Solid-state fermentation with Zygomycetes fungi as a tool for biofortification of apple pomace with γ-linolenic acid, carotenoid pigments and phenolic antioxidants.

In the last few years, there has been a growing interest in the more efficient utilization of agricultural and food by-products. Apples are among the most processed fruits in the world that generate huge quantities of processing waste biomasses. Therefore, the objective of this study was to improve the nutritional value of apple pomaces with γ-linolenic acid (GLA) and carotenoid pigments by solid-state fermentation (SSF) using two Zygomycetes fungi (Actinomucor elegans and Umbelopsis isabellina). The impact of fermentation periods on the polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity of the bioprocessed apple pomace was also investigated. The accumulated lipids were composed primarily of neutral fractions (mostly triacylglycerols). SSF with U. isabellina yielded a 12.72% higher GLA content than with A. elegans (3.85 g GLA/kg DW of pomace). Contrary to the lipogenic capacity, A. elegans showed higher carotenoids and phenolic antioxidants productivity than U. isabellina. The maximum concentrations for ß-carotene (433.11 µg/g DW of pomace-SSF with A. elegans and 237.68 µg/g DW of pomace-SSF with U. isabellina), lutein (374.48 µg/g DW- A. elegans and 179.04 µg/g DW- U. isabellina) and zeaxanthin (247.35 µg/g DW- A. elegans and 120.41 µg/g DW- U. isabellina) were registered on the 12th day of SSFs. In the case of SSF with A. elegans, the amount of total phenolics increased significantly (27%) by day 4 from the initial value (2670.38 µg of gallic acid equivalents/g DW) before slowly decreasing for the remaining period of the fungal growth. The experimental findings showed that a prolonged fermentation (between 8 and 12 days) should be applied to obtain value-added apple pomaces (rich in GLA and carotenoids) with potential pharmaceutical and functional food applications. Moreover, the SSF processes of simultaneous bioaccumulation of valuable fatty acids, carotenoids and phenolic antioxidants proposed in the present study may open up new challenges for biotechnological production of industrially important biomolecules using abundant and unexploited apple pomaces.

Characterization of some Fagaceae kernels nutritional composition for potential use as novel food ingredients.

The present study attempts to characterise Fagaceae kernels as a promising source of nutritional compounds for potential use as novel food ingredients. Thus, the proximate and mineral composition of some kernels (beech achene-BA, sessile oak acorn-SOA, turkey oak acorn-TOA, and red oak acorn-ROA), total phenolic content, individual polyphenols, and cytotoxicity of their aqueous extracts, respectively, the fatty acid composition of kernel oils were investigated using physicochemical and analytical techniques. Results revealed that BAK is rich in lipid and protein, OAKs in carbohydrates. All tested kernels contain high oleic-linoleic acid oils. BAK is abundant in phenolic acids, OAKs in hydrolysable tannins. Only BA and SOA kernels exert cytotoxicity against human fibroblasts. In all kernels, macroelements are dominated by K and microelements by Cu, Mn, and Fe. In conclusion, BA and OA kernels could be alternatively used as protein-rich, respectively, starch-rich ingredients in food.

Cold pressed pumpkin seed oil fatty acids, carotenoids, volatile compounds profiles and infrared fingerprints as affected by storage time and wax-based oleogelation.

