; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12112175 - 28 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1387
Abstract
Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. (N. nucifera) tea is used as food and folk medicine to reduce toxicity in Southeast Asia. Mancozeb (Mz) is used for controlling fungi in agriculture and contains heavy metals. This study aimed to examine the effect of white [...] Read more.
Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. (N. nucifera) tea is used as food and folk medicine to reduce toxicity in Southeast Asia. Mancozeb (Mz) is used for controlling fungi in agriculture and contains heavy metals. This study aimed to examine the effect of white N. nucifera petal tea on cognitive behavior, hippocampus histology, oxidative stress, and amino acid metabolism in rats poisoned with mancozeb. Seventy-two male Wistar rats were divided into nine groups (n = 8 in each). Y-maze spontaneous alternation test was used to assess cognitive behavior, and amino acid metabolism was investigated by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR) from blood. There was a significant increase in relative brain weight in the Mz co-administered with the highest dose (2.20 mg/kg bw) of white N. nucifera group. The levels of tryptophan, kynurenine, picolinic acid, and serotonin in blood showed a significant decrease in the Mz group and a significant increase in the Mz co-administered with low dose (0.55 mg/kg bw) of white N. nucifera group. However, there was no significant difference in cognitive behavior, hippocampus histology, oxidative stress, and corticosterone. This study demonstrated that a low dose of white N. nucifera petal tea has a neuroprotective effect against mancozeb. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Extracts: From Extract Technology to Health Benefits)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

27 pages, 4223 KiB  
Article
The Hepatoprotective Effect of Two Date Palm Fruit Cultivars’ Extracts: Green Optimization of the Extraction Process
by Nashi K. Alqahtani, Hisham A. Mohamed, Mahmoud E. Moawad, Nancy S. Younis and Maged E. Mohamed
Foods 2023, 12(6), 1229; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12061229 - 13 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1589
Abstract
Date palm fruit (Phoenix dactylifera: Arecaceae) is rich in essential nutrients and possesses several pharmacological and medicinal activities. The current study aimed to optimize a water bath-assisted extraction method for two cultivars of date palm fruits, Anbara (An) and Reziz (Rz), [...] Read more.
Date palm fruit (Phoenix dactylifera: Arecaceae) is rich in essential nutrients and possesses several pharmacological and medicinal activities. The current study aimed to optimize a water bath-assisted extraction method for two cultivars of date palm fruits, Anbara (An) and Reziz (Rz), and investigated the protective effect of the optimized date palm fruit extract against CCl4-induced liver toxicity in relation to oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and DNA integrity. The optimization process of two date palm fruit cultivars was applied, using response surface methodology through adjusting three “factors”; time, temperature, and rotation, to allow maximum contents of total phenolic (TPC), total flavonoid (TFC), reducing power (FRAP) and scavenging activity (ABTS) of the extract “responses”. Extraction factors’ application significantly enhanced TPC, TFC, FRAP, and ABTS responses by 1.30, 1.23, 3.03, and 2.06-fold, respectively in An and 2.18, 1.71, 1.11, and 2.62-fold, respectively in Rz, in relation to the convectional water extraction. Furthermore, co-administered CCl4 with An or Rz optimized extracts enhanced body weight gain, amended hepatic architecture, and diminished collagen fiber accumulation. Furthermore, An or Rz extracts reduced liver enzymes, hydroxyproline, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), MDA, inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, NF-κB) levels, and DNA fragmentation, while increasing deteriorated adiponectin (ADP) and antioxidant enzyme (GSH, GPX, NO, and IFN-γ) levels, relative to CCl4-administered animals. The protective effects of An or Rz-optimized extracts were also evidenced by suppressing hepatic fibrosis and improving liver function and structure via modulating oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, in CCl4-induced hepatic damage. Hence, the optimized extraction process for the two date palm fruits resulted in extracts which are rich in phenolic and flavonoid contents and with an elevated antioxidant power. The presence of these rich extracts could help to explain their proven hepatoprotective activity against CCl4-induced liver toxicity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Extracts: From Extract Technology to Health Benefits)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

16 pages, 1493 KiB  
Review
Anthocyanins and Vascular Health: A Matter of Metabolites
by Joseph Festa, Aamir Hussain, Zakia Al-Hareth, Harprit Singh and Mariasole Da Boit
Foods 2023, 12(9), 1796; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12091796 - 26 Apr 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1591
Abstract
Anthocyanins are a subgroup of flavonoid polyphenols previously investigated for improving cardiovascular health and preventing the development of endothelial dysfunction. However, their poor bioavailability raises the question of whether the observed biological activity is due to their metabolites. Phenolic metabolites can reach higher [...] Read more.
Anthocyanins are a subgroup of flavonoid polyphenols previously investigated for improving cardiovascular health and preventing the development of endothelial dysfunction. However, their poor bioavailability raises the question of whether the observed biological activity is due to their metabolites. Phenolic metabolites can reach higher plasma concentrations and can persist in the circulation for periods much longer than their original anthocyanin form; therefore, the biological activity and health promoting effects of anthocyanins may differ from their metabolites. To address this, recent studies have facilitated different cell models, in vivo studies and explored physiologically relevant concentrations to better understand their mechanisms of action. The criteria were chosen based on previous reports demonstrating that anthocyanins can improve endothelial function via modulation of the Akt-endothelial nitric oxide synthase pathway and transcription factors Nrf2 and NF-κB, which made it critical to assess the phenolic metabolites’ modes of action via these pathways. This review demonstrates how phenolic metabolites differ in bioactivity from their precursor anthocyanin, demonstrating improved endothelial function in response to inflammatory mediators at concentrations that are tolerated in vivo. The review highlights the crucial need for further studies to focus on improving the bioavailability of metabolites in isolation and explore the effect of metabolites in mixtures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Extracts: From Extract Technology to Health Benefits)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

18 pages, 1836 KiB  
Review
A Comprehensive Review of Moringa oleifera Bioactive Compounds—Cytotoxicity Evaluation and Their Encapsulation
by Oana Lelia Pop, Andreea Diana Kerezsi and Călina Ciont (Nagy)
Foods 2022, 11(23), 3787; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11233787 - 24 Nov 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 8567
Abstract
Moringa oleifera Lam. has gained a lot of attention due to its potential use as a functional food not only for human health but also for animal health. Its bioactive molecules include carbohydrates, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, fatty acids, essential amino acids, and functional [...] Read more.
Moringa oleifera Lam. has gained a lot of attention due to its potential use as a functional food not only for human health but also for animal health. Its bioactive molecules include carbohydrates, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, fatty acids, essential amino acids, and functional peptides. Despite significant efforts to isolate and characterize bioactive metabolites with health functions, few effective metabolites are accessible. The current review aims to describe the main processes for extracting and encapsulating bioactive compounds from Moringa oleifera for potential impact on food science and public health. Researchers have shown that different extraction techniques significantly impact the Moringa polysaccharides’ molecular structure and biological activity. Encapsulation has been proposed to reduce oxidative stability and entrap active agents within a carrier material to deliver bioactive molecules into foods. Currently, polysaccharides and proteins, followed by lipids, are used for material encapsulation. Recent techniques include spray drying, cross-linking gelation, freeze-drying, nanoencapsulation, electrospinning, and electrospraying. Moreover, these encapsulations can overlap concerns regarding the Moringa oleifera compounds’ cytotoxicity. Future studies should prioritize the effect of new encapsulation materials on Moringa extract and develop new techniques that consider both encapsulation cost and efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Extracts: From Extract Technology to Health Benefits)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-6
Back to TopTop