Enhancing bioactive compounds in plant-based foods: Influencing factors and technological advances.

ABSTRACT

Plant-based foods are natural sources of phytochemicals, which exhibit free radical scavenging capacity. However, the bioaccessibility of phytochemicals in foods are limited due to their poor stability and solubility within food matrix. Moreover, chemical degradation induced by processing further diminish the levels of these bioactive compounds. This review explores the impacts of thermal and non-thermal processing on fruits and vegetables, emphasizing the application of emerging technologies to enhance food quality. Innovative non-thermal technologies, which align with sustainable and environmentally friendly principles of green development, are particularly promising. Supercritical CO2 and cold plasma can be applied in extraction of phytochemicals, and these extracts also can be used as natural preservatives in food products, as well as improve the texture and sensory properties of food products, offering significant potential to advance the field of food science and technology while adhering to eco-friendly practices.