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Natural Compounds as Functional Additives of Foods

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Bioactives and Nutraceuticals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2023) | Viewed by 15228

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Vassilis Athanasiadis

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Guest Editor

Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Thessaly, Terma N. Temponera Str., 43100 Karditsa, Greece
Interests: functional foods; polyphenols; antioxidants; public health; nutritional evaluation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Theodoros G. Chatzimitakos

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Guest Editor

Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Thessaly, Terma N. Temponera Str., 43100 Karditsa, Greece
Interests: antioxidant compounds; bioactive compounds; sample preparation; extraction; nanomaterials; metabolomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Stavros I. Lalas

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Guest Editor

Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Thessaly, Terma N. Temponera Str., 43100 Karditsa, Greece
Interests: food lipids; food analysis; pulsed electric field; cloud point extraction; deep eutectic solvents; humic and fulvic acids
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is unequivocally true that food consumption is not only vital for maintenance of life, but also for well-being and promotion of human health. However, for many centuries, food was produced with the sole purpose to satisfy hunger. In recent decades, due to extensive research carried out by various scientists, several compounds (mainly of plant origin) have been identified and further examined in terms of therapeutic applications. To this end, multiple ways to isolate compounds have been developed, resulting in multiple compounds with a wide variety of applications, either for prevention or for treatment. However, preparing and consuming natural extracts is a time-consuming and costly process for consumers, resulting in reduced interest. In this context, in order to overcome this issue, functional foods have been developed. Functional foods promote good health and assist in the prevention of diseases, making it a more appealing alternative option for consumers. Therefore, increasing effort is being dedicated to developing advanced functional foods. In addition to the production of functional foods, studies should focus on shedding light on the underlying mechanisms via which the desired therapeutic effect is achieved. In this context, nutraceuticals are often examined with advanced techniques to examine their effect on the microbiome and metabolome of the consumer and obtain a better insight into the underlying molecular mechanisms.

This Special Issue on “Natural Compounds as Functional Additives of Foods” is dedicated to the advancement of this field, aiming (I) to further exploit the use of natural compounds that can serve as functions additives in foods and (II) examine the mechanisms via which the desired effect is achieved. We invite authors to submit original research articles, communications, and reviews related to the topic.

Dr. Vassilis Athanasiadis
Dr. Theodoros G. Chatzimitakos
Prof. Dr. Stavros I. Lalas
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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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

antibacterial activity
anti-inflammatory activity
antioxidant activity
bioactive compounds
foodomics
functional food
green extraction techniques
health promotion
immunonutrition
metabolome alterations
microbiome
neutraceuticals
oxidative stress
polyphenols
vitamins

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 9639 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comprehensive Metabolite Profile Uncovers the Bioactive Components, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities in Wild Tree Peony Leaves

by Ziwei Xin, Weizong Yang, Lixin Niu and Yanlong Zhang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(13), 10609; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241310609 - 25 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1123

Abstract

Tree peonies (Paeonia Section Moutan)—including nine wild species, which belong to subsections Vaginatae and Delavayanae—are economically important plants with ornamental, nutritional, and medicinal applications. In this study, for the first time, we determined the bioactive components and antioxidant activities and antibacterial activities of the newly grown leaves of nine wild tree peony species (WTPS). A total of 276 bioactive components were identified through non-targeted metabolomics; more than 80% of the 276 metabolites identified are terpenoids and flavonoids. A total of 42 differential metabolites were quantitatively determined. The main differential metabolites were Paeoniflorin, Luteoloside, Hyperin, Apigenin-7-glucoside, Rhoifolin, and Cantharidin. Such a high terpenoid and flavonoid content of the leaf extracts renders them as species with strong antibacterial capacities, and most of the bacteria tested showed greater sensitivity derived from the members of subsection Vaginatae than those of subsection Delavayanae. All WTPS have significant antioxidant activity; this activity is attributed to high levels of the total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC), of which, among the nine WTPS, P. lutea has the strongest antioxidant capacity. Our results provided a theoretical basis for the in-deep application of tree peony leaves for food, medical, and pharmaceutical industries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Compounds as Functional Additives of Foods)

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14 pages, 2464 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Moringa oleifera Seed Oil on Cultured Human Sebocytes In Vitro and Comparison with Other Oil Types

by Christos C. Zouboulis, Amir M. Hossini, Xiaoxiao Hou, Chaoxuan Wang, Karsten H. Weylandt and Anne Pietzner

