Advances in Fruit and Vegetable Quality, Bioactive Compounds, and Nutritional Value: 2nd Edition.

In recent years, substantial progress has been made in characterizing the quality of fruits and vegetables, identifying bioactive compounds, and developing novel food matrices with enhanced nutritional value [...

Machine learning-based assessment of sustainable extraction methodologies tackling the biotechnological exploitation of Arnica montana extracts.

Heat-assisted (HAE), ultrasound-assisted (UAE), microwave-assisted (MAE), and pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) represent diverse techniques with distinct physical principles that influence the efficiency and selectivity of bioactive compound recovery from Arnica montana (AM) flowers. These techniques are expected to generate unique metabolite profiles, affecting the composition and functionality of extracts. This study combined untargeted metabolomics with machine learning-based chemometrics and a comprehensive assessment of in vitro biological activities of hydroethanolic AM extracts obtained using the four techniques.

Optimization and Bioactive Evaluation of Antioxidant-Rich Extracts for Functional Food and Pharmaceutical Applications.

In recent years, consumers have been increasingly interested in natural, healthier, functional foods, with a focus on sea-based products such as algae. (BB) is a macroalga that belongs to the Phaeophyceae class. These brown algae are recognized as the source of bioactive molecules of great interest to the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.

Unlocking the potential of fermented beetroot ketchup: Enhancing polyphenol recovery and gut microbiota interactions.

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of digestion and gut microbiota interactions on beetroot ketchup formulations, focusing on the release of polyphenols, bioaccessibility, and microbial interactions on gut microbiota with polyphenols. Tested ketchup samples were evaluated using the TNO Gastro-Intestinal Model 1 (TIM-1) simulated upper part of the gastrointestinal tract and the TNO Gastro-Intestinal Model 2 (TIM-2) simulated colon system. The results showed that fermentation of ketchup with Lactobacillus johnsonii K4, increased the release of bioactive compounds during digestion, with higher polyphenol recoveries observed in fermented samples.

Exploring the Potential of Invasive Species : Microwave-Assisted Extraction Optimization and Bioactivity Profiling.

(SM) poses a serious environmental issue since it is a fast-expanding invasive species occupying key areas of the European shoreline, disrupting the autochthonous algae species, and disturbing the ecosystem. This problem has concerned the general population and the scientific community. Nevertheless, as macroalgae are recognized as a source of bioactive molecules, the abundance of SM presents an opportunity as a raw material.

Unraveling the Bioactive Potential of Edible Flowers: Profiling Antioxidant Substances and In Vitro Bioactivity Assessment.

In recent years, the search for novel natural-based ingredients by food and related industries has sparked extensive research aimed at discovering new sources of functional molecules. , traditionally known as an ornamental plant, has gained attention due to its diverse array of bioactive compounds with potential industrial applications. Although flowers are edible, their phytochemical profile has not been thoroughly investigated.

Health Benefits of Oily Fish: Illustrated with Blue Shark (), Shortfin Mako Shark (), and Swordfish ().

Oily fish is a rich source of energy, proteins, essential amino acids, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. Among the macronutrients with the highest contribution are lipids, mainly long-chain omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 LC-PUFA), especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Both EPA and DHA play a beneficial role in promoting health and preventing many diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, such as stroke and acute myocardial infarction.

Phytochemical compounds with promising biological activities from Ascophyllum nodosum extracts using microwave-assisted extraction.

Phytochemical-rich antioxidant extracts were obtained from Ascophyllum nodosum (AN) using microwave-assisted extraction (MAE). Critical extraction factors such as time, pressure, and ethanol concentration were optimized by response surface methodology with a circumscribed central composite design. Under the optimal MAE conditions (3 min, 10.

Recent Progress in Understanding the Impact of Food Processing and Storage on the Structure-Activity Relationship of Fucoxanthin.

