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Phenolic Profiling and Antioxidant Capacity in Agrifood Products (Volume II)

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A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental and Green Processes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 16699

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Raquel Rodríguez Solana

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Guest Editor

1. Andalusian Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Research and Training (IFAPA), Rancho de la Merced, 11471, Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz, Spain
2. MED—Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment, and Development & CHANGE—Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Interests: alcoholic beverages; food chemistry; minerals; volatiles; phenolics; gas chromatography; liquid chromatography; phytochemicals
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. José Manuel Moreno-Rojas

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Department of Agroindustry and Food Quality, Andalusian Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Research and Training (IFAPA), Avenida Menendez-Pidal, SN, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
Interests: food quality and traceability; specifically on the characterization of sensory; bioactive compounds of different food matrixes using several techniques (e.g., GC-MS/GC-FID, UHPLC-HRMS and EA(GC)-C-IRMS)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Gema Pereira Caro

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Department of Agrifood Industry and Food Quality, Andalusian Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Research and Training (IFAPA), Alameda del Obispo, Avda. Menéndez Pidal, SN, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
Interests: bioactive compounds in food; polyphenols; organosulfur compounds; LC-MS and GC-MS techniques; metabolomics; bioavailability; bioactivity; effect of processing on bioactive compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Phenolic compounds are secondary plant metabolites known for being one of the most important natural antioxidant sources for humans in the diet. These compounds have been shown to play important roles in long term health and reduction in the risk of chronic and degenerative diseases. Apart from the biological capacities shown by phenolics in in vivo and in vitro studies, they present protective effect against deterioration of foods and beverages because of their intrinsic nature as antioxidants. For all these reasons, the search for new sources of natural antioxidants, nutraceuticals and functional foods, have been the subject of study in recent years. However, such compounds are potentially vulnerable to different factors of plant processing (such as light, temperature, pH, oxygen, etc.) for obtaining different food and beverage products, and consequently, substantial modifications on their structure and concentration could occur leading to changes in their potential biological activities. In recent times, the effort to find plant processing methods, and techniques of stabilizing plant-base products that do not alter their phenolic content and therefore the antioxidant capacity and other biological activities, have also been of particular importance.

This special issue on “Phenolic Profiling and Antioxidant Capacity in Agrifood products” seeks high quality works focus, on the one hand, on developing new functional food and nutraceutical products with high phenolic content and antioxidant potential, and on the other hand, on the impact that conventional and advanced food processing technologies [e.g. pulsed electric fields (PEF), pulsed-light (PL), ultraviolet (UV)-light; high pressure processing or high hydrostatic pressure (HPP/HHP); ultrasound; extrusion technology, etc.] have on the phenolic and bioactivity characteristics of industrial foods.

Dr. Raquel Rodríguez Solana
Prof. Dr. José Manuel Moreno-Rojas
Prof. Dr. Gema Pereira Caro
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2400 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

phenolics
antioxidant capacity
functional foods
plant foods
food processing
food preservation
emerging technologies

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 4040 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Highly Efficient Recovery of Bioactive Puerarin from Roots of Pueraria lobata Using Generally Recognized as Safe Solvents

by Eunjeong Yang, Hyeok Ki Kwon, Jeongho Lee, Seunghee Kim, Giwon Lee, Taek Lee, Youngsang Chun, Soo Kweon Lee, Hah Young Yoo and Chulhwan Park

Processes 2025, 13(2), 350; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13020350 - 27 Jan 2025

Viewed by 779

Abstract

Puerarin (daidzein-8-C-glucoside), one of the bioactive isoflavones, has attracted attention in various industries due to its excellent pharmacological effects such as antioxidant effect, estrogen-like activity, reduction of blood sugar, and neuroprotective effect. Puerarin is most abundantly found in the roots of Pueraria lobata (RPL) among various biomass sources. To improve the utilization feasibility of puerarin, a high-yield extraction process should be designed for RPL. This study aimed to optimize the extraction process to more efficiently recover puerarin from RPL while using generally recognized as safe solvents as extraction solvents, considering the potential industrial applications of puerarin. The extraction variables were optimized by the one-factor-at-a-time method, response surface methodology, and time profiling study. As a result, puerarin yield was achieved at 60.56 mg/g biomass under optimal conditions (ethanol concentration of 46.06%, extraction temperature of 65.02 °C, ratio of extraction solvent to biomass of 11.50 mL/g, and extraction time of 22 min). High puerarin yield achieved in this study contributed to improving the industrial applicability of puerarin. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phenolic Profiling and Antioxidant Capacity in Agrifood Products (Volume II))

