Leading Editor：

• Jiefang He, Associate Professor, Guizhou Normal University

Co-editors：

• Qing-Ying Luo, Associate Researcher, Shenzhen Polytechnic University
• Xin Jin, Professor, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
• Mengling Zhang, Associate Professor, Chinese Academy of Quality and Inspection & Testing
• Jun Li, D., Xihua University
• Yuhang Miao,D., Shandong First Medical University
• Zhanchi Xu,D., Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Description

Food and medicine homology resources possess both nutritional and health-promoting value and constitute an important component of China’s traditional resource utilization system. With the rapid development of nanotechnology, new opportunities have emerged for regulating the structure, enhancing the functionality, and expanding the utilization of these resources and their bioactive constituents. Nanoscale assembly, interfacial effects, and material transformation can improve the stability, bioavailability, and functional performance of natural constituents, while also providing new technological approaches for resource development and quality regulation. This Special Issue focuses on fundamental and applied research on nanotechnology for the functional development of food and medicine homology resources, with the aim of promoting interdisciplinary integration between nanoscience and traditional food and medicine homology research and advancing the scientific understanding and innovative utilization of these resources.

The topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Nanostructuring and functional development of food and medicine homology resources: Studies on nanostructured systems derived from food and medicine homology resources and their naturally occurring bioactive constituents through processes such as nanosizing, self-assembly and co-assembly, carbonization, crosslinking, coordination, and organic–inorganic hybridization. These systems may include carbon dots, hydrogels, nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, naturally derived nanovesicles, metal-containing hybrid materials, and other emerging nanostructures. Particular emphasis is placed on the principles governing nanoscale structure formation and their effects on the stability, solubility, interfacial properties, release behavior, and biological activities of bioactive constituents, with the aim of elucidating relationships among material structure, physicochemical state, and functional properties and exploring new functional forms and utilization strategies for food and medicine homology resources.
2. Nanodelivery, bioavailability, and health functions: Development and application of lipid-based nanosystems, nanoemulsions, polymeric nanoparticles, self-assembled carriers, hydrogels, and other nanodelivery systems to improve the stability and effective utilization of bioactive constituents from food and medicine homology resources during processing, storage, and under physiological conditions. Particular attention is given to the effects of nanosystems on the protection, solubilization, controlled and sustained release, digestive transformation, intestinal absorption, bioavailability, and targeted delivery of bioactive constituents, as well as their applications in the development of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, metabolic regulatory, immunomodulatory, gut health, and other nutritional and health-related functions.
3. Applications of nanotechnology in the production and quality formation of food and medicine homology resources: Applications of nanotechnology in the production of plant-, animal-, and fungal-derived food and medicine homology resources, including nanofertilizers, nano-enabled nutrients, controlled-release systems, nanopesticides, and other functional nanoformulations. Studies may address their effects on growth and development, nutrient utilization, stress adaptation, pest and pathogen control, yield formation, and the accumulation of functional constituents. The uptake, transport, transformation, and fate of nanomaterials within production systems, as well as their effects on resource quality and production safety, are also of interest.
4. Nanotechnology-based detection and quality and safety assessment of food and medicine homology resources: Development of rapid, sensitive, and visual analytical methods for food and medicine homology resources and related products using carbon dots, nanozymes, noble-metal nanostructures, metal and metal oxide nanomaterials, electrochemical nanomaterials, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, and other micro- and nanoscale platforms. Emphasis is placed on the detection of bioactive constituents and quality markers, authentication, quality evaluation and geographical origin traceability, as well as the monitoring of pesticide and veterinary drug residues, heavy metals, mycotoxins, microorganisms, and other potential risk factors. The development of portable, field-deployable, and multimodal detection technologies is also encouraged.
5. Applications of nanotechnology in processing, storage, and postharvest preservation of food and medicine homology resources: Studies on the application of nanotechnology in the processing, storage, transportation, and quality preservation of food and medicine homology resources, including nanocoatings, nanoemulsions, hydrogels, antimicrobial nanocomposite films, active packaging, and intelligent packaging systems. Particular attention is given to their roles in regulating moisture migration, oxidative reactions, enzymatic changes, microbial growth, and the stability of bioactive constituents, as well as their applications in postharvest preservation of fresh resources, maintenance of processing quality, storage stability, shelf-life extension, and dynamic quality monitoring.

Keywords: Food and medicine homology resources; Nanotechnology; Functional development; Nanoscale assembly; Nanodelivery; Bioavailability; Quality and safety assessment; Postharvest preservation

Instructions for submission:

The Editorial Manager System is ready for article submission towards the Virtual special issue: SI: Nanotechnology for Functional Development of Food and Medicine Homology Resources

The submission website for this journal is located at: https://mc03.manuscriptcentral.com/fmhr

To ensure that all manuscripts are correctly identified for inclusion into the special issue, it is important that authors select – Nanotechnology

when they reach the “Article Type” step in the submission process.

Benefits of publishing with Food & Medicine Homology Resources

• Open access (unlimited and free access for readers, and high visibility on SciOpen). https://www.sciopen.com/journal/3136-103X
• Free of any charge.
• Precise push, good reference effect.

Submission Deadline: March 30, 2027

Publication Date: December 2027