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Extraction, Characterization and Application of Natural Product in Foods

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2021) | Viewed by 16442

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Prof. Dr. María Jose Esteve

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Nutrition and Food Chemistry Area, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Av. Vicent Andrés Estellés, S/N, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
Interests: natural antioxidants; valorization of agrofood industry co-products; sustainable extraction; functional food
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Dr. Jesus Blesa

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Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Valencia, Av. Vicent Andrés Estellés, s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
Interests: chromatography; polyphenols; valorization of waste products; pharmacology; toxicology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Dear Colleagues,

Natural products of food origin present a series of varied characteristics that make them highly attractive in different areas of research. Either directly obtained from food or by taking advantage of food waste, they can be used in a variety of ways in different industries, such as pharmaceuticals or food.

Basic research in extraction processes, the characterization of extracts or isolation of specific compounds and pilot tests on their possible applications allow subsequent application to an industrial scale.

The extraction processes have a clear trend toward green chemistry both in the use of solvents and in the processing of the sample. Analytical techniques can be used that allow a detailed characterization of extracts and compounds of interest, in relation to their composition and their potential for use. The potential applications are diverse, for example, in pharmaceutical and food technologies, depending on their physicochemical or biofunctional properties.

You are invited to send your proposals for publication in this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. María Jose Esteve
Dr. Jesus Blesa
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 products
food
food waste
basic research
industrial application
extraction processes
green chemistry
analytical techniques
composition
physicochemical properties
biofunctional properties

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 6396 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Customized Deep Eutectic Solvents as Green Extractants for Ultrasonic-Assisted Enhanced Extraction of Phenolic Antioxidants from Dogbane Leaf-Tea

by Ruimin Wang, Weimin Zhang, Ruiping He, Wu Li and Lu Wang

Foods 2021, 10(11), 2527; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods10112527 - 21 Oct 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2128

Abstract

This study evaluates the application of eco-friendly deep eutectic solvents (DESs) in the extraction of phenolic antioxidants from dogbane leaf-tea (DLT). The results showed DESs with lower viscosity allowed an efficient extraction of significantly higher contents of total phenolics or flavonoids. An innovative and high-efficient solvent, choline chloride-levulinic acid (ChCl-LevA), was screened and used in ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) of phenolic compounds from DLT. According to full factorial design experimental results, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), antioxidant activity, and anti-α-glucosidase activity (α-GIA) of the DLT extracts were simultaneously optimized by response surface methodology. Sonication temperature and water content in ChCl-LevA were found to be the major factors affecting the TPC, TFC, antioxidant activity, and α-GIA of DLT extracts. Under the optimum parameters (water content in ChCl-LevA was 45%, sonication temperature was 50 °C, and extraction time was 30 min), the measured results for all the responses were obtained as follows: TPC-91.38 ± 7.20 mg GAE/g DW, TFC-84.12 ± 3.47 mg RE/g DW, ABTS⁺-492 ± 7.33 mmol TE/g DW, FRAP-6235 ± 121 μmol Fe(II)/g DW and α-GIA-230 ± 7.59 mmol AE/g DW, which were consistent with the predicted values. In addition, strongly significant positive correlations were observed between TPC/TFC and bio-activities of the DLT extracts. HPLC results indicated high contents of (-)-epigallocatechin (4272 ± 84.86 μg/g DW), catechin (5268 ± 24.53 μg/g DW), isoquercitrin (3500 ± 86.07 μg/g DW), kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside (3717 ± 97.71 μg/g DW), and protocatechuic acid (644 ± 1.65 μg/g DW) were observed in the DLT extracts. In contrast to other extraction methods, ChCl-LevA-based UAE yielded higher TPC, TFC, individual phenolic contents, stronger antioxidant activity, and α-GIA. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis further confirmed that ChCl-LevA-based UAE enhanced the disruption of cell wall structure, thereby making more phenolic antioxidants released from DLT. In short, ChCl-LevA-based UAE was confirmed to be an innovative and high-efficient method for extraction of phenolic antioxidants from DLT. Dogbane leaves can be considered as a good tea source rich in natural antioxidants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Extraction, Characterization and Application of Natural Product in Foods)