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Figure 1
Chemical structure of puerarin. Full article ">Figure 2
Optimization procedure for puerarin extraction from RPL. Red highlights with underlines indicate optimal conditions for puerarin extraction. Full article ">Figure 3
HPLC chromatograms of puerarin standard (a) and RPL extract (b). The puerarin peaks were observed at a retention time (RT) of 4.87 min in both the standard and the extract. Full article ">Figure 4
Effect of solvent type on the puerarin yield from RPL. (solvent-to-biomass ratio of 10 mL/g, extraction temperature of 30 °C, and extraction time of 3 h). Data with different letters (i.e., a and b) are significantly different (p < 0.05). Full article ">Figure 5
Effect of solvent concentration on the puerarin yield from RPL. (Ethanol as extraction solvent, solvent-to-biomass ratio of 10 mL/g, extraction temperature of 30 °C, and extraction time of 3 h). Data with different letters (i.e., a, b, c, and d) are significantly different (p < 0.05). Full article ">Figure 6
Effect of extraction temperature on the puerarin yield from RPL. (50% ethanol as extraction solvent, solvent-to-biomass ratio of 10 mL/g, and extraction time of 3 h). Data with different letters (i.e., a, b, and c) are significantly different (p < 0.05). Full article ">Figure 7
Effect of solvent-to-biomass ratio on the puerarin yield from RPL. (50% ethanol as extraction solvent, extraction temperature of 50 °C, and extraction time of 3 h). Data with different letters (i.e., a, b, and c) are significantly different (p < 0.05). Full article ">Figure 8
Statistical analysis of the response surface model for predicting puerarin yield. Plots of (a) normal% probability and studentized residuals, (b) studentized residuals and predicted response, (c) predicted and actual responses, and (d) outlier t plot. Points near the red line in (a) imply that the residuals are normally distributed. Red lines in (b,d) represent the boundaries of ±3 studentized residuals. Full article ">Figure 9
Response surface and contour plots for the influences of independent parameters on puerarin yield: (a) temperature and ethanol concentration, (b) solvent-to-biomass ratio and ethanol concentration, and (c) solvent-to-biomass ratio and temperature. Full article ">Figure 10
Puerarin yield as a function of extraction time. (46.06% ethanol as extraction solvent, extraction temperature of 65.02 °C, and solvent-to-biomass ratio of 11.50 mL/g). Full article ">

14 pages, 2065 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Generation of Hydrogen Peroxide in Beer and Selected Strong Alcoholic Beverages

by Małgorzata Rak, Dawid Mendys, Aleksandra Płatek, Oskar Sitarz, Ireneusz Stefaniuk, Grzegorz Bartosz and Izabela Sadowska-Bartosz

Processes 2025, 13(1), 277; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13010277 - 20 Jan 2025

Viewed by 1509

Abstract

The generation of hydrogen peroxide has been documented in various plant-based beverages, such as coffee, tea, herbal infusions and wine, as well in energy drinks containing ascorbate and in plant-based food. There are no data in the literature on the presence and generation of hydrogen peroxide in beer and strong alcoholic beverages containing plant material. This study aimed to examine whether beer and selected strong alcoholic beverages (brandy, whisky and fruit liqueurs) contain hydrogen peroxide. The presence of hydrogen peroxide was found in freshly opened brandy, whisky, liqueurs and most diluted beers; subsequent incubation in an air atmosphere led to the generation of hydrogen peroxide. The presence of the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signal of the semiquinone radical and the generation of the superoxide radical demonstrated in selected alcoholic beverages by the superoxide dismutase-inhibitable reduction of Nitrotetrazolium Blue and oxidation of dihydroethidium are in agreement with the two-step mechanism of generation of hydrogen peroxide by the autoxidation of phenolics. These results broaden the list of beverages containing and producing hydrogen peroxide. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phenolic Profiling and Antioxidant Capacity in Agrifood Products (Volume II))

