Are Organic Certified Carrots Richer in Health-Promoting Phenolics and Carotenoids than the Conventionally Grown Ones?

The aim of the present study was to determine the concentrations of polyphenols and carotenoids by means of HPLC/UV-Vis in certified organic and non-organic carrots (Daucus carota L.) of two cultivars (Flacoro and Nantejska). The analyzed carrot root samples contained, on average, 4.29 ± 0.83 mg/100g f.w. of carotenoids (mainly β-carotene) and 9.09 ± 2.97 mg/100g f.w. of polyphenols, including 4.44 ± 1.42 mg/100g f.w. of phenolic acids and 4.65 ± 1.96 mg/100g f.w. of flavonoids. Significant effects of the production system on the carotenoids (total) and β-carotene concentration were found, with higher concentrations of these compounds generally identified in conventionally cultivated roots (4.67 ± 0.88 mg/100g f.w.) vs. organically grown ones (4.08 ± 0.74 mg/100g f.w.). There was a noticeable inter-sample (inter-farm) variation in the concentration of polyphenols in carrot roots. Despite a general trend towards higher concentrations of these compounds in the organic carrots (9.33 ± 3.17 mg/100g f.w.) vs. conventional carrots (8.64 ± 2.58 mg/100g f.w.), and in those of Nantejska (9.60 ± 2.87 mg/100g f.w.) vs. Flacoro (8.46 ± 3.02 mg/100g f.w.) cultivar, no consistent, statistically significant impact of the production system and/or cultivar on the level of these bioactive compounds was identified. More efforts should be encouraged to ensure that organic crops reaching the market consistently contain the expected high levels of health-promoting bioactive compounds, which could be brought through their shelf-life and all processing steps, in order to meet consumers’ expectations and provide the expected health benefits.     

The Effect of Sodium Total Substitution on the Quality Characteristics of Green Pickled Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Green pickled tomatoes are a traditional fermented product in Romania. This study was focused on the effect of total substitution of NaCl with KCl and MgCl₂ on physicochemical and microbiological quality; bioactive compounds; and microstructural, textural, and sensorial properties of fresh and pickled green tomatoes during 28 days of fermentation. By the means of physicochemical composition, the NaCl addition induced the most stable characteristics for the pickles compared to the other two types of salts. The content of total flavonoids in green pickled tomatoes with NaCl (34.72 ± 0.43 mg CE/g DW) was significantly lower compared with the control sample (63.80 ± 0.55 mg CE/g DW). The total number of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) at the final stage of fermentation varied between 4.11 and 4.63 log CFU for all variants. The textural analysis revealed that the NaCl has the lowest influence on the textural parameters. Finally, the overall acceptance of green pickled tomatoes containing KCl and MgCl₂ was found to be proper to be consumed as a substitute for pickles with NaCl.     

Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Carotenoids from Carrot Pomace and Their Optimization through Response Surface Methodology

Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was used to extract carotenoids from the carrot pomace. To investigate the effect of independent variables on the UAE, the response surface methodology (RSM) with central-composite design (CCD) was employed. The study was conducted with three independent variables including extraction time (min), temperature (°C), and ethanol concentration (%). The results showed that the optimal conditions for UAE were achieved with an extraction time of 17 min, temperature of 32 °C, and ethanol concentration of 51% of total carotenoids (31.82 ± 0.55); extraction time of 16 min, temperature of 29 °C, and ethanol concentration of 59% for a combination of β-carotene (14.89 ± 0.40), lutein (5.77 ± 0.19), and lycopene (2.65 ± 0.12). The non-significant (p > 0.05) correlation under optimal extraction conditions between predicted and experimental values suggested that UAE is the more productive process than conventional techniques for the extraction of carotenoids from the carrot pomace.     

