Hemp Seeds (Cannabis sativa L.) as a Valuable Source of Natural Ingredients for Functional Foods-A Review.

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) has experienced a significant resurgence in popularity, and global interest in diversifying its use in various industries, including the food industry, is growing. Therefore, due to their exceptional nutritional value, hemp seeds have recently gained increasing interest as a valuable ingredient for obtaining high-quality foods and dietary supplements. Hemp seeds stand out for their remarkable content of quality proteins, including edestin and albumin, two distinct types of proteins that contribute to exceptional nutritional value. Hemp seeds are also rich in healthy lipids with a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic acid (omega-6), alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3), and some vitamins (vitamins E, D, and A). Polyphenols and terpenoids, in particular, present in hemp seeds, provide antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. This review examines the scientific literature regarding hemp seeds' physicochemical and nutritional characteristics. The focus is on those characteristics that allow for their use in the food industry, aiming to transform ordinary food products into functional foods, offering additional benefits for the body's health. Innovating opportunities to develop healthy, nutritionally superior food products are explored by integrating hemp seeds into food processes, promoting a balanced and sustainable diet.

The Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Potential of Berberine and Silymarin on Acetaminophen Induced Toxicity in Cyprinus carpio L.

Berberine (BBR) and silymarin (SM) are natural compounds extracted from plants known for their antioxidant and chemoprotective effects on the liver. The present study aimed to investigate the beneficial properties of BBR and SM and the association of BBR with SM on liver function using fish as "in vivo" models. Moreover, the study investigated their hepatoprotective role after acetaminophen (APAP) exposure. For this purpose, the fish (N = 360; 118.4 ± 11.09 g) were fed with control or experimental diets for 9 weeks. In the experimental diets, the feed was supplemented with either SM (1 g/kg feed), BBR (100 and 200 mg/kg feed), or a combination of BBR with SM (SM 1 g/kg feed + BBR 100 mg/kg feed and, respectively, SM 1 g/kg feed + BBR 200 mg/kg feed). After the feeding trial, seven fish from each tank were randomly selected and exposed to a single APAP dose. The selected serum biochemical markers, oxidative stress markers, and lysozyme activity were used to evaluate the efficiency of the supplements on carp's health profile, particularly regarding the hepatopancreas function. Our results showed that the inclusion of SM and BBR (either as a single or in combination) reduced the serum contents of total cholesterol, triglyceride, and alanine transaminase. An increase in the high-density cholesterol was observed after the administration of BBR or BBR in association with SM. Both supplements showed hepatoprotective activity against APAP-induced hepatotoxicity, especially BBR. The ameliorative effects of SM (1 g) in association with BBR (100 mg) were highlighted by the modulation of the nonspecific immune system and oxidative stress alleviation after APAP exposure.

Co-Microencapsulation of Anthocyanins from Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas L.) Fruits and Lactic Acid Bacteria into Antioxidant and Anti-Proliferative Derivative Powders.

Driven by the modern lifestyle, the consumers are interested in healthier and balanced diets, including both probiotics and natural antioxidants. The beneficial health effects of probiotics are mainly due to their capacity of modulating the human intestinal microbiota, although achieving at least a 6 log of viable cells at the targeted site is still challenging. Therefore, in this study, an attempt to improve the bioaccessibility of Lacticaseibacillus casei (L. casei) 431® through a co-microencapsulation by complex coacervation and freeze-drying, using an extract from Cornelian cherry and two biopolymeric matrices, whey protein isolates and casein (WPI-CN) and inulin (WPI-I), was studied. The powders showed a comparable anthocyanin content of around 32.00 mg cyanidin-3-rutinoside (C3R)/g dry matter (DM) and a microbial load of about 10 Log CFU/g DM. A high stability of the lactic acid bacteria was assessed throughout 90 days of storage, whereas the anthocyanins' degradation during storage followed a first order kinetic model, allowing the estimation of a half-time of 66.88 ± 1.67 days for WPI-CN and 83.60 ± 2.46 days for WPI-I. The in vitro digestion showed a high stability of anthocyanins in the simulated gastric juice, whereas the release in the simulated intestinal juice was favored in the variant with inulin (up to 38%). The use of casein permitted to obtain finer spherosomes, with smaller diameters, whereas a double encapsulation was obvious in both variants, thus explaining the high resistance in the gastric environment. The anti-proliferative effect against the human colon cancer cell line (HT-29) was also demonstrated. No cytotoxicity has been found for the concentrations between 1 and 25 µg/mL for the WPI-I variant, whereas a cell proliferation effect was observed at low concentrations of 1-5 µg/mL.

Co-Microencapsulation of Anthocyanins from Cornelian Cherry Fruits and Lactic Acid Bacteria in Biopolymeric Matrices by Freeze-Drying: Evidences on Functional Properties and Applications in Food.