BACKGROUND: Pumpkin seed and sunflower oil are rich in bioactive compounds, but are prone to oxidation during storage. Their fatty acids, carotenoid and volatile compounds and their Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) profiles were studied during 8 months storage in order to assess the overall quality, but also to assess the impact of the oleogelation as conditioning process. RESULTS: The fatty acids methyl esters were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The linoleic acid was the most abundant in the oils (604.6 g kg-1 in pumpkin and 690 g kg-1 in sunflower), but also in oleogels. Through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), lutein and ß-carotene were determined as specific carotenoid compounds of the pumpkin seed oil and oleogel, in a total amount of 0.0072 g kg-1 . The volatile compounds profile revealed the presence of alpha-pinene for the pumpkin seed oil and oleogels and a tentative identification of limonene for the sunflower oil. Hexanal was also detected in the oleogels, indicating a thermal oxidation, which was further analyzed through infrared spectroscopy. CONCLUSIONS: During 8 months storage, the decrease of polyunsaturated fatty acid total amount was 5.72% for the pumpkin seed oil and 3.55% for the oleogel, while in the sunflower oil samples of 2.93% and 3.28% for the oleogel. It was concluded that oleogelation might protect specific carotenoid compounds, since the oleogels displayed higher content of ß-carotene at each storage time. Hexanal and heptanal were detected during storage, regardless of the oil or oleogel type. FTIR analysis depicts the differences in the constituent fatty acids resulting due to thermal oxidation or due to storage. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Evaluation of the Astragalus exscapus L. subsp. transsilvanicus Roots' Chemical Profile, Phenolic Composition and Biological Activities.

Novel and natural molecules for pharmaceutical applications are a contemporary preoccupation in science which prompts research in underexplored environments. Astragalus exscapus ssp. transsilvanicus (Schur) Nyár. (ASTRA) is a plant species endemic to Transylvania, having a very similar root system with that of A. membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge, known for its health promoting properties. The present study endeavored to perform basic characterization of the ASTRA roots by proximate analysis, to investigate the fatty acid profile of the lipids extracted from the ASTRA roots, to examine the phenolic composition of the root extracts by liquid chromatography, and to evaluate the biological activities through determination of the antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic capacities of the extracts. The primary compounds found in the ASTRA roots were carbohydrates and lipids, and the fatty acid composition determined by GC-MS showed linoleic acid as preponderant compound with 31.10%, followed by palmitic, oleic and α-linolenic acids with 17.30%, 15.61% and 14.21%, respectively. The methanol extract of the ASTRA roots presented highest phenolic content, Astragaloside IV being the predominant compound with 425.32 ± 0.06 µg/g DW. The antimicrobial assay showed remarkable antimicrobial potential of the extract at a concentration of 0.356 and 0.703 mg ASTRA root powder (DW)/mL, highlighting its efficacy to inhibit S. aureus and S. epidermidis bacterial strains. Furthermore, the cell proliferation assessment showed the noteworthy proficiency of the treatment in inhibiting the proliferation of B16F10 melanoma cells.

Bioavailability Improvement Strategies for Icariin and Its Derivates: A Review.

In recent years, there has been considerable interest in icariin (ICA) and its derivates, icariside II (ICS) and icaritin (ICT), due to their wide range of potential applications in preventing cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, delaying the effects of Alzheimer's disease, treating erectile dysfunction, etc. However, their poor water solubility and membrane permeability, resulting in low bioavailability, dampens their potential beneficial effects. In this regard, several strategies have been developed, such as pharmaceutical technologies, structural transformations, and absorption enhancers. All these strategies manage to improve the bioavailability of the above-mentioned flavonoids, thus increasing their concentration in the desired places. This paper focuses on gathering the latest knowledge on strategies to improve bioavailability for enhancing the efficacy of icariin, icariside II, and icaritin. We conclude that there is an opportunity for many further improvements in this field. To the best of our knowledge, no such review articles scoping the bioavailability improvement of icariin and its derivates have been published to date. Therefore, this paper can be a good starting point for all those who want to deepen their understanding of the field.