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15 pages, 553 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tejuino, a Traditional Fermented Beverage: Composition, Safety Quality, and Microbial Identification

by Ángel Eduardo Rubio-Castillo, José I. Méndez-Romero, Ricardo Reyes-Díaz, Lourdes Santiago-López, Belinda Vallejo-Cordoba, Adrián Hernández-Mendoza, Sonia G. Sáyago-Ayerdi and Aarón F. González-Córdova

Foods 2021, 10(10), 2446; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods10102446 - 14 Oct 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2554

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the chemical and microbial composition and characterize volatile compounds from the artisanal and commercial Tejuino beverage. For this, eight samples are analyzed (four artisanal and four commercial). The chemical and microbiological quality is determined by standard methods, and volatile compounds are determined by solid-phase microextraction. Overall, the physicochemical composition and microbiological quality are higher for artisanal Tejuino (p < 0.05). The pH values were 3.20 and 3.62, and 0.76 and 0.46 meq of lactic acid for artisanal and commercial Tejuino, respectively. With volatile compounds analyzed, esters, benzenes, and aldehydes were predominant; meanwhile, ethanol was a volatile compound with the highest concentration for all samples. Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Limosilactobacillus fermentum were identified in artisanal Tejuino; yeasts of the Pichia genera and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, for commercial Tejuino, and Enterococcus genus were identified in both samples. The characterization of both types of Tejuino allows us to update the information available on this important Mexican beverage. In addition, the isolation of lactic acid bacteria, as representative bacteria of both drinks, offers an area of opportunity to know the potential functionality of these bacteria in traditional fermented products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Extraction, Characterization and Application of Natural Product in Foods)

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18 pages, 4643 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ultrasonic-Assisted Extraction and Structural Characterization of Chondroitin Sulfate Derived from Jumbo Squid Cartilage

by Kai-Ruei Yang, Ming-Fong Tsai, Chwen-Jen Shieh, Osamu Arakawa, Cheng-Di Dong, Chun-Yung Huang and Chia-Hung Kuo

Foods 2021, 10(10), 2363; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods10102363 - 04 Oct 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2407

Abstract

Chondroitin sulfate (ChS) is usually used as an oral nutraceutical supplement, and has been popular in Asia, Europe, and United States for many years. In this study, a potential and sustainable source of ChS from jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) cartilage was explored; ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was used to extract ChS from jumbo squid cartilage. The result of mass transfer coefficients based on Fick’s law showed that UAE had higher mass transfer efficacy. The response surface methodology (RSM) combined with Box–Behnken design (BBD) was employed to evaluate the effects of the extraction parameters. The optimal conditions were extraction temperature of 52 °C, extraction time of 46 min, and NaOH concentration of 4.15%. The crude extract was precipitated by 50% ethanol, which obtained a purified ChS with 23.7% yield and 82.3% purity. The purified ChS measured by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) had a carbon to sulfur molar ratio of approximately 14:1. The FTIR, ¹H, and ¹³C NMR confirmed jumbo squid ChS were present in the form of chondroitin-4-sulfate and chondroitin-6-sulfate, with a 4S/6S ratio of 1.62. The results of this study provide an efficient process for production and purification of ChS, and are significant for the development and utilization of ChS from jumbo squid cartilage in the nutrient food or pharmaceutical industries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Extraction, Characterization and Application of Natural Product in Foods)

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17 pages, 4175 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Deep Eutectic Solvent-Assisted Extraction, Partially Structural Characterization, and Bioactivities of Acidic Polysaccharides from Lotus Leaves

by Ding-Tao Wu, Kang-Lin Feng, Ling Huang, Ren-You Gan, Yi-Chen Hu and Liang Zou

Foods 2021, 10(10), 2330; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods10102330 - 30 Sep 2021

