Portulaca oleracea Linn. (P. oleracea L.) has recently gained attention as a functional food due to the chemical composition of this plant regarding bioactive compounds. The special attention to the use of P. oleracea as an ingredient in functional food products is also due to the promotion of sustainable food. It is an unconventional food plant, and its consumption may contribute to preserving biodiversity due to its cultivation in a polyculture system. Food sovereignty may be achieved, among other strategies, with the consumption of unconventional food plants that are more resistant in nature and easily cultivated in small places. P. oleracea grows spontaneously and may be found in streets and sidewalks, or it may be cultivated with seeds and cuttings propagation. The culinary versatility of P. oleracea opens up opportunities to explore the development of sustainable, functional food products. This mini‐review shows that functional food products developed from P. oleracea are already available at the research level, but it is expected that more scientific literature focusing on the development of P. oleracea functional products with proven anticancer activities may be released in the near future. Polysaccharides, some phenolic compounds, alkaloids, and cerebrosides are associated with the inhibition and prevention of carcinogenesis through in vitro and in vivo investigations. The anticancer activities of P. oleracea, its bioactive compounds, and the involved molecular mechanisms have been reported in the literature. The importance of further elucidating the cancer inhibition mechanisms is in the interest of forthcoming applications in the development of food products with anticancer properties for implementation in the human diet.

The açaí palm (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) is native to the Amazon region, with its berry containing 30% pulp and 70% seed. While the pulp is widely consumed, the seed, which constitutes most of the fruit’s mass, is typically discarded, generating significant agro-industrial waste. This waste can be repurposed to reduce environmental impacts and promote circular economy practices. Açaí berry seeds are rich in polyphenols and antioxidants, offering potential health benefits, such as preventing obesity, hepatic steatosis, and cancer. This study aims to evaluate açaí berry seed flour for its nutritional and antioxidant properties, contributing to sustainability by using waste from the açaí pulp production. Açaí seeds were dried and ground into flour. Then, they were analyzed for fiber content, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity. The results showed a high content of insoluble fibers, including cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. The açaí berry seed flour also exhibited significant antioxidant activity, with an IC50% of 3.29 mg/mL, highlighting its potential as a valuable functional ingredient.

Consumer choice, liking, and preference can be assessed in different ways. We tested the application of a novel method called Hedonext^® for the measurement of consumer liking and preference for extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Consumers were instructed that they would be presented with up to eight olive oils and invited to taste each of them in sequence until they found the oil that they liked or preferred, thus ending the test, and that they would receive that oil as their reward. We compared the outcomes of the Hedonext Method to hedonic ratings on the nine-point hedonic scale of all eight oils, which were then analyzed by preference mapping. A total of 139 and 141 consumers, who consumed EVOO at least once a week and were evenly distributed by age (18–65 years old) and gender (60% women, 40% men), evaluated the set of olive oils from Italy, Spain, or California with Hedonext or the nine-point hedonic scale, respectively. The oils that were chosen most often by consumers in the Hedonext procedure were also the oils that received the highest mean hedonic ratings on the nine-point hedonic scale, and those picked the least often with Hedonext also received the lowest hedonic ratings. Traditional preference mapping from hedonic ratings and an alternative preference mapping approach through Hedonext also produced similar outcomes. The Hedonext Method was shorter to administer and was enjoyed by the consumers who experienced it because of its game-like nature. It does require, though, that the product under testing be perceived as valuable by consumers, as it serves as the reward for their participation. We conclude that the Hedonext Method represents a novel and valuable alternative to the 9-point hedonic scale, particularly for the evaluation of premium or luxury consumer products.