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 Foods and Underutilized Fruits as Source of Functional Food...
share announcement

Plant Foods and Underutilized Fruits as Source of Functional Food Ingredients: Chemical Composition, Quality Traits, and Biological Properties

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2018) | Viewed by 42025

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dario Donno

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Science, University of Torino, Largo Braccini 2, Grugliasco, 10095 Turin, Italy
Interests: plant foods; agrifood application and its nutritional properties; analytical strategies for phytochemical and nutritional characterization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Federica Turrini

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, Viale Cembrano 4, 16148 Genoa, Italy
Interests: green extraction; ultrasound; waste management; circular economy; food chemistry; dietary food supplements; functional foods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Changes in lifestyle and demographics, rising consumer incomes, and shifting preferences due to advanced knowledge about the relationships between food and health, contribute to generate new needs in food supply. Today, the role of food is not only intended as hunger satisfaction and nutrient supplying, but also as an opportunity to prevent nutrition-related diseases and improve physical and mental well-being. For this reason, there is a growing interest in novel or less well-known plant foods that offer an opportunity for health maintenance. Recently, interest in plant foods and underutilized fruits is ever more growing and agrobiodiversity exploitation offers effective and extraordinary potentialities. Plant foods could be an important source of health-promoting compounds and functional food ingredients with benefical properties: the description of quality and physico-chemical traits, the identification and quantification of bioactive compounds, and the evaluation of their biological activities are important to assess plant food efficacy as functional foods or source of food supplement ingredients.

Dr. Dario Donno
Dr. Federica Turrini
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

  • natural plant foods

  • healthy properties

  • phytochemicals

  • agrobiodiversity

  • human nutrition

  • analytical strategies

  • bioactivity

  • unconventional fruits

  • in vitro test

  • natural antioxidants

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

4 pages, 191 KiB  
Editorial
Plant Foods and Underutilized Fruits as Source of Functional Food Ingredients: Chemical Composition, Quality Traits, and Biological Properties
by Dario Donno and Federica Turrini
Foods 2020, 9(10), 1474; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9101474 - 15 Oct 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3047
Abstract
Changes in lifestyle and demographics, rising consumer incomes, and shifting preferences due to advanced knowledge about the relationships between food and health contribute to generate new needs in the food supply. Today, the role of food is not only intended as hunger satisfaction [...] Read more.
Changes in lifestyle and demographics, rising consumer incomes, and shifting preferences due to advanced knowledge about the relationships between food and health contribute to generate new needs in the food supply. Today, the role of food is not only intended as hunger satisfaction and nutrient supply but also as an opportunity to prevent nutrition-related diseases and improve physical and mental well-being. For this reason, there is a growing interest in the novel or less well-known plant foods that offer an opportunity for health maintenance. Recently, interest in plant foods and underutilized fruits is continuously growing, and agrobiodiversity exploitation offers effective and extraordinary potentialities. Plant foods could be an important source of health-promoting compounds and functional food ingredients with beneficial properties: the description of the quality and physicochemical traits, the identification and quantification of bioactive compounds, and the evaluation of their biological activities are important to assess plant food efficacy as functional foods or source of food supplement ingredients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Foods and Underutilized Fruits as Source of Functional Food Ingredients: Chemical Composition, Quality Traits, and Biological Properties)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