Fucoxanthin, a brown algae carotenoid, has attracted great interest because of its numerous biological activities supported by in vitro and in vivo studies. However, its chemical structure is susceptible to alterations when subjected to food processing and storage conditions, such as heat, oxygen, light, and pH changes. Consequently, these conditions lead to the formation of fucoxanthin derivatives, including -isomers, apo-fucoxanthinone, apo-fucoxanthinal, fucoxanthinol, epoxides, and hydroxy compounds, collectively known as degradation products.

Challenges in the Application of Circular Economy Models to Agricultural By-Products: Pesticides in Spain as a Case Study.

The income and residue production from agriculture has a strong impact in Spain. A circular economy and a bioeconomy are two alternative sustainable models that include the revalorization of agri-food by-products to recover healthy biomolecules. However, most crops are conventional, implying the use of pesticides.

Flowers as a Source of Nutritional and Bioactive Compounds.

In recent decades, plants have strengthened their relevance as sources of molecules potentially beneficial for health. This underpinning effect also arises from the extensive research that has been conducted on plants that are typically undervalued, besides being scarcely used. This is the case with Camellia japonica in Galicia (NW Spain), where, despite its abundance, it is exclusively used for ornamental purposes and has been studied only for its proximate composition.

Kinetic Extraction of Fucoxanthin from Using Ethanol as a Solvent.

Fucoxanthin (Fx) has been proven to exert numerous biological properties, which makes it an interesting molecule with diverse industrial applications. In this study, the kinetic behavior of Fx was studied to optimize three variables: time (-3 min to 7 days), temperature (-5 to 85 °C), and concentration of ethanol in water (-50 to 100%, /), in order to obtain the best Fx yield from using conventional heat extraction. The Fx content () was found through HPLC-DAD and expressed in µg Fx/g of algae sample dry weight (AS dw).

Emerging Technologies to Extract Fucoxanthin from Microwave vs. Ultrasound Assisted Extractions.

Macroalgae are an extensive resource for the obtention of bioactive compounds, mainly phenolic compounds, phlorotannins, and pigments. Fucoxanthin (Fx) is the most abundant pigment present in brown algae and has shown several useful bioactivities that can be used to fortify products in the food and cosmetic industries. Nevertheless, to date, there is still insufficient literature reporting on the extraction yield of Fx from species from green technologies.

Bioactive Compounds of L.: Health Benefits and Potential as New Ingredients for Industrial Applications.

() is a plant belonging to the Scrophulariaceae family that has been used as an ingredient in traditional medicine infusions for the treatment of many diseases. The aerial part of this plant is a source of bioactive compounds, especially polyphenols and iridoids. Moreover, antioxidant activity studies have shown that phenolic and flavonoid composition is higher than those in other plants of the same genus.

Pressurized Liquid Extraction for the Recovery of Bioactive Compounds from Seaweeds for Food Industry Application: A Review.

Seaweeds are an underutilized food in the Western world, but they are widely consumed in Asia, with China being the world's larger producer. Seaweeds have gained attention in the food industry in recent years because of their composition, which includes polysaccharides, lipids, proteins, dietary fiber, and various bioactive compounds such as vitamins, essential minerals, phenolic compounds, and pigments. Extraction techniques, ranging from more traditional techniques such as maceration to novel technologies, are required to obtain these components.

Algal nutraceuticals: A perspective on metabolic diversity, current food applications, and prospects in the field of metabolomics.

The current consumers' demand for food naturalness is urging the search for new functional foods of natural origin with enhanced health-promoting properties. In this sense, algae constitute an underexplored biological source of nutraceuticals that can be used to fortify food products. Both marine macroalgae (or seaweeds) and microalgae exhibit a myriad of chemical constituents with associated features as a result of their primary and secondary metabolism.

Single-Cell Proteins Obtained by Circular Economy Intended as a Feed Ingredient in Aquaculture.

The constant increment in the world's population leads to a parallel increase in the demand for food. This situation gives place the need for urgent development of alternative and sustainable resources to satisfy this nutritional requirement. Human nutrition is currently based on fisheries, which accounts for 50% of the fish production for human consumption, but also on agriculture, livestock, and aquaculture.

