Plant Extracts as Functional Food Ingredients

Plants are recognized as a natural source of bioactive compounds, which can be obtained using different solvents and extraction methods. These effects resulted from the abundance of valuable compounds belonging to groups such as polyphenols, carotenoids, chlorophylls, tocopherols and tocotrienols, fatty acids, terpenes, polysaccharides, and compound complexes. The extraction process of these compounds depends on their chemical nature. A proper extraction method is required to achieve a higher yield and a more concentrated bioactive compound solution. The extraction process for these compounds is determined by their chemical nature and can be modified by various factors to increase its effectiveness (and, if possible, improve environmental safety). This Reprint comprises 16 articles presenting new achievements in the utilization of waste and by-products as sources of valuable compounds in extraction processes, the optimization of hydrophilic and lipophilic extraction of compounds from a diversity of plant sources, and investigations of the biological properties of extracts.