15 pages, 1590 KiB  
Article
Mechanism of Action against Food Spoilage Yeasts and Bioactivity of Tasmannia lanceolata, Backhousia citriodora and Syzygium anisatum Plant Solvent Extracts
by Fahad Alderees, Ram Mereddy, Dennis Webber, Nilesh Nirmal and Yasmina Sultanbawa
Foods 2018, 7(11), 179; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods7110179 - 29 Oct 2018
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4880
Abstract
Bioactive properties of solvent extracts of Tasmannia lanceolata, Backhousia citriodora and Syzygium anisatum investigated. The antimicrobial activities evaluated using agar disc diffusion method against two bacteria (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus) and six weak-acid resistant yeasts (Candida albicans, [...] Read more.
Bioactive properties of solvent extracts of Tasmannia lanceolata, Backhousia citriodora and Syzygium anisatum investigated. The antimicrobial activities evaluated using agar disc diffusion method against two bacteria (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus) and six weak-acid resistant yeasts (Candida albicans, Candida krusei, Dekkera anomala, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe). The antioxidant activities determined using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging and reducing power assays. Quantification of major active compounds using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography. Extracts showed broad-spectrum antifungal activity against weak-acid resistant yeasts in comparison to the standard antifungal agents, fluconazole and amphotericin B. Dekkera anomala being the most sensitive and strongly inhibited by all extracts, while Escherichia coli the least sensitive. Polygodial, citral and anethole are the major bioactive compounds identified in Tasmannia lanceolata, Backhousia citriodora and Syzygium anisatum, respectively. Hexane extracts contain the highest amount of bioactive compounds and demonstrate the strongest antimicrobial activities. Methanol and ethanol extracts reveal the highest phenolic content and antioxidant properties. Fluorescence microscopic results indicate the mechanism of action of Backhousia citriodora against yeast is due to damage of the yeast cell membrane through penetration causing swelling and lysis leading to cell death. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Foods and Underutilized Fruits as Source of Functional Food Ingredients: Chemical Composition, Quality Traits, and Biological Properties)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 3115 KiB  
Article
Influence of Clitoria ternatea Flower Extract on the In Vitro Enzymatic Digestibility of Starch and Its Application in Bread
by Charoonsri Chusak, Christiani Jeyakumar Henry, Praew Chantarasinlapin, Varanya Techasukthavorn and Sirichai Adisakwattana
Foods 2018, 7(7), 102; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods7070102 - 02 Jul 2018
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 8148
Abstract
This study aimed to assess the effect of the Clitoria ternatea L. flower extract (CTE), on the inhibition of pancreatic α-amylase, in vitro starch hydrolysis, and predicted the glycemic index of different type of flours including potato, cassava, rice, corn, wheat, and glutinous [...] Read more.
This study aimed to assess the effect of the Clitoria ternatea L. flower extract (CTE), on the inhibition of pancreatic α-amylase, in vitro starch hydrolysis, and predicted the glycemic index of different type of flours including potato, cassava, rice, corn, wheat, and glutinous rice flour. The application in a bakery product prepared from flour and CTE was also determined. The results demonstrated that the 1% and 2% (w/v) CTE inhibited the pancreatic α-amylase activity by using all flours as a substrate. Moreover, 0.5%, 1%, and 2% (w/v) CTE showed a significant reduction in the glucose release, hydrolysis index (HI), and predicted glycemic index (pGI) of flour. In glutinous rice flour, 1% and 2% (w/v) CTE had a significantly lower level of rapidly digestible starch (RDS) and slowly digestible starch (SDS) with a concomitant higher level of undigested starch. The statistical analysis demonstrated strong positive significant correlations between the percentage of CTE and the undigested starch of wheat and cassava. The addition of 5%, 10%, and 20% (w/w) CTE significantly reduced the rate of starch digestion of the wheat bread. The pGI of bread incorporated with 5% CTE (w/w) was significantly lower than that of the control bread. Our findings suggest that CTE could reduce the starch digestibility, the HI, and pGI of flour through the inhibition of carbohydrate digestive enzymes. Taken together, CTE may be a potent ingredient for the reduced glycemic index of flours. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Foods and Underutilized Fruits as Source of Functional Food Ingredients: Chemical Composition, Quality Traits, and Biological Properties)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