Recent advances in biological properties of brown algae-derived compounds for nutraceutical applications.

The increasing demand for nutraceuticals in the circular economy era has driven the research toward studying bioactive compounds from renewable underexploited resources. In this regard, the exploration of brown algae has shown significant growth and maintains a great promise for the future. One possible explanation could be that brown algae are rich sources of nutritional compounds (polyunsaturated fatty acids, fiber, proteins, minerals, and vitamins) and unique metabolic compounds (phlorotannins, fucoxanthin, fucoidan) with promising biological activities that make them good candidates for nutraceutical applications with increased value-added.

: A phytochemical perspective and current applications facing its industrial exploitation.

In response to the increased popularity of medicinal plants, a number of conservation groups are recommending the investigation on poorly characterized and widely distributed species, as it is the case of camellias. In particular, L. is a widespread species found in Galicia (NW Spain), where it has been largely exploited with ornamental purposes.

Green synthesis, characterization and applications of iron and zinc nanoparticles by probiotics.

The synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) by microorganisms is one of the most promising areas of research in modern nanotechnology since microorganisms can easily act as real nanofactories of industrially relevant compounds. Recent studies suggest that probiotic bacteria have an intrinsic potential to synthesize metal NPs when grown in the presence of metal ions. In such conditions, they can reduce metal ions through different biochemical mechanisms occurring both intra and extracellularly, and leading to the production of NPs.

Sustainable Food Systems in Fruits and Vegetables Food Supply Chains.

Fruits and vegetables wastes (., peel fractions, pulps, pomace, and seeds) represent ~16% of total food waste and contribute ~6% to global greenhouse gas emissions. The diversity of the fruit-horticultural production in several developing countries and the excess of certain fruits or vegetables in the months of greatest production offer unique opportunities for adding value to these wastes (co-products).

Thermochemical Characterization of Eight Seaweed Species and Evaluation of Their Potential Use as an Alternative for Biofuel Production and Source of Bioactive Compounds.

Algae are underexplored resources in Western countries and novel approaches are needed to boost their industrial exploitation. In this work, eight edible seaweeds were subjected to their valorization in terms of nutritional characterization, thermochemical properties, and bioactive profile. Our results suggest that seaweeds present a rich nutritional profile, in which carbohydrates are present in high proportions, followed by a moderate protein composition and a valuable content of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Valorization of fruit and vegetables agro-wastes for the sustainable production of carotenoid-based colorants with enhanced bioavailability.

Carotenoids are pigments naturally occurring in fruits and vegetables, and responsible for their yellow to red colors. They also have several bioactive properties, making them interesting alternatives to the artificial colorants commonly used in the food industry. This review compiles an updated research progress about green production of carotenoid-based colorants focusing on the benefits associated with their sustainable extraction from agro-wastes, also considering the environmental aspects associated to the processes.

Seaweed bioactive compounds: Promising and safe inputs for the green synthesis of metal nanoparticles in the food industry.

Scientific research on developing and characterizing eco-friendly metal nanoparticles (NPs) is an active area experiencing currently a systematic and continuous growth. A variety of physical, chemical and more recently biological methods can be used for the synthesis of metal nanoparticles. Among them, reports supporting the potential use of algae in the NPs green synthesis, contribute with only a minor proportion, although seaweed was demonstrated to perform as a successful reducing and stabilizing agent.

Traditional Applications of Tannin Rich Extracts Supported by Scientific Data: Chemical Composition, Bioavailability and Bioaccessibility.

Tannins are polyphenolic compounds historically utilized in textile and adhesive industries, but also in traditional human and animal medicines or foodstuffs. Since 20th-century, advances in analytical chemistry have allowed disclosure of the chemical nature of these molecules. The chemical profile of extracts obtained from previously selected species was investigated to try to establish a bridge between traditional background and scientific data.