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Figure 1
Concentration of hydrogen peroxide in various kinds of beer immediately after bottle opening and after 1 and 3 h of incubation at room temperature with air access. Beer samples were diluted 4-fold with deionized water. ♣, p < 0.05; ♦, p < 0.01; ♥, p < 0.001 (with respect to zero concentration); A, p < 0.05; B, p < 0.01; C, p < 0.001 (with respect to 0 time); a, p < 0.05; b, p < 0.01; c, p < 0.001 (with respect to 1 h of incubation). Full article ">Figure 2
Concentration of hydrogen peroxide in brandy, whisky and various commercial and home-made liqueurs, immediately after bottle opening and after 1 and 3 h of incubation at room temperature with air access. ♦, p < 0.01; ♥, p < 0.001 (with respect to zero concentration); A, p < 0.05; B, p < 0.01; C, p < 0.001 (with respect to 0 time); a, p < 0.05; b, p < 0.01; c, p < 0.001 (with respect to 1 h incubation). Full article ">Figure 3
Generation of hydrogen peroxide during incubation of 4-fold diluted beers (left) and of strong alcoholic beverages (right) at room temperature, with air access, for 3 h. Full article ">Figure 4
Polyphenol content of the beers and stronger alcoholic beverages studied. GAE, gallic acid equivalent. Full article ">Figure 5
The presence of the signal of the semiquinone radical in the EPR spectra of the Okocim Mocne beer, brandy and lemon liqueur. The red oval encircles the signal of the semiquinone radical. Full article ">

17 pages, 820 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phenolic Class Analysis in Honey: Comparison of Classical and Single UV Spectrum Methodologies

by Vanessa B. Paula, Miguel L. Sousa-Dias, Natália L. Seixas, Patricia Combarros-Fuertes, Letícia M. Estevinho and Luís G. Dias

Processes 2024, 12(10), 2297; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12102297 - 20 Oct 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1131

Abstract

The analytical results from a study of 16 honey samples (extra white to dark honey color range) of phenolic compounds obtained using the single UV spectrum methodology and classical spectrophotometric methods (Folin–Ciocalteu and AlCl₃ methods) are presented. The first method quantified all classes of phenolic compounds in honey’s SPE-C18 extract: the total hydroxybenzoic acid content (concentrations between 0.37 ± 0.05 and 4.46 ± 0.37 mg of gallic acid/g of honey), total hydroxycinnamic acid content (0.13 ± 0.03 and 2.76 ± 0.13 mg of ferulic acid/g of honey), and total flavonoid content (0.15 ± 0.03 and 1.63 ± 0.17 mg of quercetin/g of honey). The total phenolic contents were, on average, 1.86 ± 0.72 and 1.78 ± 0.79 times higher than the results obtained for raw honey and the SPE-C18 extract, respectively, using the classical Folin–Ciocalteu method. The total flavonoid contents, on average, were 6.02 ± 3.14 times larger and 0.66 ± 0.33 times smaller than the results obtained using the classical AlCl₃ method for raw honey and SPE-C18 extract, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phenolic Profiling and Antioxidant Capacity in Agrifood Products (Volume II))

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14 pages, 1738 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Novel Stimulants of Medicinal Basidiomycetes Growth Based on Nanoparticles of N-monosubstituted Amino Acid Derivatives of Fullerene C₆₀

by Mikhail Voronkov, Olga Tsivileva, Vladimir Volkov, Valentina Romanova and Vyacheslav Misin

Processes 2023, 11(6), 1695; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11061695 - 1 Jun 2023

Viewed by 1255

Abstract

The influence of nanoparticles of hydrated C₆₀ fullerene and its N-monoamino acid derivatives on the oxidative metabolism and growth of the mycelial biomass of basidiomycetes during their submerged cultivation was studied. It was found that the supplementation of culture media with nanoparticles of the studied compounds at their final concentration range of 10^?7 to 10^?11 M significantly increased the resulting biomass, while the severity of the effect in this concentration range changed slightly. That prompted the use of nanomolar concentrations of compounds as reasonable. The most pronounced stimulating effect (an increase in biomass of about 240% with respect to control) was observed when culturing Laetiporus sulphureus, the intrinsically high level of oxidative metabolism of which was significantly lowered by the presence of the studied additives. It was shown that the growth-enhancing action of nanoparticles of fullerene C₆₀ and its derivatives could not be attributed to photochemical reactions, particularly fullerene photoexcitation. Fullerene and its derivatives manifest a growth regulatory effect on bio-objects from different kingdoms of the living world (plants and fungi), which is indicative of these compounds’ mechanism of action based on a direct impact on fundamental, universal for all living beings, biophysical processes, primarily chain free-radical oxidation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phenolic Profiling and Antioxidant Capacity in Agrifood Products (Volume II))