10 pages, 6243 KiB  
Article
Buchanania obovata: Functionality and Phytochemical Profiling of the Australian Native Green Plum
by Selina A. Fyfe, Gabriele Netzel, Michael E. Netzel and Yasmina Sultanbawa
Foods 2018, 7(5), 71; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods7050071 - 04 May 2018
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 6170
Abstract
The green plum is the fruit of Buchanania obovata Engl. and is an Australian Indigenous bush food. Very little study has been done on the green plum, so this is an initial screening study of the functional properties and phytochemical profile found in [...] Read more.
The green plum is the fruit of Buchanania obovata Engl. and is an Australian Indigenous bush food. Very little study has been done on the green plum, so this is an initial screening study of the functional properties and phytochemical profile found in the flesh and seed. The flesh was shown to have antimicrobial properties effective against gram negative (Escherichia coli 9001—NCTC) and gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus 6571—NCTC) bacteria. Scanning electron microscopy analysis shows that the antimicrobial activity causes cell wall disintegration and cytoplasmic leakage in both bacteria. Antioxidant 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) testing shows the flesh has high radical scavenging activity (106.3 ± 28.6 μM Trolox equivalant/g Dry Weight in methanol). The flesh and seed contain a range of polyphenols including gallic acid, ellagic acid, p-coumaric acid, kaempferol, quercetin and trans-ferulic acid that may be responsible for this activity. The seed is eaten as a bush food and contains a delphinidin-based anthocyanin. The green plum has potential as a functional ingredient in food products for its antimicrobial and antioxidant activity, and further investigation into its bioactivity, chemical composition and potential applications in different food products is warranted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Foods and Underutilized Fruits as Source of Functional Food Ingredients: Chemical Composition, Quality Traits, and Biological Properties)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 5898 KiB  
Article
Chemical and Nutritional Composition of Terminalia ferdinandiana (Kakadu Plum) Kernels: A Novel Nutrition Source
by Saleha Akter, Michael E. Netzel, Mary T. Fletcher, Ujang Tinggi and Yasmina Sultanbawa
Foods 2018, 7(4), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods7040060 - 12 Apr 2018
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 9947
Abstract
Terminalia ferdinandiana (Kakadu plum) is a native Australian fruit. Industrial processing of T. ferdinandiana fruits into puree generates seeds as a by-product, which are generally discarded. The aim of our present study was to process the seed to separate the kernel and determine [...] Read more.
Terminalia ferdinandiana (Kakadu plum) is a native Australian fruit. Industrial processing of T. ferdinandiana fruits into puree generates seeds as a by-product, which are generally discarded. The aim of our present study was to process the seed to separate the kernel and determine its nutritional composition. The proximate, mineral and fatty acid compositions were analysed in this study. Kernels are composed of 35% fat, while proteins account for 32% dry weight (DW). The energy content and fiber were 2065 KJ/100 g and 21.2% DW, respectively. Furthermore, the study showed that kernels were a very rich source of minerals and trace elements, such as potassium (6693 mg/kg), calcium (5385 mg/kg), iron (61 mg/kg) and zinc (60 mg/kg) DW, and had low levels of heavy metals. The fatty acid composition of the kernels consisted of omega-6 fatty acid, linoleic acid (50.2%), monounsaturated oleic acid (29.3%) and two saturated fatty acids namely palmitic acid (12.0%) and stearic acid (7.2%). The results indicate that T. ferdinandiana kernels have the potential to be utilized as a novel protein source for dietary purposes and non-conventional supply of linoleic, palmitic and oleic acids. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Foods and Underutilized Fruits as Source of Functional Food Ingredients: Chemical Composition, Quality Traits, and Biological Properties)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

13 pages, 316 KiB  
Review
Phytochemical Properties and Nutrigenomic Implications of Yacon as a Potential Source of Prebiotic: Current Evidence and Future Directions
by Yang Cao, Zheng Feei Ma, Hongxia Zhang, Yifan Jin, Yihe Zhang and Frank Hayford
Foods 2018, 7(4), 59; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods7040059 - 12 Apr 2018
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 8821
Abstract
The human gut is densely populated with diverse microbial communities that are essential to health. Prebiotics and fiber have been shown to possess the ability to modulate the gut microbiota. One of the plants being considered as a potential source of prebiotic is [...] Read more.
The human gut is densely populated with diverse microbial communities that are essential to health. Prebiotics and fiber have been shown to possess the ability to modulate the gut microbiota. One of the plants being considered as a potential source of prebiotic is yacon. Yacon is an underutilized plant consumed as a traditional root-based fruit in South America. Yacon mainly contains fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin. Therefore, it has bifidogenic benefits for gut health, because FOS are not easily broken down by digestive enzymes. Bioactive chemical compounds and extracts isolated from yacon have been studied for their various nutrigenomic properties, including as a prebiotic for intestinal health and their antimicrobial and antioxidant effects. This article reviewed scientific studies regarding the bioactive chemical compounds and nutrigenomic properties of extracts and isolated compounds from yacon. These findings may help in further research to investigate yacon-based nutritional products. Yacon can be considered a potential prebiotic source and a novel functional food. However, more detailed epidemiological, animal, and human clinical studies, particularly mechanism-based and phytopharmacological studies, are lacking for the development of evidence-based functional food products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Foods and Underutilized Fruits as Source of Functional Food Ingredients: Chemical Composition, Quality Traits, and Biological Properties)
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