Analysis of Fatty Acids, Amino Acids and Volatile Profile of Apple By-Products by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

Apple industrial by-products are a promising source of bioactive compounds with direct implications on human health. The main goal of the present work was to characterize the Jonathan and Golden Delicious by-products from their fatty acid, amino acid, and volatile aroma compounds' point of view. GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) and ITEX/GC-MS methods were used for the by-products characterization. Linoleic and oleic were the main fatty acids identified in all samples, while palmitic and stearic acid were the representant of saturated ones. With respect to amino acids, from the essential group, isoleucine was the majority compound identified in JS (Jonathan skin) and GS (Golden skin) samples, lysine was the representant of JP (Jonathan pomace), and valine was mainly identified in GP (Golden pomace). A total number of 47 aroma volatile compounds were quantified in all samples, from which the esters groups ranged from 41.55-53.29%, aldehydes 29.75-43.99%, alcohols from 4.15 to 6.37%, ketones 4.14-5.72%, and the terpenes and terpenoids group reached values between 2.27% and 4.61%. Moreover, the by-products were valorized in biscuits manufacturing, highlighting their importance in enhancing the volatile aroma compounds, color, and sensorial analysis of the final baked goods.

Influence of Marination with Aromatic Herbs and Cold Pressed Oils on Black Angus Beef Meat.

Beef aging is one of the most common methods used for improving its qualities. The main goal of the present study was to analyse the influence of different cold pressed oils and aromatic herbs during marination process on the nutritional, textural, and sensory attributes of the final grilled sirloin samples. In order to fulfil this goal, methods like GC-MS, HPLC/DAD/ESI-MS, HLPC-RID were performed to quantify fatty acids, phenolic acids, and organic acids, respectively. Textural and sensory analysis were performed with CT 3 Texture Analyser and hedonic test. The results showed high improvement of the meat grilled samples regarding the content of phenolic acids, and textural and sensory characteristics. Pearson values indicate strong positive correlations between raw and grilled samples regarding their content in phenolic acids. Hardness, chewiness, gumminess decreased during marination, meanwhile, resilience, and cohesiveness increased. Sensory analysis highlighted that meat samples marinated with olive oil and rosemary for 120 h reached the highest hedonic score among the tested samples.

Evaluation of the Bioactive Compounds Found in Tomato Seed Oil and Tomato Peels Influenced by Industrial Heat Treatments.

The circular economy action plan involves principles related to food waste reduction and integration of recovered nutrients to the market. In this context, the present study aims to highlight the valuable bioactive components found in tomato processing by-products (carotenoids, phenolic compounds and fatty acids) influenced by industrial pre-treatments, particularly cold break (CB) process at 65-75 °C and hot break (HB) process at 85-95 °C. The fatty acid profile of the tomato seed oil was examined by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS), individual carotenoid and phenolic compositions were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the viscoelastic properties were evaluated by rheological measurements. The physicochemical properties revealed appropriate characteristics of the tomato seed oil to fit the standards of generally accepted edible oils, for both CB and HB derived samples, however, significant qualitative and quantitative differences were detected in their phenolic composition and carotenoids content. Lycopene (37.43 ± 1.01 mg/100 mL) was a major carotenoid in the examined samples, linoleic acid was the main fatty acid (61.73%) detected in the tomato seed oil and syringic acid appeared to be one of two major phenolic acids detected in the samples of CB process. Our findings extend the boundaries of tomato processing industry by validating that tomato seed oil is a bioactive rich edible oil with additional health benefits, which can be integrated in functional food products.

Simultaneous enrichment of grape pomace with γ-linolenic acid and carotenoids by solid-state fermentation with Zygomycetes fungi and antioxidant potential of the bioprocessed substrates.

Two filamentous fungi (Actinomucor elegans and Umbelopsis isabellina), were tested for their ability to enrich white grape pomace simultaneously with both γ-linolenic acid (GLA) and carotenoids through solid-state fermentation (SSF) processes. U. isabellina presented higher ability to produce GLA-rich lipids (composed mainly of neutral fractions) than A. elegans (the 6-th day of SSF: 378.85 mg/100 g of pomace -U. isabellina and 193.36 mg/100 g of pomace- A. elegans). The amounts of ß-carotene and lutein for both SSFs gradually increased until the end of the fermentation processes. The effect of fermentation time on the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of grape pomace was also studied. The SSF with A. elegans increased significantly total phenolic and flavonoid contents and DPPH scavenging activity of grape popmace. These bioprocessed grape pomaces with significant amounts of carotenoids and GLA-rich lipids (>94% nutritionally-valuable polyunsaturated fatty acids at the sn-2 position) could be very attractive for food industry.