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(12), 10332; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241210332 - 19 Jun 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1534

Abstract

The seeds of Moringa oleifera (horseradish tree) contain about 40% of one of the most stable vegetable oils (Moringa seed oil). Therefore, the effects of Moringa seed oil on human SZ95 sebocytes were investigated and were compared with other vegetable oils. Immortalized human SZ95 sebocytes were treated with Moringa seed oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, linoleic acid and oleic acid. Lipid droplets were visualized by Nile Red fluorescence, cytokine secretion via cytokine antibody array, cell viability with calcein-AM fluorescence, cell proliferation by real-time cell analysis, and fatty acids were determined by gas chromatography. Statistical analysis was performed by the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test, the Kruskal–Wallis test and Dunn’s multiple comparison test. The vegetable oils tested stimulated sebaceous lipogenesis in a concentration-dependent manner. The pattern of lipogenesis induced by Moringa seed oil and olive oil was comparable to lipogenesis stimulated by oleic acid with also similar fatty acid secretion and cell proliferation patterns. Sunflower oil induced the strongest lipogenesis among the tested oils and fatty acids. There were also differences in cytokine secretion, induced by treatment with different oils. Moringa seed oil and olive oil, but not sunflower oil, reduced the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, in comparison to untreated cells, and exhibited a low n-6/n-3 index. The anti-inflammatory oleic acid detected in Moringa seed oil probably contributed to its low levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion and induction of cell death. In conclusion, Moringa seed oil seems to concentrate several desired oil properties on sebocytes, such as high content level of the anti-inflammatory fatty acid oleic acid, induction of similar cell proliferation and lipogenesis patterns compared with oleic acid, lipogenesis with a low n-6/n-3 index and inhibition of secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These properties characterize Moringa seed oil as an interesting nutrient and a promising ingredient in skin care products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Compounds as Functional Additives of Foods)

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18 pages, 2902 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of the Efficacy and Synergistic Effect of α- and δ-Tocopherol as Natural Antioxidants in the Stabilization of Sunflower Oil and Olive Pomace Oil during Storage Conditions

by Vassilis Athanasiadis, Theodoros Chatzimitakos, Dimitrios Kalompatsios, Dimitrios Palaiogiannis, Ioannis Makrygiannis, Eleni Bozinou and Stavros I. Lalas

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(2), 1113; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24021113 - 06 Jan 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1849

Abstract

Tocopherols are natural bioactive compounds with several health benefits. This study evaluated the effect of different ratios of α- and δ- tocopherol homologs to protect sunflower oil (SO) and olive pomace oil (OPO) against oxidation. A synergistic effect was recorded when the two tocopherols were combined at a ratio of 7:1 (α-T/δ-T). The oil samples were exposed to accelerated oxidation conditions using a Rancimat (90 °C and airflow of 15 L/h for 24 h) and protection from tocopherols was compared with that from butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Assessment of oil stability was examined using well-known parameters such as peroxide value (PV), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), p-anisidine value (p-AV), conjugated dienes (CD) and trienes (CT), and total oxidation (Totox) value, which were all significantly reduced when tocopherols were added at a ratio of 7:1 α-T/δ-T. Primary oxidative compounds measured according to PV were only reduced in SO samples (6.11%). Off-flavor compounds measured via TBARS assay in SO samples were reduced by above 20%, while p-AV was also reduced. CD_value was correlated with PV in SO samples, while the 7:1 mixture was more effective than BHT for CT_value. Total oxidation values in SO samples and OPO samples were reduced by 6.02% and 12.62%, respectively. These values in SO samples also provided a remarkable correlation (R² > 0.95) with incubation time. Moreover, the synergistic effect was not only effective in reducing the oxidation values of oil samples, but also in lowering the degradation rate of tocopherols. Protective effects from tocopherols were mainly observed in SO samples, as OPO samples were more resistant to oxidation processes. This effect was even observed in fatty acid analysis, where the 7:1 mixture provided better results than BHT-spiked samples. Thus, it is suggested that tocopherol mixtures might be used as a natural preservative in the food industry to restrain lipid oxidation processes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Compounds as Functional Additives of Foods)

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21 pages, 21506 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Structural Studies on Diverse Betacyanin Classes in Matured Pigment-Rich Fruits of Basella alba L. and Basella alba L. var. ‘Rubra’ (Malabar Spinach)

by Katarzyna Sutor-Świeży, Michał Antonik, Ewa Dziedzic, Monika Bieniasz, Przemysław Mielczarek, Łukasz Popenda, Karol Pasternak, Małgorzata Tyszka-Czochara and Sławomir Wybraniec

