Anthocyanins are natural plant pigments, responsible for many of the orange/red/purple/blue colors of many flowers, fruits, and vegetables. These colorants play important roles in plants, such as conferring UV protection and antimicrobial properties, and they are also implicated to have many potential human health-promoting properties. Research works and epidemiological studies have indicated these plant pigments to be beneficial in the reduction of chronic inflammatory diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. For these reasons, there is increasing interest in their incorporation in foods, drugs, cosmetics, and dietary supplements as naturally derived colorants and health-promoting compounds. There is a large natural diversity in the chemical composition of anthocyanin pigments. More than 700 unique anthocyanin structures have been identified, and each has unique colorimetric, reactivity, and health-promoting properties. With such a great number of unique anthocyanins and increasing interest in their use, there is a considerable need to better understand the factors affecting their production and accumulation in plants, the factors affecting their stability and colorimetric properties, and their metabolism and mechanisms for disease alleviation. This Special Issue includes several new research works dedicated to these topics and a review of the current knowledge of anthocyanin chemistry affecting their application in food and nutrition.

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This Topical Collection of Molecules provides the most recent advancements and trends within the framework of food analysis, confirming the growing public, academic, and industrial interest in this field. The articles broach topics related to sample preparation, separation science, spectroscopic techniques, sensors and biosensors, as well as investigations dealing with the characterization of macronutrients, micronutrients, and other biomolecules. It offers the latest updates regarding alternative food sources (e.g., algae), functional foods, effects of processing, chiral or achiral bioactive compounds, contaminants, and every topic related to food science that is appealing to readers. Nowadays, the increasing awareness of the close relation among diet, health, and social development is stimulating demands for high levels of quality and safety in agro-food production, as well as new studies to fill gaps in the actual body of knowledge about food composition. For these reasons, modern research in food science and human nutrition is moving from classical methodologies to advanced instrumental platforms for comprehensive characterization. Nondestructive spectroscopic and imaging technologies are also proposed for food process monitoring and quality control in real time.

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This e-book aims to compile advances in the area of food manufacturing including packaging to address issues of food safety, quality, fraud, and how these processes (new or old) could affect the organoleptic characteristics of foods, with the aim to promote consumers’ satisfaction. Moreover, food supply issues are explored. New and improved technologies are employed in the area of food manufacturing to address consumer needs in terms of quality and safety. The issues of research and development should be taken into account seriously before launching a new product onto the market. Finally, food fraud and authenticity are very important issues, and the food industry should focus on addressing them.

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The world population is expected to reach almost 10,000 million in 2050, so, it is necessary to use our resources efficiently: to produce more food using less land and pollute less, to optimize the production and use of biomass from diversified resources. For this, new approaches and processes, with special emphasis from a biotechnological perspective, may need to be implemented to move towards a circular model that will confer environmental sustainability. In this book, the analysis and optimization of some examples of food and bioproduct processes, as well as development of innovative and emerging food and byproducts processing methods, are considered. Valorization, bioprocessing, and biorefining of food-industry-based streams, the role of industrial microorganisms, the isolation of high added-value compounds, applications of the resulting bio-based chemicals in food manufacturing, novel food formulations, among others, are addressed.

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This reprint represents a collection of scientific papers belonging to a Special Issue of Antioxidants entitled "Advances in the Astonishing World of Phytochemicals: State-of-the-Art for Antioxidants". Several studies have revealed that plants are a source of a plethora of bioactive compounds, such as phytohormones, glycosides, terpenoids, alkaloids, phenolic compounds, and essential oils, with a strong potential impact in the fields of pharmaceutics and agriculture. These phytochemicals represent a valuable weapon that plants use in self-defense in order to counteract the effects of abiotic stress disturbing the delicate equilibrium between the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defense systems. In recent years, interest in this area of research has been increasing due to the multifaceted properties of natural compounds with antioxidants having anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activity. Therefore, understanding the underlying mechanism of their action is crucial to establishing their real potential in applied sciences. This reprint focuses on the most recent advances in the study of antioxidant molecular mechanisms activated by phytochemicals, with potential pharmacological and agricultural applications. We thank all the authors for their contribution to the research topic of this reprint and all editorial staff for their valuable support.

