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Edible Plants: From Chemistry to Health Benefits

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (13 January 2023) | Viewed by 20730

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Brigitte Deguin

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Guest Editor

Faculté de Pharmacie de Paris, Université Paris Cité, U.M.R. n°8038-CiTCoM-(CNRS, Université de Paris Cité), F-75006 Paris, France
Interests: natural products chemistry; pharmacognosy; semisynthesis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Rosa Tundis

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Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci, Edificio Polifunzionale, 87036 Arcavacata Rende, CS, Italy
Interests: natural products; antioxidants; chemical analysis; Mediterranean species; plant bioactivities; agro-food by-products; enzymes inhibition; functional foods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Anne Claire Mitaine-Offer

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PEPITE, EA 4267, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR des Sciences de Santé, F-21000 Dijon, France
Interests: phytochemistry; natural products; structural analysis; chromatographic methods

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Wild or cultivated edible plants, known as food medicinal plants, are valuable sources of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, organic acids, nonvolatile terpenoids, steroids, alkaloids, and their glycosides. The characterization of the chemical profile of extracts associated with a thorough biological evaluation can explain or reveal their potential suitability for use as functional foods and for their proven properties that benefit human health.

Rarely is the whole plant is edible. The parts of plants used for food have undeniable gustatory and nutritional qualities. Phytochemical analyses of extracts and biological activities of different plant organs are also relevant for food and human nutrition. They can open the way to the exploitation of other plants by offering new applications for the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Prof. Dr. Brigitte Deguin
Prof. Dr. Rosa Tundis
Prof. Dr. Anne Claire Mitaine-Offer
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

wild or cultivated edible plants
food medicinal plants
natural waste resource
phytochemical characterization
bioactive compounds and extracts
green extraction process

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 6398 KiB

Open AccessArticle

In vitro Digestion of Phaseolus vulgaris L. Cooked Beans Induces Autophagy in Colon Cancer Cells

by Clizia Bernardi, Giulia Macrì, Marco Biagi, Elisabetta Miraldi, Federica Finetti and Lorenza Trabalzini

Foods 2023, 12(4), 839; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods12040839 - 16 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1723

Abstract

Phaseolus vulgaris L. (common bean) contains high levels of proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, minerals, fibers, and vitamins, and for this reason, it represents an essential component of the diet. More than 40,000 varieties of beans have been recognized and are staple foods in the traditional cuisine of many countries. In addition to its high nutritional value, P. vulgaris is also characterized by its nutraceutical properties and favors environmental sustainability. In this manuscript, we studied two different varieties of P. vulgaris, Cannellino and Piattellino. We investigated the effects of traditional processing (soaking and cooking) and in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of beans on their phytochemical composition and anticancer activity. Using HT29 and HCT116 colon cancer cell lines, we showed that the extract obtained after gastrointestinal digestion of cooked beans (the bioaccessible fraction, BF) induces cell death through the induction of the autophagic process. We demonstrated that the BF of Cannellino and Piattellino beans at the concentration of 100 μg/mL reduces cell vitality, measured by MMT assay, of both HT29 (88.41% ± 5.79 and 94.38% ± 0.47) and HCT116 (86.29% ± 4.3 and 91.23% ± 0.52) cell lines. Consistently, the treatment of HT29 cells with 100 μg/mL of Cannellino and Piattellino BFs reduced clonogenicity by 95% ± 2.14 and 96% ± 0.49, respectively. Moreover, the activity of extracts appeared to be selective for colon cancer cells. The data shown in this work further confirm P. vulgaris to be among foods with beneficial effects for human health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Edible Plants: From Chemistry to Health Benefits)

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16 pages, 3665 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pinostrobin: An Adipogenic Suppressor from Fingerroot (Boesenbergia rotunda) and Its Possible Mechanisms

by Htoo Tint San, Hnin Ei Ei Khine, Boonchoo Sritularak, Eakachai Prompetchara, Chatchai Chaotham, Chun-Tao Che and Kittisak Likhitwitayawuid

Foods 2022, 11(19), 3024; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods11193024 - 29 Sep 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2454

