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.

Dynamic mechanical analysis of novel cosmeceutical facial creams containing nano-encapsulated natural plant and fruit extracts.

BACKGROUND: Cosmetic industry following the recent trends in the relative market has turned its interest in the formation of cosmeceutical products containing natural bioactive ingredients. Natural extracts may reveal undesirable sensory characteristics due to their composition. Encapsulation and nanotechnology are the most promising methods to overcome these drawbacks, opening up new perspectives for the future of cosmeceutical industry. AIMS: The purpose of this study was the use of nano-encapsulated plant and fruit extracts to formulate cosmeceutical facial creams with acceptable rheological characteristics. METHODS: Electrohydrodynamic process was used to encapsulate pomegranate and tea tree oil extracts and incorporate them in facial cosmetic creams. All the formulations including those without additives, were stored at three different temperatures. Subsequently, rheological oscillatory tests (frequency sweep tests) were performed using the dynamic mechanical analysis method in order to evaluate alterations in storage modulus (G'), loss modulus (G''), and complex viscosity (η*). RESULTS: Dynamic mechanical analysis, showed that all formulations are suitable for application in cosmetic industry, while changes due to storage period or the storage temperature were negligible. CONCLUSION: The addition of the selected extracts' nanofibers to formulate cosmeceutical facial creams, developed products with acceptable rheological characteristics that could be decisive for the cosmetics industry.