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Food safety is a matter of great significance for the global population. Therefore, researchers have been developing and validating analytical methods to extract, separate and quantitate a variety of hazardous and nutritional analytes in various food commodities. Due to the complexity of food components, a suitable pretreatment method is required to eliminate matrix effects and lower the detection limit. Afterward, chromatography and mass spectrometry are powerful tools in the guarantee of food safety and quality. This book is the reprint of a Special Issue of Separations, “Advances of Accurate Quantification Methods in Food Analysis”, and provides an overview of recent trends in food analytical methods. Both novel sample pretreatment and detection techniques are covered, with the aim of accurate quantification. This Special Issue received nine contributions that covered the latest analytical methods, and focused on pesticides, mycotoxin, antibiotics, metal ions, organic selenium and anthocyanins.

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Recently, many kinds of foods and food-derived nutrients have been reported to show health-beneficial effects. In particular, some foods and food-derived nutrients have shown anti-aging effects on several organs and tissues, such as brain, muscle, skin, intestine, and so on. In some kinds of foods, the molecular basis of their functionalities (e.g., anti-brain aging, anti-sarcopenia, and anti-skin aging) and inter-tissue networks activated by these foods mediated by exosomes, cytokines, and immune cells have been clarified in detail.

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Antimicrobial packaging has recently attracted a great deal of interest from the food industry due to the boost in consumer demand for minimally-processed, preservative-free products. Antimicrobial polymeric packaging systems can be considered an emerging technology that could have an important impact on shelf life extension and food safety. Novel polymeric-based packaging materials are continually being developed. This book collects carefully chosen examples of the most recent and relevant advances in the preparation and characterization of antimicrobial composites for food packaging applications. Different polymer nanocomposites with improved packaging properties are discussed along with their mechanisms of action. Further, future perspectives for antimicrobial polymeric nanomaterials are provided.

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“Antioxidant Activity of Polyphenolic Plant Extracts” is a collection of scientific articles regarding polyphenols, that is, substances occurring naturally in plants and exhibiting many beneficial effects on human health. Among polyphenols’ interesting biological properties, their antioxidant activity is considered the most important. This book brings together experts from different research fields on topics related to polyphenols, such as their isolation and purification, assessment of their antioxidant activity, prevention from oxidative stress-induced diseases and use as food additives. The polyphenols used in the present studies are derived from a great variety of plants, ranging from well-known species to rare ones that are only found in specific regions. Moreover, some of the studies provide evidence that polyphenols may be used for the prevention and treatment of common diseases such as diabetes mellitus, Alzheimers’ disease, cardiovascular and intestinal diseases. Importantly, in several of the studies “green extraction methods” for the isolation of polyphenols were developed using modern technologies, where few or no organic solvents were used, in order to minimize environmental and health impacts.

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This reprint contains thirteen contributions on recent advances in the field of anthocyanins and other vegetal pigments and state-of-the-art extraction methods applied to different matrices. The interdisciplinary character of the subject and the breadth of the contents presented by the authors make this book very interesting and comprehensive. This reprint covers different topics such as the most modern and cutting-edge methods for the analysis and extraction of anthocyanins, their geographical variability, the improvement and protection of their antioxidant properties, the valorization of by-products, stability studies and the metabolomics of chlorophylls and carotenoids, all of which are the subject of research and review in this reprint.

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Aging is a complex, only partially understood process, and is a key risk factor in the development of noncommunicable ailments that greatly impact human quality of life. One of the causes of most age-related diseases is an imbalance in the oxidation-reduction reactions, with the accumulation of reactive species, which are major contributors to cellular senescence. The book contributes to the knowledge connected to the prevention or treatment of these pathological conditions. It focuses on the mechanisms by which oxidative stress and inflammatory factors could cause the genesis and progression of age-associated diseases, and on new strategies for delaying and altering aging.

