Innovative Drying Technologies and Post-Harvest Solutions for Bioactive Compound Retention and Valorization in Cultivated and Wild Plant Species

The quest for global food security, climate resilience, and sustainable nutrition has intensified the need to balance high-yield cultivated crops with the untapped potential of wild and underutilized plant species. Post-harvest losses and the degradation of heat-sensitive bioactive compounds during processing remain critical challenges in modern food supply chains.This Research Topic aims to gather cutting-edge original research, short communications, methodology papers, perspectives, systematic reviews, and critical reviews that explore innovative drying technologies and advanced post-harvest solutions. The primary focus is to optimize processing parameters to maximize the retention of bioactive compounds, vitamins, and functional properties in both traditional cultivated varieties and wild plant species. It also seeks to promote the valorization of cultivated, wild, and underutilized plant resources as stable, high-value food ingredients and functional products.By bridging engineering innovations with nutritional science, this collection seeks to establish sustainable and energy-efficient pathways for converting agricultural biomass and wild biodiversity into value-added products, thereby supporting food quality preservation, waste reduction, and the transition to a circular bioeconomy.We welcome original research articles, short communications, methodology papers, perspectives, systematic reviews, and critical reviews covering, but not limited to, the following thematic areas:· Innovative Dehydration Technologies: Application of advanced drying methods, including microwave, vacuum, freeze-drying, infrared, solar-assisted, and hybrid systems, to cultivated, wild, and underutilized plant matrices.· Bioactive Compound Retention and Quality Optimization: Kinetics and mechanisms governing the preservation of phenolics, antioxidants, vitamins, pigments, essential oils, and other heat-sensitive compounds during post-harvest processing.· Valorization of Wild and Underutilized Species: Post-harvest solutions for processing wild genotypes, medicinal plants, wild berries, and other underutilized species to facilitate their transformation into safe, shelf-stable, and marketable food ingredients.· Comparative Post-Harvest Studies: Evaluation of structural, physicochemical, nutritional, and functional responses of cultivated varieties and their wild counterparts under different processing and storage conditions.· Sustainability and Energy Efficiency: Design and assessment of green, low-carbon, minimal-processing, and resource-efficient technologies that reduce food losses, processing time, and energy consumption throughout post-harvest chains.· Drying Kinetics, Process Modelling, Optimization and Intensification: Mathematical modelling, thin-layer drying kinetics, effective moisture diffusivity, activation energy, process intensification, computational modelling, machine learning, and multi-objective optimization for improving process efficiency, energy efficiency, and product quality.· Circular Bioeconomy and Plant Resource Valorization: Sustainable utilization of agricultural biomass, crop residues, and food-processing by-products for the production of functional ingredients, nutraceuticals, natural additives, biodegradable materials, and other value-added products. Topic editors: Ilknur Alibas, AYSEL ARSLAN Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84257/innovative-drying-technologies-and-post-harvest-solutions-for-bioactive-compound-retention-and-valorization-in-cultivated-and-wild-plant-species