Sea Buckthorn Oil as a Valuable Source of Bioaccessible Xanthophylls.

Sea buckthorn oil, derived from the fruits of the shrub, also termed seaberry or sandthorn, is without doubt a strikingly rich source of carotenoids, in particular zeaxanthin and ß-carotene. In the present study, sea buckthorn oil and an oil-in-water emulsion were subjected to a simulated gastro-intestinal in vitro digestion, with the main focus on xanthophyll bioaccessibility. Zeaxanthin mono- and di-esters were the predominant carotenoids in sea buckthorn oil, with zeaxanthin dipalmitate as the major compound (38.0%). A typical fatty acid profile was found, with palmitic (49.4%), palmitoleic (28.0%), and oleic (11.7%) acids as the dominant fatty acids. Taking into account the high amount of carotenoid esters present in sea buckthorn oil, the use of cholesterol esterase was included in the in vitro digestion protocol. Total carotenoid bioaccessibility was higher for the oil-in-water emulsion (22.5%) compared to sea buckthorn oil (18.0%) and even higher upon the addition of cholesterol esterase (28.0% and 21.2%, respectively). In the case of sea buckthorn oil, of all the free carotenoids, zeaxanthin had the highest bioaccessibility (61.5%), followed by lutein (48.9%), making sea buckthorn oil a potential attractive source of bioaccessible xanthophylls.

Phenolic compounds, flavonoids, lipids and antioxidant potential of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) pomace fermented by two filamentous fungal strains in solid state system.

BACKGROUND: The use of agricultural and food by-products is an economical solution to industrial biotechnology. The apricot press residues are abounding by-products from juice industry which can be used as substrates in solid state fermentation process (SSF), thus allowing a liberation and increase of content from various biomolecules with high added value. METHODS: The evolutions of phenolic levels (by colorimetric assays and high performance liquid chromatography, HPLC-MS) and antioxidant activities (by DPPH assay) during SSF of apricot pomaces with Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus oligosporus were investigated. The changes in fatty acid compositions of oils in apricot kernels during SSFs were also analyzed by gas chromatography (GC-MS). RESULTS: The results showed that the levels of total phenolics increased by over 70% for SSF with R. oligosporus and by more than 30% for SSF with A. niger. A similar trend was observed in the amounts of total flavonoids (increases of 38, and 12% were recorded for SSF by R. oligosporus and A. niger, respectively). Free radical scavenging capacities of methanolic extracts were also significantly enhanced. The main phenolic compounds identified through HPLC-MS in fermented apricot press residues were chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, rutin, and quercetin 3-acetyl- glucoside. This work also demonstrated that the SSF with filamentous fungal strains not only helped in higher lipid recovery from apricot kernels, but also resulted in oils with better quality attributes (high linoleic acid content). CONCLUSION: The utilization of apricot by-products resulting from the juice industry as waste could provide an extra income and at the same time can help in solving solid waste management problems Graphical abstract Changes in phenolic compositions, antioxidant activities and total lipid contents during solid state fermentation (SSF) of apricot pomaces from juice industry with Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus oligosporus.

Identification of the bioactive compounds and antioxidant, antimutagenic and antimicrobial activities of thermally processed agro-industrial waste.

The purpose of the research was to identify the bioactive compounds and to evaluate the antioxidant, antimutagenic and antimicrobial activities of the major Romanian agro-industrial wastes (apple peels, carrot pulp, white- and red-grape peels and red-beet peels and pulp) for the purpose of increasing the wastes' value. Each type of waste material was analyzed without (fresh) and with thermal processing (10min, 80°C). Based on the obtained results, the thermal process enhanced the total phenolic content. The highest antioxidant activity was exhibited by thermally processed red-grape waste followed by thermally processed red-beet waste. Linoleic acid was the major fatty acid in all analyzed samples, but its content decreased significantly during thermal processing. The carrot extracts have no antimicrobial effects, while the thermally processed red-grape waste has the highest antimicrobial effect against the studied strains. The thermally processed red-grape sample has the highest antimutagenic activity toward S. typhimurium TA98 and TA100.