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15 pages, 3022 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effects of Oven Dehydration on Bioactive Compounds, Antioxidant Activity, Fatty Acids and Mineral Contents of Strawberry Tree Fruit

by Mehmet Musa Özcan and Nurhan Uslu

Processes 2023, 11(2), 541; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11020541 - 10 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1845

Abstract

In this study, the effects of oven dehydration on chemical and bioactive properties, fatty acids, polyphenolic compounds and minerals of sandal strawberry tree fruit were investigated. While total carotenoid contents of the sandal strawberry tree fruit are determined between 4.20 (120 °C) and 5.43 µg/g (70 °C), tannin amounts of the sandal strawberry tree fruit were recorded between 5.13 (control) and 6.37% (70 and 120 °C). While total phenolic contents of dehydrated sandal strawberry tree fruit were found between 444.16 (120 °C) and 665.13 mgGAE/100 g (control), total flavonoid amounts of dehydrated sandal strawberry tree fruit were recorded between 592.91 (control) and 788.71 mg/100 g (120 °C). Antioxidant activity values of fruit ranged from 4.10 (120 °C) to 7.30 mmol TE/kg (control). Both total phenolic amounts and antioxidant activity values of untreated (control) sandal strawberry tree fruit were found to be higher than dehydrated ones, and a linear relationship was determined between the total phenolic amounts of the samples and their antioxidant activities. The highest amounts of phenolic compounds (ferulic acid, resveratrol and kaempferol) were detected in strawberry tree fruit dehydrated at 70 °C, followed by the control group and fruit dehydrated at 120 °C in decreasing order. Gallic acid, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, catechin, caffeic acid and rutin were the main constituents of the strawberry tree fruit, followed by syringic acid, p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid in descending order. Palmitic, stearic and oleic acid amounts of dehydrated strawberry tree fruit oils compared to the control were observed to increase with the applied temperature, while the contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic and linolenic) decreased. In general, the mineral content of dehydrated strawberry tree fruit increased compared to the control. Since the oil, carotenoid, total phenol and phenolic component contents of sandalwood tree fruit are higher in the sample subjected to dehydration at 70 °C, this temperature can be considered as the ideal one for drying. In addition, considering the fatty acids, heat treatment at 120 °C can be preferred. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phenolic Profiling and Antioxidant Capacity in Agrifood Products (Volume II))

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Review

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31 pages, 3577 KiB

Open AccessReview

Trends of Nanoencapsulation Strategy for Natural Compounds in the Food Industry

by Lamia Taouzinet, Ouarda Djaoudene, Sofiane Fatmi, Cilia Bouiche, Meriem Amrane-Abider, Hind Bougherra, Farouk Rezgui and Khodir Madani

Processes 2023, 11(5), 1459; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11051459 - 11 May 2023

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 9158

Abstract

Nanotechnology is an emerging field in the food industry that will be important for future industrial production to address rising customer concerns and expectations for natural, nutritious, and healthful food items. People are increasingly motivated to purchase unprocessed food or even high-quality processed foods with minimum chemical additives, highlighting the need to investigate natural alternatives for commercial purposes. Natural compounds are becoming more popular among consumers since they are safer than synthetic chemical additions; however, their most functional compounds are sensitive to the adverse conditions of processing and the digestive tract, impairing their use in food matrices, and industrial-scale applications. Nowadays, nanoencapsulation of natural products can be the most suitable nanotechnology to improve stability, solubility, and bioavailability. The nanostructure can be incorporated into food during production, processing, packaging, and security. Despite the many studies on nanoencapsulation, there is still some misunderstanding about nanoencapsulation systems and preparation techniques. This review aims to categorize different nanoencapsulation techniques (chemical, physicochemical, and physicomechanical), highlight eco-friendly methods, and classify the nanoencapsulation systems as groups (polymer, lipidic and metallic). The current review summarizes recent data on the nanoencapsulation of natural compounds in the food industry that has been published since 2015 until now. Finally, this review presents the challenges and future perspectives on the nanoencapsulation of bioactive compounds in food science. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phenolic Profiling and Antioxidant Capacity in Agrifood Products (Volume II))

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