Functional foods have always referred to potential compounds and molecules which can be defined as food items, not only providing energy and nutrition to the consumer but also enhancing the body's response against metabolic and infectious diseases. Functional food is known for the reduction of health risks and provision of physical and mental health benefits. Exploring different biochemical compounds and molecules for their biological activity for the control of different antimicrobial and metabolic diseases is the major focus of scientists as well as the food/pharmaceutical industries.

The bioactive components in functional food can be used for health improvement and diseases prevention. It maintains the essential nutrients and biologically active components in the consumer diet. There is a persistent need for the exploration of biologically potent and nutritionally enriched components with superior functional properties within the available food from different sources. Plant and animal sources are equally important and have been explored for their functional potential. Plant-derived food enriched with essential nutrients and phytochemical components having anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-protozoans and antiviral properties can be targeted for health benefits and nutraceutical development. Detailed investigations of each individual functional component of the potential functional food can open the doors for new drugs and therapeutic compounds.

This Special Issue welcomes research topics exploring the chemical profiling of functional foods linked with their biological activities. The Special Issue will also welcome research covering waste utilization for the functional potential for health improvements and diseases control. We welcome both original research and review articles.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Industrial applications of functional food
• Bioactive molecules from functional food
• Biochemistry of functional food
• Antimicrobial potential of functional food
• Bioactive molecules derived from food waste
• Valorization of food biowastes
• Food-waste utilization
• Functional metabolites from microbes (bacteriocins, etc.)
• Innovative methods for functional food potential exploration
• Nutraceuticals
• Functional food quality