Cornus mas was used in this study as a rich source of health-promoting bioactives. The cornelian cherries were used to extract the polyphenols and anthocyanins. The chromatographic profile of the Cornus mas fruit extract revealed the presence of several anthocyanins, mainly delphinidin, cyanidin and pelargonidin glycosides. The extract was co-microencapsulated with Lactobacillus casei ssp. paracasei in a unique combination of whey protein isolates, inulin and chitosan by freeze-drying, with an encapsulation efficiency of 89.16 ± 1.23% for anthocyanins and 80.33 ± 0.44% for lactic acid bacteria. The pink-red colored powder showed a total anthocyanins content of 19.86 ± 1.18 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside/g dry weight (DW), yielding an antioxidant activity of 54.43 ± 0.73 mMol Trolox/g DW. The viable cells were 9.39 × 109 colony forming units (CFU)/g DW. The confocal microscopy analysis revealed the microencapsulated powder as a complex one, with several large formations containing smaller aggregates, consisting of the lactic acid bacteria cells, the cornelian cherries' bioactive compounds and the biopolymers. The powder was tested for stability over 90 days, showing a decrease of 50% in anthocyanins and 37% in flavonoids content, with no significant changes in antioxidant activity and CFU. The powder showed a significant inhibitory effect against the α-amylase of 89.72 ± 1.35% and of 24.13 ± 0.01% for α-glucosidase. In vitro digestibility studies showed a significant release of anthocyanins in gastric juice, followed by a decrease in intestinal simulated conditions. The functional properties of the powder were tested by addition into a yogurt, highlighting a higher and more stable antioxidant activity at storage when compared to the control.

Co-Microencapsulation of Anthocyanins from Black Currant Extract and Lactic Acid Bacteria in Biopolymeric Matrices.

Anthocyanins from black currant extract and lactic acid bacteria were co-microencapsulated using a gastro-intestinal-resistant biocomposite of whey protein isolate, inulin, and chitosan, with an encapsulation efficiency of 95.46% ± 1.30% and 87.38% ± 0.48%, respectively. The applied freeze-drying allowed a dark purple stable powder to be obtained, with a satisfactory content of phytochemicals and 11 log colony forming units (CFU)/g dry weight of powder (DW). Confocal laser microscopy displayed a complex system, with several large formations and smaller aggregates inside, consisting of biologically active compounds, lactic acid bacteria cells, and biopolymers. The powder showed good storage stability, with no significant changes in phytochemicals and viable cells over 3 months. An antioxidant activity of 63.64 ± 0.75 mMol Trolox/g DW and an inhibitory effect on α-amylase and α-glucosidase of 87.10% ± 2.08% and 36.96% ± 3.98%, respectively, highlighted the potential biological activities of the co-microencapsulated powder. Significantly, the in vitro digestibility profile showed remarkable protection in the gastric environment, with controlled release in the intestinal simulated environment. The powder was tested by addition into a complex food matrix (yogurt), and the results showed satisfactory stability of biologically active compounds when stored for 21 d at 4 °C. The obtained results confirm the important role of microencapsulation in ensuring a high degree of protection, thus allowing new approaches in developing food ingredients and nutraceuticals, with enhanced functionalities.

Antifungal residues analysis in various Romanian honey samples analysis by high resolution mass spectrometry.

Given that the pesticide and fungicide residues determination in honey is not a routine analysis in Romania, information on these emerging contaminants is useful for consumer's safety. High resolution mass spectrometry technique was applied by Q-Exactive Orbitrap LC-MS/MS to identify and quantify environmental contaminants in honey. A list of 25 compounds, biocides and antifungals was selected for the method development, based on the occurrence in the Romanian environment and their potential usage in agriculture. The method was applied for 18 various honey samples collected in different geographic regions of Romania. Eleven compounds were present in the honey samples: carbendazim, enilconazole, hexaconazole, penconazole, tebuconazole, flusilazole, thiabendazole, terconazole, cyproconazole, propiconazole, metalaxyl. Targeted MS/MS analyses were performed for confirmation. The measured quantities ranged from 1.7-7.2 µg kg-1, lower than MRLs established by the legislation. The most abundant compound was enilconazole (imazalil), which was detected in fourteen samples. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first one concerning antifungal contamination of honey in Romania. The results proved that the tested honey samples are safe for human consumption.

Process-Structure-Function in Association with the Main Bioactive of Black Rice Flour Sieving Fractions.

The aim of this work was to advance knowledge on the potential use of black rice different sieving fractions for various functional applications, through proximate analysis, thermal degradation kinetics of phytochemical and characterization of the thermal behavior of the main proteins, from the perspectives of their use as a food ingredient. The results indicated that the thermal degradation of phytochemicals followed a first-order reaction kinetics for all the tested fractions. The temperature-dependent degradation was adequately modeled according to the Arrhenius equation. The calculated activation energies (Ea) and k values were different among the four studied parameters. The kinetic parameters depended on the grinding and sieving degree, the anthocyanins being the most thermolabile compounds, thus affecting the antioxidant activity. Three protein fractions were identified by electrophoresis with different molecular weight, such as albumin, globulin, and glutelin. The fluorescence spectroscopy experiments revealed the sequential character of the heat-induced conformational changes, different molecular events being suggested, such as folding in the lower temperature range and unfolding at higher temperature. The significance of the study is evidenced by the need to identify and advance the process-structure-function relationships for various biologically active compounds from the perspective of obtaining food or ingredients nutritionally optimized.