New Smoothie Products Based on Pumpkin,Banana, and Purple Carrot as a Source of Bioactive Compounds

Smoothies are fruit- and/or vegetable-based products in form of beverages that are typically semi-liquid, thick in consistency, and mainly consist of purees and juices. Other ingredients, such as yogurt, milk, ice cream, sugar, honey, or simply water may also be added. The present study aimed to elaborate smoothie products based on bananas, pumpkins, and purple carrots. These fruits and vegetables were chosen due to their high bioactive compounds content, potential health benefits, and availability to industry. Five smoothie formulations were produced and analyzed for pH, soluble solids, total phenolic content, anthocyanins, carotenoids, vitamin C, antioxidant activity, instrumental color, and sensory features. From the analysis, the result showed that the obtained smoothies were a good source of total phenolic content (39.1 to 55.9 mg/100 g) and anthocyanin (7.1 to 11.1 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside/100 g), and that they possessed high antioxidant activity (4.3 to 6.2 µM Trolox/g). From sensory evaluation, all the produced smoothies were desirable, but the formulations with banana were scored higher compared to the pumpkin. In conclusion, smoothies composed of pumpkin, banana, and purple carrot can be a good new food product that incorporates nutritional compounds into the human diet.     

Characterisation of Some Phytochemicals Extracted from Black Elder (Sambucus nigra L.) Flowers Subjected to Ozone Treatment

Elderflowers are a well-known source of bioactive compounds. The amount of isolated bioactive compounds may be increased by applying various abiotic and biotic factors. Gaseous ozone (10 and 100 ppm) was used in the process of preparing flowers. Next, the flowers were treated with sugar syrup to extract bioactive compounds. It was shown that this treatment, including the influence of extraction temperature, significantly affects the contents of polyphenols (liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) methods) and vitamin C, as well as the antioxidant potential (cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC method)), the profile of volatile substances (head space–solid-phase microextraction (HS–SPME methods)) and the colour of the syrup (Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE) L*a*b* methods). The findings show that an increased dose of ozone and higher extraction temperature applied in the process of syrup production resulted in higher contents and different compositions of bioactive compounds. The highest contents of bioactive compounds were identified in syrup obtained from raw material treated with ozone for 15 min (concentration = 10 ppm) and extraction with sugar syrup at a temperature of 60 °C.     

Changes in Organic Acids,Phenolic Compounds,and Antioxidant Activities of Lemon Juice Fermented by Issatchenkia terricola

High content of citric acid in lemon juice leads to poor sensory experience. The study aimed to investigate the dynamics changes in organic acids, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activities of lemon juice fermented with Issatchenkia terricola WJL-G4. The sensory evaluation of fermented lemon juice was conducted as well. Issatchenkia terricola WJL-G4 exhibited a potent capability of reducing the contents of citric acid (from 51.46 ± 0.11 g/L to 8.09 ± 0.05 g/L within 60 h fermentation) and increasing total phenolic level, flavonoid contents, and antioxidant activities compared to those of unfermented lemon juice. A total of 20 bioactive substances, including 10 phenolic acids and 10 flavonoid compounds, were detected both in fermented and unfermented lemon juice. The lemon juice fermented for 48 h had better sensory characteristics. Our findings demonstrated that lemon juice fermented with Issatchenkia terricola exhibited reduced citric acid contents, increased levels of health-promoting phenolic compounds, and enhanced antioxidant activities.     

An Optimization Procedure for Preparing Aqueous CAR/HP-CD Aggregate Dispersions

β-Carotene is a very important molecule for human health. It finds a large application in the food industry, especially for the development of functional foods and dietary supplements. However, β-carotene is an unstable compound and is sensitive to light, temperature, and oxygen. To overcome those limitations, various delivery systems were developed. The inclusion of β-carotene by cyclodextrin aggregates is attractive due to non-toxicity, low hygroscopicity, stability, and the inexpensiveness of cyclodextrins. In this study, β-carotene/2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin aggregates were prepared based on the procedure of the addition of β-carotene in an organic solvent to the hot water dispersion of 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin and the following instant evaporation of the organic solvent. The best conditions for the aggregate preparation were found to be as follows: 25% concentration of 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin in water, 65 °C temperature, and acetone for β-carotene dissolution. The efficiency of entrapping was equal to 88%. The procedure is attractive due to the short time of the aggregate preparation.     