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Plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPM) are groups of rhizosphere microorganisms capable of colonizing the root environment. Some of the microbes that inhabit this zone are bacteria and fungi that are capable of efficiently colonizing roots and rhizosphere soil. These microorganisms can be used as biofertilizers for improving agricultural production even under stressful environmental conditions. In contrast to PGPM, plant growth regulators (PGR) are chemical compounds that significantly affect the growth and differentiation of plant cells and tissues. They function as chemical messengers for intercellular communication and play a vital role in plant signaling networks as they are involved in the plant developmental process and a wide range of biotic and abiotic stress responses. The application of PGPM and plant growth regulators/hormones or the synthesis of PGR and signal transduction, perception, and cross-talk creates a complex network that plays an essential role in the regulation of plant physiological processes. A better understanding of the mechanism of action of PGPM and PGR and their roles in plant growth and development, interaction and independence in their action, and hormonal crosstalk under stresses is essential for agricultural production and research. Therefore, this book has contributions in the form of research and review papers from eminent scientists worldwide and discusses the role of PGPM and PGR in agriculture production and research, their potentials as biocontrol agents, their effects on physicochemical properties of soil, innovation for sustainable agriculture, their role in seed transplanting, and their role in mitigating biotic and abiotic stresses.

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During the last decade, a high volume of work has been published on the health-promoting effects of berries (e.g., blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, etc.) that are rich in antioxidant phytochemicals, polyphenols. Consuming a diet rich in polyphenols has been documented to attenuate the risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, diabetes mellitus, and neurodegenerative disorders. Recent evidence also reveals that the biological effects of polyphenols extend beyond their traditional antioxidant role.This Special Issue includes 10 peer-reviewed papers, including original research papers and reviews. They present the most recent advances in the role of berry antioxidants, not only in maintaining health but also in preventing and/or reversing disease both in cell culture, animal models and in humans. Additionally, the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways modulated by berry antioxidants are presented. Chapters include the role of berry antioxidants in whole fruit and leaves on the metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes and glucose intolerance, cancer, inflammation, oxidative stress and neuroprotection as well as cardiovascular disease. As a guest editor, I would like to acknowledge the authors of all chapters for their valuable contributions and reviewers for their thoughtful and constructive suggestions and time. Special thanks to the publishing team of the Antioxidants Journal for their professionalism, attention to detail and timely completion of this volume.

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The close relationship between food intake and health promotion is not new; it dates back to Hippocrates’s famous “let food be your medicine and medicine be your food”, which is still as timely as ever. In recent years, some scientific evidence has supported this statement, showing that dietary plant extracts, or bioactive compounds isolated therefrom, are able to prevent or slow down the progression of chronic and degenerative diseases, making them particularly interesting from a nutraceutical point of view. On the other hand, extensive chemical investigations of functional plant extracts’ constituents are needed to rationalize certain bioactivity, in terms of efficacy and safety.

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Food processing by humans goes a long way back in time, e.g., heat for cooking was used 1.9 million years ago. However, meal preparation now seems to be moving out of the home kitchen, and preprocessed or processed/convenience food products are becoming a larger part of the daily diet. In addition, consumers are progressively focusing on the impact of food on their health, and they demand foods that have a high nutritional quality and an aroma and natural flavor that are similar to freshly-made products. Therefore, nutritional quality is concurrent with food safety, and sensory perception is becoming an increasingly important factor in food choices. The human digestive tract disintegrates food to allow the nutrients to be released and made available to the body. However, nutrients can undergo unwanted degradation upon processing and subsequent storage, negatively influencing the physiological effects. Different processing techniques will result in different food structures, thereby also affecting bioaccessibility and nutritional value. Hence, food scientists and industry have an increased interest in both conventional and innovative processing methods that can provide good-quality products with high nutritional value and stable shelf life. This Special Issue aims to shed some light on the latest knowledge about and developments within the effects of food processing and storage on changes of biochemical and nutritional compounds. Both original research articles and reviews are included in this book.

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In order to build a promising future, health and sustainability must be interelated. Marine, forestry, agriculture, and food systems are important sources of bioproducts used in health applications. To explore the potential of such sources for the development of natural products capable of biological activities, it is necessary to develop new technologically sustainable strategies. Despite the range of natural compounds already available, there is a need to identify bioactive molecules (e.g., polysaccharides, proteins and peptides, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and polyphenols) from different natural sources with positive health properties, including antihypertensive, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, antimicrobial, anti-atherosclerotic, antioxidant, antithrombotic, immune-modulatory, relaxing, and satiety-inducing effects. The Second Edition of this Special Issue aimed to identify and gather works on the latest varied sources of bioproducts, the biological and functional activities of these bioactive compounds, their mechanisms of action, and the methods used for extraction and purification, without losing our focus on alignment with the concept of green technology.