Abstract

Obesity is a critical factor for chronic metabolic syndromes. The culinary plant fingerroot (Boesenbergia rotunda) has been reported for its anti-obesity activity. The anti-adipogenic effects of pandurantin A, a main component of fingerroot cultivated in Indonesia, have been studied. Nevertheless, the suppressive effect and related mechanisms of pinostrobin, a major constituent of Thai fingerroot, on adipogenesis have never been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of pinostrobin to inhibit adipocyte differentiation. Culturing pre-adipocytes from both mouse (3T3-L1) and human (PCS-210-010) with pinostrobin at non-toxic concentrations (5−20 µM) for 48 h obviously hindered their differentiation into mature adipocyte as evidenced by reduced cellular lipid droplets. The lower levels of lipid metabolism-mediating proteins, namely C/EBPα, PPARγ, and SREBP-1c, as well as cellular triglyceride content were demonstrated in pinostrobin-treated 3T3-L1 cells when compared to the untreated control group. Additionally, pinostrobin modulated the signals of MAPK (p38 and JNK) and Akt (Akt/GSK3β, Akt/AMPKα-ACC). These findings suggest the benefit of fingerroot as a source of phytopharmaceuticals for obesity prevention and management, with pinostrobin as the active principle. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Edible Plants: From Chemistry to Health Benefits)

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13 pages, 890 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Moringa oleifera Seeds Characterization and Potential Uses as Food

by Adèle Gautier, Carla Margarida Duarte and Isabel Sousa

Foods 2022, 11(11), 1629; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods11111629 - 31 May 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4529

Abstract

Despite the fact Moringa oleifera (MO)-based foods present a very good and nutritionally well-balanced composition, they face some issues related to seed bitterness, which is the most challenging barrier to consumer acceptance. Different processing methods were tested to produce MO toasted seeds, MO-based beverage, and yoghurt-like products which were chemically and rheologically analyzed. The protein content ranged from 3.68% in the beverage, to 14.73% in the yoghurt and 40.21% in MO toasted seeds. A totally debittered beverage could not be accomplished, but the MO yoghurt-like showed a very nice flavor. Nutrition claims for minerals in toasted seeds could be considered for magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc, and manganese, which confirms the M. oleifera seed richness in several minerals. The MO beverage presented less extended shear-thinning behavior (17.4 Pa·s) than commercial vegetable beverages and two pulse-based beverages developed in a previous study. The MO yoghurt-like product showed a gel structure similar to the dairy yoghurt, making it a promising new plant-based alternative. Further work must be performed in the future to debitter more efficiently the raw seeds to achieve a more pleasant MO-based beverage. The developed MO seed-based products may settle another font of high protein plant-based food. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Edible Plants: From Chemistry to Health Benefits)

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14 pages, 1996 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phenolics Profile and Protective Effect on Injuried HUVEC Cells of Epicarp Extracts from Kadsura coccinea

by Jun Lu, Ying Zheng, Zhenyu Yang, Jing Cheng and Feijun Luo

Foods 2022, 11(4), 556; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods11040556 - 16 Feb 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1915

Abstract

This study evaluated the phenolics profile and the antioxidative properties of K. coccinea fruits epicarp. A total of 13 phenolic compounds (six phenolic acids, four anthocyanins, two flavonols, and one flavone) were identified by ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spetrometry(UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS). Two anthocyanins, cyanidin-3-xylosylrutinoside and cyanidin-3-rutinoside, comprise 30.89~74.76% and 13.90~46.17% of the total amount of anthocyanins in K. Coccinea. Cytoprotective effect results evidenced that pretreatment of Human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs) with Kadsura. coccinea fruits’ epicarp phenolic extracts at the concentrations of 50–200 µg/mL improved the cell viability after exposure to H₂O₂ significantly, and inhibited malonaldehyde(MDA) and reactive oxygen species(ROS) overproduction, as well as enhancing the content of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione Reductase (GR. This study proved that K. coccinea is a natural resource of phenolics rich with potential antioxidant ability, which may be valuable for developing nutraceuticals and dietary supplements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Edible Plants: From Chemistry to Health Benefits)

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18 pages, 948 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Aged Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae ‘Chachi’ Attenuates Oxidative Damage Induced by tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide (t-BHP) in HepG2 Cells

by Qian Yu, Yexing Tao, Yuting Huang, Daniel Zogona, Ting Wu, Ruiting Liu, Siyi Pan and Xiaoyun Xu

Foods 2022, 11(3), 273; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods11030273 - 20 Jan 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2091