Impact of High-Pressure Homogenization Parameters on Physicochemical Characteristics,Bioactive Compounds Content,and Antioxidant Capacity of Blackcurrant Juice

High-pressure homogenization (HPH) is one of the food-processing methods being tested for use in food preservation as an alternative to pasteurization. The effects of the HPH process on food can vary depending on the process parameters used and product characteristics. The study aimed to investigate the effect of pressure, the number of passes, and the inlet temperature of HPH processing on the quality of cloudy blackcurrant juice as an example of food rich in bioactive compounds. For this purpose, the HPH treatment (pressure of 50, 150, and 220 MPa; one, three, and five passes; inlet temperature at 4 and 20 °C) and the pasteurization of the juice were performed. Titratable acidity, pH, turbidity, anthocyanin, vitamin C, and total phenolics content, as well as colour, and antioxidant activity were measured. Heat treatment significantly decreased the quality of the juice. For processing of the juice, the best were the combinations of the following: one pass, the inlet temperature of 4 °C, any of the used pressures (50, 150, and 220 MPa); and one pass, the inlet temperature of 20 °C, and the pressure of 150 MPa. Vitamin C and anthocyanin degradation have been reported during the HPH. The multiple passes of the juice through the machine were only beneficial in increasing the antioxidant capacity but negatively affected the colour stability.     

A Comprehensive Study of the Impacts of Oat β-Glucan and Bacterial Curdlan on the Activity of Commercial Starter Culture in Yogurt

This study provides important information about the impacts of various levels of oat (OBG) and bacterial (curdlan) β-glucan and fat contents in milk on survivability and metabolism of yogurt starter cultures. The results show that addition of β-glucans in the concentration higher than 0.25% reduced starter bacterial counts during storage and prolonged the milk acidification process. A significant increase in lactose consumption by starter cultures was noted in the yogurt samples with OBG addition up to 0.75%. The highest (by 567% on average) increase in lactic acid content was noted in the control yogurts. Whereas the lowest (by 351%) increase in lactic acid content was noted in yogurts with OBG. After 28-day storage, the acetic aldehyde content was significantly influenced by fat content, type and addition level of polysaccharide. A higher increase in acetoin content was noted in samples with 0.25% than in samples with 1% of polysaccharides. In turn, significantly lower increases in diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione contents were observed in the yogurt samples with OBG than in these with curdlan, with diacetyl production increase along with the higher concentration of the polysaccharide. The addition of OBG and curdlan to milk contributed to differences in the starter culture metabolism, consequently, in the milk acidification dynamics.     

Bioaccessibility of Antioxidants in Blackcurrant Juice after Treatment Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Blackcurrant juice (Ribes nigrum L.) was subjected to supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCD) at 10, 30, and 60 MPa for 10 min at 45 °C, as well as thermally treated at 45 and 85 °C for 10 min to determine the stability, antioxidant capacity (AC), and bioaccessibility (BAc) of vitamin C, total anthocyanins, and their individual monomers. An in vitro gastrointestinal digestion model completed with dialysis was used to assess BAc. The use of SCCD at each of the pressures applied improved the stability of vitamin C, total anthocyanins, and AC before in vitro digestion. As a result of digestion, the total content of vitamin C, anthocyanins, and AC decreased. The highest BAc of vitamin C was noted in fresh juice (FJ) (40%) and after mild heat treatment at 45 °C (T45) (46%). The highest BAc of total anthocyanins was also noted in the FJ (4.4%). The positive effect of the application of SCCD on the BAc of the delphinidin-3-O-glycosides was observed compared to T45 and thermal pasteurization at 85 °C (T85). Although SCCD did not significantly improve the BAc of vitamin C and total anthocyanins, the higher AC of SCCD samples after intestinal digestion (ABTS+• and DPPH•) and in dialysate (ABTS+•) compared to thermally treated was observed. The protocatechuic acid was detected by UPLC-PDA-MS/MS as the major metabolite formed during the digestion of delphinidin-3-O-rutinoside. This may indicate the influence of SCCD on improvement of the accessibility of antioxidants for digestion, thanks to which more metabolites with high antioxidant activity were released.     

