From the forest to the plate - Hemicelluloses, galactoglucomannan, glucuronoxylan, and phenolic-rich extracts from unconventional sources as functional food ingredients.

This study aimed to characterise pressurised hot water (PHW) extracts from nonconventional sources of functional carbohydrates and phenolic compounds in terms of antioxidant capacity, antiviral activity, toxicity, and human erythrocytes' protection antidiabetic potential. PHW extracts of Norway spruce bark (E1 + E2) and Birch sawdust (E3 + E4) contained mostly galactoglucomannan and glucuronoxylan. In contrast, samples E5 to E9 PHW extracted from Norway spruce, and Scots pine bark are rich sources of phenolic compounds. Overall, phenolic-rich extracts presented the highest inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase and protection against stable non-enveloped enteroviruses. Additionally, all extracts protected human erythrocytes from hemolysis. Cell-based experiments using human cell lines (IMR90 and A549) showed extracts' non-toxicin vitroprofile. Considering the relative toxicological safety of extracts from these unconventional sources, functional carbohydrates and polyphenol-rich extracts can be obtained and further used in food models.

Essential Oils and Supercritical CO2 Extracts of Arctic Angelica (Angelica archangelica L.), Marsh Labrador Tea (Rhododendron tomentosum) and Common Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)-Chemical Compositions and Antimicrobial Activities.

Traditionally, arctic Finnish Angelica (Angelica archangelica L.), marsh Labrador tea (Rhododendron tomentosum, syn. Ledum palustre) and common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) have been used as medicinal herbs in folklore medicine. However, these underutilised plants are a source of, e.g., oil-based compounds, which could benefit many modern applications implemented by the green chemistry extraction methods, as well. We extracted Angelica, marsh Labrador tea and common tansy by non-toxic and recyclable extraction methods, i.e., hydrodistillation and supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) extraction; characterised the essential oils (EOs) and scCO2 extracts by combination of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and in addition, analysed the antimicrobial properties. As expected for Angelica root and common tansy inflorescence, the scCO2 extraction method produced less amount of volatile compounds compared to hydrodistillation. On the other hand, more coumarins, alkanes, fatty alcohols and fatty acids were obtained. Additionally, sesquiterpenoids palustrol and ledol were predominant compounds in both marsh Labrador tea EO and scCO2 extract. According to our results, however, all the EOs and scCO2 extracts showed broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities against the selected microbes, but the effects were extract-specific. The strongest and broadest antimicrobial activities were performed by marsh Labrador tea scCO2 extract, which showed extremely strong effect on Staphylococcusaureus subsp. aureus and strong effect on Candida albicans.

Toxicological and bioactivity evaluation of blackcurrant press cake, sea buckthorn leaves and bark from Scots pine and Norway spruce extracts under a green integrated approach.

Aqueous extracts from blackcurrant press cake (BC), Norway spruce bark (NS), Scots pine bark (SP), and sea buckthorn leaves (SB) were obtained using maceration and pressurized hot water and tested for their bioactivities. Maceration provided the extraction of higher dry matter contents, including total phenolics (TPC), anthocyanins, and condensed tannins, which also impacted higher antioxidant activity. NS and SB extracts presented the highest mean values of TPC and antioxidant activity. Individually, NS extract presented high contents of proanthocyanidins, resveratrol, and some phenolic acids. In contrast, SB contained a high concentration of ellagitannins, ellagic acid, and quercetin, explaining the antioxidant activity and antibacterial effects. SP and BC extracts had the lowest TPC and antioxidant activity. However, BC had strong antiviral efficacy, whereas SP can be considered a potential ingredient to inhibit α-amylase. Except for BC, the other extracts decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in HCT8 and A549 cells. Extracts did not inhibit the production of TNF-alpha in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated THP-1 macrophages but inhibited the ROS generation during the THP-1 cell respiratory burst. The recovery of antioxidant compounds from these by-products is incentivized for high value-added applications.

Sprouts and Needles of Norway Spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) as Nordic Specialty-Consumer Acceptance, Stability of Nutrients, and Bioactivities during Storage.

Developing shoots, i.e., sprouts, and older needles of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) have traditionally been used for medicinal purposes due to the high content of vitamins and antioxidants. Currently, sprouts are available as, for example, superfood and supplements. However, end-product quality and nutritive value may decline in the value-chain from raw material sourcing to processing and storage. We studied (1) impacts of different drying and extraction methods on nutritional composition and antioxidative properties of sprouts and needles, (2) differences between sprouts and needles in nutritional composition and microbiological quality, and (3) production scale quality of the sprouts. Additionally, (4) sprout powder was applied in products (ice-cream and sorbet) and consumer acceptance was evaluated. According to our results, older needles have higher content of dry matter, energy, and calcium, but lower microbial quality than sprouts. Sprouts showed a higher concentration of vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus than older needles. Freeze-drying was the best drying method preserving the quality of both sprouts and needles, e.g., vitamin C content. The antioxidative activity of the sprout extracts were lower than that of needles. Ethanol-water extraction resulted in a higher content of active compounds in the extract than water extraction. Sensory evaluation of food products revealed that on average, 76% of consumers considered sprout-containing products very good or good, and a creamy product was preferred over a water-based sorbet.

Tannins of Conifer Bark as Nordic Piquancy-Sustainable Preservative and Aroma?

Bark of Norway spruce and Scots pine trees contain large amounts of condensed tannins. Tannins extracted with hot water could be used in different applications as they possess antioxidative and antimicrobial activities. The use of bark tannins as e.g., food preservatives calls for increases in our knowledge of their antioxidative activities when applied in foodstuffs. To assess the ability of bark tannins to prevent lipid oxidation, hot water extracts were evaluated in a liposome model. Isolated tannins were also applied in dry-cured, salty meat snacks either as liquid extracts or in dry-powder form. Consumer acceptance of the snacks was tested by a sensory evaluation panel where outlook, odor, taste, and structure of the snacks were evaluated and compared to a commercial product without tannin ingredients. Our results show that conifer bark tannin-rich extracts have high capacity to prevent lipid oxidation in the liposome model. The efficacies of pine and spruce bark extracts were ten to hundred folds higher, respectively, than those of phenolic berry extracts. The bark extracts did not significantly influence the odor or taste of the meat snacks. The findings indicate that bark extracts may be used as sustainable food ingredients. However, more research is needed to verify their safety.

Lipid oxidation inhibition capacity of plant extracts and powders in a processed meat model system.

A meat model system was used for screening lipid oxidation inhibiting capacity of diverse horticultural plant materials. In the model, heme-containing sarcoplasmic proteins from the meat water-phase were homogenized with linoleic acid and thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS) were measured. 23 Plant materials were investigated at three high (50, 100, and 200 ppm) concentrations and five plant extracts were tested at three low (5, 10, and 20 ppm) concentrations over time. In the high concentration sets, summer savory freeze-dried powder, beetroot leaves extracted with 50% ethanol, and an olive polyphenol powder extracted from wastewater, inhibited oxidation the most effectively. After two weeks and at 200 ppm concentration, oxidation was reduced to 17.2%, 16.6% and 13.5% of the blank sample with no added antioxidants respectively. In the low concentration set, spray dried rhubarb juice inhibited oxidation the most after two weeks at 5 ppm where oxidation was reduced to 68.3% of the blank sample with no added antioxidants.