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(19), 11243; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231911243 - 24 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2988

Abstract

Identification of betacyanins in Basella alba L. and Basella alba L. var. ‘Rubra’ fruits was performed by low- and high-resolution mass spectrometry (LRMS and HRMS) as well as ¹H, ¹³C and two-dimensional NMR which revealed hitherto completely not known betacyanin classes in the plant kingdom. Especially, the presence of unique nitrogenous acyl moieties in the structures of the pigments was ascertained by the HRMS Orbitrap detection. Except for detected polar betacyanin glycosylated derivatives, presence of a series of previously not reported pigments such as malonylated betanidin 6-O-β-glusosides with their acyl migration isomers along with the evidence of the 3′′-hydroxy-butyrylated betacyanins is reported. The first complete NMR data were obtained for novel and principal acylated gomphrenins with hydroxycinnamic acids: 6′-O-E-caffeoyl-gomphrenin (malabarin), 6′-O-E-sinapoyl-gomphrenin (gandolin), 6′-O-E-4-coumaroyl-gomphrenin (globosin) and 6′-O-E-feruloyl-gomphrenin (basellin). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Compounds as Functional Additives of Foods)

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18 pages, 5082 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Anti-Fatigue Effects of Lycium barbarum Polysaccharide and Effervescent Tablets by Regulating Oxidative Stress and Energy Metabolism in Rats

by Yanfeng Peng, Linlin Zhao, Ke Hu, Yongjing Yang, Jin Ma, Yuqing Zhai, Yan Jiang and Dejun Zhang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(18), 10920; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231810920 - 18 Sep 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2489

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-fatigue effect of natural Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) during exercise, develop a functional anti-fatigue effervescent tablet by applying LBP to practical products, and help patients who have difficulty swallowing conventional tablets or capsules. LBP was extracted with water, and DEAE-52 cellulose was used for purification. The chemical structure and monosaccharide composition of LBP by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FI-IR) and ion chromatography (IC). Lycium barbarum polysaccharide effervescent tablets (LBPT) were prepared by mixing LBP and an excipient. Animal experiments showed that LBP and LBPT significantly increased the exhaustive swimming time in rats. LBP and LBPT improved biochemical markers in rat serum, such as lactic acid and creatine kinase, enhanced the antioxidant capacity of rat muscle, and reversed the decrease in serum glucose, ATP and glycogen content caused by exercise. Transmission electron microscopy showed that LBP and LBPT increased the density of mitochondria in rat liver. In addition, molecular experiments showed that LBP and LBPT could improve oxidative stress caused by exercise by regulating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway and regulating energy metabolism via the AMPK/PGC-1α signaling pathway. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Compounds as Functional Additives of Foods)

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Review

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25 pages, 1362 KiB

Open AccessReview

Antiviral Potential of Plants against COVID-19 during Outbreaks—An Update

by Qazi Mohammad Sajid Jamal

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(21), 13564; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232113564 - 05 Nov 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4209

Abstract

Several human diseases are caused by viruses, including cancer, Type I diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma. In the past, people have suffered greatly from viral diseases such as polio, mumps, measles, dengue fever, SARS, MERS, AIDS, chikungunya fever, encephalitis, and influenza. Recently, COVID-19 has become a pandemic in most parts of the world. Although vaccines are available to fight the infection, their safety and clinical trial data are still questionable. Social distancing, isolation, the use of sanitizer, and personal productive strategies have been implemented to prevent the spread of the virus. Moreover, the search for a potential therapeutic molecule is ongoing. Based on experiences with outbreaks of SARS and MERS, many research studies reveal the potential of medicinal herbs/plants or chemical compounds extracted from them to counteract the effects of these viral diseases. COVID-19′s current status includes a decrease in infection rates as a result of large-scale vaccination program implementation by several countries. But it is still very close and needs to boost people’s natural immunity in a cost-effective way through phytomedicines because many underdeveloped countries do not have their own vaccination facilities. In this article, phytomedicines as plant parts or plant-derived metabolites that can affect the entry of a virus or its infectiousness inside hosts are described. Finally, it is concluded that the therapeutic potential of medicinal plants must be analyzed and evaluated entirely in the control of COVID-19 in cases of uncontrollable SARS infection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Compounds as Functional Additives of Foods)

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