Valorization of Artichoke Industrial By-Products Using Green Extraction Technologies: Formulation of Hydrogels in Combination with Paulownia Extracts

The integral valorization of artichoke bracts generated during industrial canning of artichoke was assessed. The extraction of bioactive compounds was addressed with pressurized hot water under subcritical conditions. The performance of this stage on the extraction of phenolics with antioxidant properties and the saccharidic fraction using conventional and microwave heating was compared. The microwave assisted process was more efficient than the conventional one regarding extraction yields of total solubles, and glucose and fructose oligomers and phenolics, because lower operational temperatures and shorter times were needed. Degradation of fructose oligomers was observed at temperatures higher than 160 °C, whereas the maximal phenolic content occurred at 220 °C. Both the extracts and the residual solids, obtained at conditions leading to maximum phenolics yields, were evaluated for the production of starch-based hydrogels, supplemented with Paulownia leaves’ aqueous extracts.     

Variation in the Content of Bioactive Compounds in Infusions Prepared from Different Parts of Wild Polish Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.)

Nettle is a common plant that offers many health benefits and is grown all over the world. The content of active compounds in roots, stems, and leaves was determined based on the extraction procedure optimized using the Central Composite Design. Flavonols, phenolic acids, trigonelline, nicotinamide, nicotinic acids, and short-chain organic acids were determined with the use of LC–MS/MS and capillary isotachophoresis. Trigonelline, which was not previously reported in the roots and stems of nettle, was found in all parts of the plant and considerable variations in its content were observed (2.8–108 µg g⁻¹). Furthermore, the Principal Component Analysis taking into account more variables demonstrated differences in the content of bioactive components between roots and aerial parts of nettle.     

Effect of Encapsulated Beet Extracts (Beta vulgaris) Added to Yogurt on the Physicochemical Characteristics and Antioxidant Activity

Beet has been used as an ingredient for functional foods due to its high antioxidant activity, thanks to the betalains it contains. The effects of the addition of beet extract (liquid and lyophilized) on the physicochemical characteristics, color, antioxidant activity (AA), total betalains (TB), total polyphenols (TP), and total protein concentration (TPC) were evaluated on stirred yogurt. The treatments (T1-yogurt natural, T2-yogurt added with beet juice, T3-added extract of beet encapsulated with maltodextrin, and T4-yogurt added with extract of beet encapsulated with inulin) exhibited results with significant differences (p < 0.05). The highest TB content was observed in T2 (209.49 ± 14.91), followed by T3 (18.65 ± 1.01) and later T4 (12.96 ± 0.55). The highest AA was observed on T2 after 14 days (ABTS˙ 0.819 mM TE/100 g and DPPH˙ 0.343 mM TE/100 g), and the lowest was found on T1 at day 14 (ABTS˙ 0.526 mM TE/100 g and DPPH˙ 0.094 mM TE/100 g). A high content of TP was observed (7.13 to 9.79 mg GAE/g). The TPC varied between 11.38 to 12.56 µg/mL. The addition of beet extract significantly increased AA in yogurt, betalains being the main compounds responsible for that bioactivity.     