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Wine is a widely consumed beverage due to its unique and pleasant sensory properties. Wine is composed of more than one thousand chemical compounds (e.g., alcohols, esters, acids, terpenoids, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, anthocyanins, minerals, and vitamins, among others) resulting from several chemical and biochemical processes. Microextraction techniques in tandem with high-resolution analytical instruments have been applied by wine researchers to expand the knowledge of wine’s chemical composition with the purposes of improving wine quality, supporting winemaker decisions related to the winemaking process, and guaranteeing the authenticity of wine. As a result, we proposed “Chemical/Instrumental Approaches to the Evaluation of Wine Chemistry” as a topic for a Special Issue in Molecules. This Special Issue aims to provide an update on state-of-the-art extraction procedures (e.g., solid-phase microextraction (SPME)) and analytical tools (e.g., nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS)), emphasizing their use as suitable platforms for the establishment of the chemical composition of wine (volatomic profile, antioxidants, phenolic pattern, and elemental composition, among others). Information related to wine sensorial properties, contaminants, authenticity, and chemometric tools used for data treatment are described in this Issue.

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This reprint describes how lifestyle changes can impact the incidence and progression of chronic non-communicable diseases. In this context, regular physical activity and heathy nutritional habits are very important. Moreover, natural bioactive compounds could represent a new adjuvant therapy in the clinical management of these pathological conditions.

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Phenolic compounds are non-essential dietary compounds that are found in many vegetables (i.e. onion, cabbage, broccoli and parsley), fruits (i.e. cherries, grapes, berries and pears), cereals and beverages (i.e. red wine, tea and chocolate). These heterogeneous compounds are produced as secondary metabolites. Structurally, these compounds are characterized by comprising an aromatic ring with one or more hydroxyl groups that can be classified into two groups: flavonoids and non-flavonoids. Phenolic compounds have received considerable attention for its health-promoting properties in many chronic disorders including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, among others. These health benefits are mainly attributed to its antioxidant properties. Phenolic compounds act as antioxidant by scavenging free radicals, metal chelation and endogenous antioxidant system upregulation (enzymatic antioxidants such as catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase and non-enzymatic antioxidants such as glutathione).The consumption of exogenous medicinal plants and food rich in phenolic compounds represent a promising therapeutically to prevent many chronic diseases and improve health.This Special Issue entitled “Effect of Phenolic Compounds on Human Health” include research articles and review articles on phenolic compounds and its role in health (i.e. flavonoids and diabetes, polyphenols and liver diseases, polyphenols and obesity, polyphenols and cardiovascular diseases and polyphenols and neuroprotection).

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The Special Issue “Extractable and Non-Extractable Antioxidants” gives an updated view on antioxidants—both in their extractable and non-extractable form—in the different food groups, their products thereof, and food preparations as well as byproducts and biomass waste. The potential beneficial properties of these compounds and nutraceutical formulations are described in the various studies covered in this Special Issue.

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It is widely accepted that antioxidants can help in disease prevention by effectively quenching free radicals or inhibiting damage caused by oxidative stress. However, the final fate of antioxidants in the gut, how antioxidant metabolites affect gut microbiota, and how gut microbiota affect the metabolism of antioxidants are not fully understood. This Special Issue collected the latest research findings and review articles, bringing together current research and critical thinking on the fate of phytochemical antioxidants in the gut and the role antioxidant gut metabolites play in reducing oxidative stress in various gut and metabolic diseases. Both in vitro and in vivo studies relating to any of the following topics will be considered: fate of antioxidants in the gut; antioxidative activities of phytochemicals in the digestive system; molecular mechanisms of phytochemical antioxidants in maintaining gut health; and interactions of antioxidant metabolites and gut microbiota.

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This Reprint aims to immerse the readers into the latest frontiers of cutting-edge investigations regarding bioactive compounds and nutraceuticals. It explores their use in biotechnological approaches, biomedical applications, the discovery of novel bioactive natural products, the role of these products on food structure, and their potential physiological effects on human nutrition. Additionally, it discusses the use of in vitro and in vivo bioactivity research involving cell lines and animal models as exemplars of human physiology.

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