Abstract

This study investigated the protective effects of aged Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae ‘Chachi’ (PCR-C) on tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)-induced oxidative damage in HepG2 cells. According to HPLC analysis, PCR-C aged 10 years (PCR-C10) had the highest flavonoids content, especially polymethoxyflavones (PMFs), compared with the fresh peel of Citrus reticulata cv. ‘Chachiensis’ and PCR-C aged 1, 3, and 5 years. Then, flavonoids-rich PCR-C samples and non-flavonoids-rich PCR-C samples (NF) were prepared by extracting and purifying PCR-C of different aging periods, for further cell experiments. Pretreatment with flavonoids-rich PCR-C samples (particularly PCR-C10) considerably reversed t-BHP-induced oxidative damage in HepG2 cells by improving cell viability, increasing SOD activity and GSH levels and reducing the overproduction of ROS and MDA. Correlation analysis further indicated that the accumulation of PMFs, mainly 5,6,7,4′-tetramethoxyflavone and nobiletin, was the main reason that PCR-C10 maintained the redox balance in HepG2 cells. These findings provided direct evidence for the cellular antioxidant activity of aged PCR-C and a guide for PCR-C’s classification, authentication and rational use. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Edible Plants: From Chemistry to Health Benefits)

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17 pages, 1887 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phenolic Compounds and Triterpenes in Different Olive Tissues and Olive Oil By-Products, and Cytotoxicity on Human Colorectal Cancer Cells: The Case of Frantoio, Moraiolo and Leccino Cultivars (Olea europaea L.)

by Pujun Xie, Lorenzo Cecchi, Maria Bellumori, Diletta Balli, Lisa Giovannelli, Lixin Huang and Nadia Mulinacci

Foods 2021, 10(11), 2823; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods10112823 - 16 Nov 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3396

Abstract

Phenolic and triterpenoid compounds of the olive tree are recognized as having a key role in health promotion, thanks to their multiple protective actions in humans. To expand the source of these bioactive compounds, the phenolic and triterpenoid profiles of leaf, branch, destoned fruit, destoned pomace, shell, seed, and extra virgin olive oil from the Frantoio, Leccino, and Moraiolo olive cultivars were simultaneously characterized by HPLC-DAD-MS. Overall, 43 molecules were quantitated and expressed on the obtained dry extracts. Oleuropein was mainly concentrated in branches (82.72 g/kg), fruits (55.79 g/kg), leaves (36.71 g/kg), and shells (1.26 g/kg), verbascoside (4.88 g/kg) in pomace, and nüzhenide 11-methyl oleoside (90.91 g/kg) in seeds. Among triterpenoids, which were absent in shells, the highest amount of oleanolic acid was found in olive leaves (11.88 g/kg). HCT-116 colorectal cells were chosen to assess the cytotoxicity of the dry extract, using the phytocomplex from Frantoio, which was the richest in phenols and triterpenoids. The IC₅₀ was also determined for 13 pure molecules (phenols and terpenoids) detected in the extracts. The greatest inhibition on the cell’s proliferation was induced by the branch dry extract (IC₅₀ 88.25 μg/mL) and by ursolic acid (IC₅₀ 24 μM). A dose-dependent relationship was observed for the tested extracts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Edible Plants: From Chemistry to Health Benefits)

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Review

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33 pages, 562 KiB

Open AccessReview

An Overview of Traditional Uses, Phytochemical Compositions and Biological Activities of Edible Fruits of European and Asian Cornus Species

by Maria C. Tenuta, Brigitte Deguin, Monica R. Loizzo, Claire Cuyamendous, Marco Bonesi, Vincenzo Sicari, Lorenza Trabalzini, Anne-Claire Mitaine-Offer, Jianbo Xiao and Rosa Tundis

Foods 2022, 11(9), 1240; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods11091240 - 26 Apr 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3320

Abstract

Cornus species are widely distributed in central and southern Europe, east Africa, southwest Asia, and America. Several species are known for edible fruits, especially Cornus mas and Cornus officinalis. These delicious fruits, characterized by their remarkable nutritional and biological values, are widely used in traditional medicine. In contrast to the other edible Cornus species, C. mas and C. officinalis are the most studied for which little information is available on the main phytochemicals and their biological activities. Fruits are characterised by several classes of secondary metabolites, such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans, anthocyanins, tannins, triterpenoids, and iridoids. The available phytochemical data show that the different classes of metabolites have not been systematically studied. However, these edible species are all worthy of interest because similarities have been found. Thus, this review describes the traditional uses of Cornus species common in Europe and Asia, a detailed classification of the bioactive compounds that characterize the fruits, and their beneficial health effects. Cornus species are a rich source of phytochemicals with nutritional and functional properties that justify the growing interest in these berries, not only for applications in the food industry but also useful for their medicinal properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Edible Plants: From Chemistry to Health Benefits)

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