Valuable Natural Antioxidant Products Recovered from Tomatoes by Green Extraction

Lycopene, β-carotene and ω-fatty acids are major compounds in tomatoes with known antioxidant activity, capable of preventing health disorders. The identification of potential natural sources of antioxidants, extraction efficiencies and antioxidant activity assessments are essential to promote such products to be used in the food, pharmaceutical or cosmetic industries. This work presents four added-value products recovered from tomatoes: pigmented solid oleoresin, pigmented oil and two raw extracts from supercritical and Soxhlet extraction. Different parameters including the matrices of tomatoes, extraction methods, green solvents and operating parameters were varied to obtain extracts with different qualities. Extract analysis was performed using UV–VIS, FT–IR, GC–MS, Folin–Ciocalteu and DPPH methods. The highest-quality extract was the solid oleoresin obtained from pomace using supercritical CO₂ extraction at 450 bar, 70 °C and 11 kg/h: 1016.94 ± 23.95 mg lycopene/100 g extract, 154.87 ± 16.12 mg β-carotene/100 g extract, 35.25 ± 0.14 mg GAE/g extract and 67.02 ± 5.11% inhibition DPPH. The economic feasibility of the three extraction processes (1:10:100 kg dried pomace/batch as scalability criterion) was evaluated. The most profitable was the supercritical extraction process at the highest capacity, which produces pigmented solid oleoresin and oil with high content of lycopene valorized with a high market price, using natural food waste (pomace).     

The Influence of Temperature,Storage Conditions,pH, and Ionic Strength on the Antioxidant Activity and Color Parameters of Rowan Berry Extracts

Recent trends in the food industry combined with novel methods in agriculture could transform rowan into a valuable raw material with potential technological applications. Thus, the aim of this research was to investigate the content of bioactive compounds in its fruits and to assess the color and antioxidant stability of the extracts prepared from such fruits during various thermal treatments and at different pH and ionic strength values. Various spectrophotometric methods, HPLC, and capillary electrophoresis were used to quantify the concentrations of bioactive compounds—polyphenols, carotenoids, organic acids, and to assess antioxidant activity and color. The results show that rowan berries contain circa 1.34–1.47 g/100 g of polyphenols among which include catechin, epicatechin, ferulic acid methyl ester, procyanidin B1, etc.; ca 21.65 mg/100 g of carotenoids including zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, all-trans-β-carotene, and various organic acids such as malic, citric, and succinic, which result in a high antioxidant activity of 5.8 mmol TE/100 g. Results also showed that antioxidant activity exhibited high stability when the extract was subjected to various thermal treatments, pHs, and ionic strengths, while color was mainly impacted negatively when a temperature of 100 °C was employed. This data confirms the technological potential of this traditional, yet often overlooked species.     

New Sustainable Synthetic Routes to Cyclic Oxyterpenes Using the Ecocatalyst Toolbox

Cyclic oxyterpenes are natural products that are mostly used as fragrances, flavours and drugs by the cosmetic, food and pharmaceutical industries. However, only a few cyclic oxyterpenes are accessible via chemical syntheses, which are far from being ecofriendly. We report here the synthesis of six cyclic oxyterpenes derived from ß-pinene while respecting the principles of green and sustainable chemistry. Only natural or biosourced catalysts were used in mild conditions that were optimised for each synthesis. A new generation of ecocatalysts, derived from Mn-rich water lettuce, was prepared via green processes, characterised by MP-AES, XRPD and TEM analyses, and tested in catalysis. The epoxidation of ß-pinene led to the platform molecule, ß-pinene oxide, with a good yield, illustrating the efficacy of the new generation of ecocatalysts. The opening ß-pinene oxide was investigated in green conditions and led to new and regioselective syntheses of myrtenol, 7-hydroxy-α-terpineol and perillyl alcohol. Successive oxidations of perillyl alcohol could be performed using no hazardous oxidant and were controlled using the new generation of ecocatalysts generating perillaldehyde and cuminaldehyde.     