Cited by 45 | Viewed by 2696

Abstract

Lotus leaves are often discarded as byproducts in the lotus industry. Polysaccharides are regarded as one of the essentially bioactive components in lotus leaves. Therefore, in order to promote the application of lotus leaves in the functional food industry, the deep eutectic solvent (DES) assisted extraction of polysaccharides from lotus leaves (LLPs) was optimized, and structural and biological properties of LLPs extracted by DES and hot water were further investigated. At the optimal extraction conditions (water content of 61.0% in DES, extraction temperature of 92 °C, liquid-solid ratio of 31.0 mL/g and extraction time of 126 min), the maximum extraction yield (5.38%) was obtained. Furthermore, LLP-D extracted by DES and LLP-W extracted by hot water possessed the same sugar residues, such as 1,4-α-D-GalAp, 1,4-α-D-GalAMep, 1,3,6-β-D-Galp, 1,4-β-D-Galp, 1,5-α-L-Araf, and 1,2-α-L-Rhap, suggesting the presence of homogalacturonan (HG), rhamnogalacturonan I and arabinogalactan in both LLP-W and LLP-D. Notably, LLP-D was much richer in HG fraction than that of LLP-W, suggesting that the DES could assist to specifically extract HG from lotus leaves. Additionally, the lower molecular weight and higher content of uronic acids were observed in LLP-D, which might contribute to its much stronger in vitro antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and immunomodulatory effects. These findings suggest that the optimized DES assisted extraction method can be a potential approach for specific extraction of acidic polysaccharides with good bioactivities from lotus leaves for applications in the functional food industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Extraction, Characterization and Application of Natural Product in Foods)

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13 pages, 2904 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phenolic Content, Main Flavonoids, and Antioxidant Capacity of Instant Sweet Tea (Lithocarpus litseifolius [Hance] Chun) Prepared with Different Raw Materials and Drying Methods

by Hong-Yan Liu, Yi Liu, Ying-Hui Mai, Huan Guo, Xiao-Qin He, Yu Xia, Hang Li, Qi-Guo Zhuang and Ren-You Gan

Foods 2021, 10(8), 1930; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods10081930 - 19 Aug 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2806

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the effects of raw materials and drying methods on the phytochemical and antioxidant capacities of instant sweet tea powder. Four raw materials of sweet tea leave powders (STUT) were extracted and dried with two methods (freeze-drying and spray-drying). The antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and phlorizin and trilobatin contents of obtained instant sweet tea powders were compared. In addition, the single-factor experiments coupled with response surface methodology were used to study the influences of solvent-to-sample ratio, extraction temperature, extraction time, and their interactions on instant sweet tea yield. Results showed that the optimal conditions for extraction were the solvent-to-sample ratio of 19:1 mL/g, extraction temperature of 88 °C, and extraction time of 30 min. The TPC, TFC, antioxidant capacities, and phloridzin and trilobatin contents of instant sweet teas were higher than those of STUT, and the TPC and TFC of freeze-dried instant sweet teas were higher than those of spray-dried instant sweet teas. Significant correlations were found among TPC, TFC, and antioxidant capacities (p < 0.01). The freeze-dried instant sweet tea produced by young leaves (prepared by oven-drying) showed the highest TPC, TFC, and antioxidant capacities, compared with other raw materials and drying methods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Extraction, Characterization and Application of Natural Product in Foods)

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16 pages, 4196 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influences of Microwave-Assisted Extraction Parameters on Antioxidant Activity of the Extract from Akebia trifoliata Peels

by Min Luo, Dan-Dan Zhou, Ao Shang, Ren-You Gan and Hua-Bin Li

Foods 2021, 10(6), 1432; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods10061432 - 21 Jun 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2851

Abstract

Akebia trifoliata is a fruit with rich nutritional properties, and its peel is produced as a by-product. In this research, we investigated the influences of microwave-assisted extraction parameters on antioxidant activity of the extract from Akebia trifoliata peels, and the ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) as well as total phenolic contents (TPC) were used to optimize extraction parameters. The influences of ethanol concentration, microwave power and solvent-to-material ratio, as well as extraction temperature and time on TPC, FRAP and TEAC values, were assessed using single-factor tests. Three parameters with obvious effects on antioxidant capacity were selected to further investigate their interactions by response surface methodology. The optimal extraction parameters of natural antioxidants from Akebia trifoliata peels were ethanol concentration, 49.61% (v/v); solvent-to-material ratio, 32.59:1 mL/g; extraction time, 39.31 min; microwave power, 500 W; and extraction temperature, 50 °C. Under optimal conditions, the FRAP, TEAC and TPC values of Akebia trifoliata peel extracts were 351.86 ± 9.47 µM Fe(II)/g dry weight (DW), 191.12 ± 3.53 µM Trolox/g DW and 32.67 ± 0.90 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g DW, respectively. Furthermore, the main bioactive compounds (chlorogenic acid, rutin and ellagic acid) in the extract were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The results are useful for the full utilization of the by-product from Akebia trifoliate fruit. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Extraction, Characterization and Application of Natural Product in Foods)

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