Emerging Plant-Based Ingredients for Functional Food Formulation: Nutritional, Technological and Health Perspectives

The growing demand for healthier, sustainable, and minimally processed foods has accelerated the development of plant-based ingredients for functional food formulation. Beyond conventional cereals, legumes, fruits, and vegetables, emerging ingredients such as pseudocereals, plant proteins, seed flours, fruit by-products, edible leaves, microalgae, plant fibres, and botanical extracts are receiving increasing attention. These ingredients provide proteins, dietary fibre, polyphenols, carotenoids, minerals, vitamins, and other bioactive compounds that can improve the nutritional and functional characteristics of food products. Advances in extraction, fermentation, germination, enzymatic treatment, extrusion, encapsulation, and drying technologies have expanded their applications in beverages, bakery products, snacks, meat alternatives, and nutraceutical foods. Nevertheless, challenges related to bioavailability, sensory properties, processing stability, allergenicity, standardization, and consumer acceptance remain.