Comparative Evaluation of Juices from Red-Fleshed Apples after Production with Different Dejuicing Systems and Subsequent Storage

In this work, two vintages (2019 and 2020) of red-fleshed ‘Weirouge’ apples were processed with the innovative spiral filter press technology to investigate juice production in an oxygen-reduced atmosphere. After pressing, a more brilliant red color and appreciably higher amounts of oxidation-sensitive constituents (ascorbic acid, anthocyanins, and colorless (poly)phenols) were seen in spiral filter pressed juices compared to those produced with conventional systems (horizontal filter press and decanter). In a subsequent stability study (24 weeks storage at 4, 20, and 37 °C), the color and phenolic compounds were monitored and differences in the juices produced with the different pressing-systems were widely maintained during the storage period. The analyses of the anthocyanins and colorless (poly)phenols were conducted by UHPLC-DAD-ESI-QTOF-HR-MS/MS and UHPLC-DAD. The spiral filter press emerged as a promising technology for the production of juices with a more attractive color and a better retention of oxidation-sensitive constituents during processing and storage compared to conventional juices.     

Physicochemical and Quality Properties of Dried Courgette Slices: Impact of Vacuum Impregnation and Drying Methods

The aim of this study was to determine the effects that the type of impregnating solution and drying method (freeze drying (FD) and vacuum drying (VD) at 45 °C and convective drying (CD) at 50, 60, and 70 °C) had on the physicochemical and quality properties of courgettes. Courgette slices were vacuum-impregnated (6 kPa) in freshly squeezed onion, kale, and onion and kale (50:50) juices with 3% NaCl solution (N). The application of vacuum impregnation (VI) with impregnating solutions from freshly squeezed onions and kale had a beneficial effect on the bioactive values of courgette. The highest contents of quercetin (41.84 μg/g d.m.) and carotenoids (276.04 μg/g d.m.) were found in courgette impregnated with onion juice after freeze drying. The highest values of lutein and zeaxanthin (216.42 μg/g d.m.) were recorded for courgette impregnated with kale juice and convective dried. By analysing the kinetics of convective drying, the best matching of the logistic model was found. Increasing the drying process temperature from 50 to 70 °C reduced the drying time from 15% to 36%, depending on the type of impregnating solution used. Water activity < 0.6 was recorded for courgette dried by freezing, vacuum, and convection at 60 and 70 °C. Conclusions: The vacuum impregnation process and the impregnation solutions from freshly squeezed vegetables can be used to develop new snacks with high levels of bioactive compounds. The FD method is the most appropriate considering both the bioactive compounds content and the obtained colour and water activity.     

Bioactive Hydrolysates from Chlorella vulgaris: Optimal Process and Bioactive Properties

Microalgae have been described as a source of bioactive compounds, such as peptides. Microalgae are easy to produce, making them a sustainable resource for extracting active ingredients for industrial applications. Several microalgae species have interesting protein content, such as Chlorella vulgaris with around 52.2% of protein, making it promising for peptide hydrolysate production. Therefore, this work focused on the production of water-soluble hydrolysates rich in proteins/peptides from the microalgae C. vulgaris and studied bioactive properties. For that, a design of experiments (DOE) was performed to establish the optimal conditions to produce hydrolysates with higher levels of protein, as well as antioxidant and antihypertensive properties. Four experimental factors were considered (cellulase percentage, protease percentage, hydrolysis temperature, and hydrolysis duration) for three responses (protein content, antioxidant activity, and antihypertensive activity). The optimal conditions determined by the DOE allowed producing a scaled-up hydrolysate with 45% protein, with antioxidant activity, measured by oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay, of 1035 µmol TE/g protein, IC₅₀ for angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition activity of 286 µg protein/mL, and α-glucosidase inhibition of 31% (30 mg hydrolysate/mL). The obtained hydrolysates can be used as functional ingredients for food and nutraceuticals due to their antioxidant, antihypertensive, and antidiabetic potential. Moreover, the antioxidant potential of the extracts may be relevant for the cosmetic industry, especially in antiaging formulations.