Novel Technologies for Enrichment, Extraction, and Determination of Phenolic Compounds in Foods - Volume 2

Phenolic compounds (PCs) are the most abundant secondary metabolites of plants, which are known to possess a wide range of health-beneficial properties, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. PCs in plants generally occur in free or bound form in plant-based foods. Free PCs are usually soluble in polar aqueous/organic solvent and bound PCs are mostly interacted with macromolecules such as cellulose, protein, and other substances in primary cell walls. There are more than 8,000 known structures of PCs, generally including phenolic acids, flavonoids, stilbenes, and lignans. However, PCs are controversial regarding their health or therapeutic benefits in vivo, due to their low plasma concentrations after oral intake for the low bioaccessibility, availability, and stability. Moreover, the extraction efficiency of PCs also affects the large-scale use of these health-beneficial compounds. Some new food processing technologies have been developed to address such issues, by accumulating phenolics or enhancing their health benefits in various ways. Recently, more and more new types of PCs, such as prenylflavonoids, phenolamides, anthocyanin derivatives, etc., have been detected and identified for their unique bioactivities, higher bioaccessibility or better stability. Therefore, developing novel methods for better identification and quantification of individual PCs is required.

PCs are essential ingredients for developing functional food, which is becoming increasingly popular at present. Therefore, establishing new methods for extraction and determination of PCs from food matrices, identification of new types of PCs, and enhancing the accumulation of PCs in food materials through biotechnology are required to better exploit the potential of these compounds in maintaining human wellness.

We welcome manuscripts that will give new insights into the following subtopics:
• Advanced technologies for the extraction and determination of phenolic compounds;
• Identification of new types of natural phenolic compounds in food materials;
• Enrichment of phenolic compounds in food through biotechnologies, such as germination and fermentation;
• Interaction of phenolic compounds with other ingredients in food matrices.