Effects of solid-state fermentation with two filamentous fungi on the total phenolic contents, flavonoids, antioxidant activities and lipid fractions of plum fruit (Prunus domestica L.) by-products.

Evolutions of phenolic contents and antioxidant activities during solid-state fermentation (SSF) of plum pomaces (from the juice industry) and brandy distillery wastes with Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus oligosporus were investigated. The effect of fermentation time on the oil content and major lipid classes in the plum kernels was also studied. Results showed that total phenolic (TP) amounts increased by over 30% for SSF with Rhizopus oligosporus and by >21% for SSF with A. niger. The total flavonoid contents presented similar tendencies to those of the TPs. The free radical scavenging activities of methanolic extracts were also significantly enhanced. The HPLC-MS analysis showed that quercetin-3-glucoside was the major phenolic compound in both fermented plum by-products. The results also demonstrated that SSF not only helped to achieve higher lipid recovery from plum kernels, but also resulted in oils with better quality attributes (high sterol ester and n-3 PUFA-rich polar lipid contents).

Total phenolic contents, antioxidant activities, and lipid fractions from berry pomaces obtained by solid-state fermentation of two Sambucus species with Aspergillus niger.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of solid-state fermentation (SSF) by Aspergillus niger on phenolic contents and antioxidant activity in Sambucus nigra L. and Sambucus ebulus L. berry pomaces. The effect of fermentation time on the total fats and major lipid classes (neutral and polar) was also investigated. During the SSF, the extractable phenolics increased with 18.82% for S. ebulus L. and 11.11% for S. nigra L. The levels of antioxidant activity of methanolic extracts were also significantly enhanced. The HPLC-MS analysis indicated that the cyanidin 3-sambubioside-5-glucoside is the major phenolic compound in both fermented Sambucus fruit residues. In the early stages of fungal growth, the extracted oils (with TAGs as major lipid fraction) increased with 12% for S. nigra L. and 10.50% for S. ebulus L. The GC-MS analysis showed that the SSF resulted in a slight increase of the linoleic and oleic acids level.

Carotenoids, total polyphenols and antioxidant activity of grapes (Vitis vinifera) cultivated in organic and conventional systems.

BACKGROUND: Organic agriculture involve plants which are cultivated without using synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers and promotes biodiversity, biological cycles and improve the product quality. The carotenoids, total polyphenols and the antioxidant activity from skins of some wine and table grapes cultivated in organic and conventional agriculture were studied. RESULTS: The main carotenoids identified using high performance liquid chromatography were lutein and ß-carotene. Muscat Ottonel variety has the highest ß-carotene concentration 504.9 µg/kg for organic and 593.2 µg/kg for conventional grapes. For the organic farming, the total polyphenols content were in the range of 163.23 - 1341.37 mg GAE/kg fresh weight (FW) and 148.47 - 1231.38 mg GAE/kg FW for the conventional grapes. The highest ORAC values were obtained for blue-black variety Napoca in both farming system (43.5 ± 0.95 µmol TE/g organic; 40.4 ± 0.5 µmol TE/g conventional) and lowest for Aromat de Iasi (16.8 ± 0.6 µmol TE/g organic; 14.7 ± 1.6 µmol TE/g conventional). Napoca variety showed also the highest antioxidant activity measured by DPPH method in both cultivated system. CONCLUSION: Nine grape varieties cultivated in organic and conventional systems were compared regarding the carotenoids, total polyphenols and antioxidant activity. The white grape varieties have a higher carotenoids content compared with the blue-black cultivars while the blue-black varieties contain higher TPC and exhibit higher antioxidant activity (except for Muscat Hamburg-ORAC). Vitis vinifera grape skins originating from wine or table grape varieties can be used as a potential source of natural antioxidants.