Food Science and Biotechnology에서 2025년 2월호 발간 예정으로 아래와 같이 “Special Issue Title: Comprehensive Approaches to Natural Pigments: Discovery, Biosynthesis, Functions, and Processing” 특별호(Special Issue)를 준비하고 있습니다.

 

회원 여러분의 많은 관심 부탁드리며 특별호 원고 제출에 관해 궁금한 사항은 아래 편집자에게 연락하시기 바랍니다.
 

*Special Issue Title: Comprehensive Approaches to Natural Pigments: Discovery, Biosynthesis, Functions, and Processing
 

*Special Issue Editors:
Hyungjae Lee (Dankook University, Korea), Special Issue Editor-in-Chief
Jae-Kwang Kim (Incheon National University, Korea)
Dae-Ok Kim (Kyung Hee University, Korea)
Myung-Ji Seo (Incheon National University, Korea)
 

*Special Issue Information:
Pigments play a pivotal role in determining the vibrant colors of food products, influencing both taste and consumer attraction. The increase in consumers’ interests, awareness of health benefits, and environmental considerations has moved natural pigments to the core biomaterials for food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. The environmental evolution in bio-industrial fields reflects a shift towards reducing or eliminating chemically synthetic pigments in favor of natural pigments as promising counterparts, showing their technological relevance and the emerging evidence of contributions to human health benefits.
Natural pigments are predominantly derived from two sources: plants and microorganisms. Extracts rich in polyphenols (mainly anthocyanins), carotenoids, and chlorophylls are extensively studied and commonly applied in food products.
Despite the technological and health advantages associated with natural pigments, substantial challenges must be addressed. While numerous natural pigment substances have been identified, their commercialization remains limited. Insufficient research on the biosynthesis of these pigments, including the identification of core biosynthetic enzymes and the elucidation of biosynthetic pathways, underscores the need for further research. Addressing the instability of natural pigments during food processing requires innovative technologies exploring complexation and encapsulation. Additionally, the exploration of sustainable biomass as an alternative pigment source is crucial to reducing production costs.
The optimization of extraction solvents and technologies is necessary to enhance production yields and ensure the safety of food ingredients. Together with these technological developments, it is essential to uncover the potential health benefits of natural pigments via in vitro and in vivo model studies. In addition, the investigation of pigment metabolism provides a valuable approach to understanding stability mechanisms and supporting pharmacological research.
This Special Issue invites manuscripts across diverse research fields related to natural pigments from plants and microorganisms. We welcome recent research articles and review papers focusing on natural pigments, with a particular emphasis on the following subjects:
-    Discovery and metabolite profiling of natural pigments
-    Elucidation of natural pigments' biosynthesis through the characterization of biosynthetic genes
-    Biological functions of natural pigments in promoting human health
-    Sustainable extraction and stabilization developments for natural pigments
-    Application of natural pigments in food products
 

*Deadline for manuscript submissions: October 31, 2024
 

*Expected Publication: February 28, 2025
 

*Impact Factor: 2.9 (2022)
 

*Contact:
Hyungjae Lee (Dankook University, Korea), lee252@dankook.ac.kr