Bioactive Food Ingredients in Food Systems: Chemistry, Processing, Stability, Functionality, and Consumer Acceptance

Bioactive food ingredients—including polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, carotenoids, betalains, chlorophylls, bioactive peptides, polysaccharides, and other naturally occurring compounds—have attracted increasing scientific and industrial interest due to their technological, nutritional, and health-promoting properties. Beyond their traditional role in determining food appearance, flavor, and sensory quality, these compounds contribute to oxidative stability, preservation, functionality, and consumer acceptance, playing a central role in the development of sustainable and naturally formulated food systems.Recent advances in green extraction technologies, analytical chemistry, food processing, metabolomics, and computational approaches have significantly expanded our understanding of the composition, stability, bioactivity, and technological functionality of bioactive food ingredients. However, important challenges remain regarding extraction efficiency, compound characterization, processing stability, bioaccessibility, interactions within complex food matrices, methodological standardization, and the translation of laboratory findings into commercially viable food products.An integrated understanding of the relationships among chemical composition, processing technologies, stability, functionality, sensory quality, and consumer perception is essential for developing innovative food products that combine technological performance with nutritional value and market acceptance.This Research Topic aims to bring together multidisciplinary research addressing the chemistry, extraction, characterization, processing, stability, functionality, and practical application of bioactive food ingredients in food systems. The collection seeks to integrate advances in food chemistry, analytical characterization, food engineering, processing technologies, sensory science, consumer behavior, and product development.Particular emphasis will be placed on studies that connect the chemical composition of bioactive ingredients with their technological functionality, stability during processing and storage, bioaccessibility, sensory performance, and consumer acceptance. The Research Topic also encourages methodological innovation, analytical validation, sustainable processing technologies, and translational approaches that support the development of functional, naturally formulated, and high-quality foods.We welcome Original Research, Review, Systematic Review, Mini Review, Methods, and Brief Research Report articles addressing topics including, but not limited to:- extraction, purification, isolation, identification, and characterization of bioactive food ingredients;- green and emerging extraction technologies, including natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDES), ultrasound-assisted extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, pressurized liquid extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, and enzyme-assisted extraction;- analytical characterization using HPLC, UHPLC, LC-MS/MS, GC-MS, NMR, metabolomics, and food fingerprinting approaches;- natural pigments and colorants, including anthocyanins, carotenoids, betalains, chlorophylls, and related compounds;- polyphenols, flavonoids, phenolic acids, bioactive peptides, polysaccharides, essential oils, and other phytochemicals;- stability, degradation kinetics, and preservation of bioactive compounds during food processing and storage;- bioaccessibility, bioavailability, digestibility, and interactions between bioactive compounds and food matrices;- encapsulation, nanoencapsulation, nanoemulsions, edible coatings, active packaging, and delivery systems;- oxidative stability, antioxidant capacity, antimicrobial activity, and functional properties of food ingredients;- instrumental colorimetry, spectrocolorimetry, sensory evaluation, consumer perception, and consumer acceptance;- development of functional foods, clean-label products, natural preservatives, and innovative food formulations;- valorization of agricultural by-products and sustainable use of natural resources for food applications; and- computational approaches, including molecular docking, molecular dynamics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and predictive modeling applied to food chemistry and food functionality.Submissions should present rigorous analytical, experimental, computational, or translational approaches and clearly demonstrate their relevance to food chemistry, food processing, ingredient functionality, food quality, product development, sustainability, or consumer science. Topic editors: Bruno Feitosa, Ranganathan TV, Saulo Silva Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/86363/bioactive-food-ingredients-in-food-systems-chemistry-processing-stability-functionality-and-consumer-acceptance