Differentiation of Medicinal Plants According to Solvents, Processing, Origin, and Season by Means of Multivariate Analysis of Spectroscopic and Liquid Chromatography Data.

Effects of processing and extraction solvents on antioxidant properties and other characteristics were evaluated for ten medicinal plant species originating from two different localities and two production years. A combination of spectroscopic and liquid chromatography techniques possessed data for multivariate statistics. Water, 50% (v/v) ethanol, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were compared to select the most suitable solvent for the isolation of functional components from the frozen/dried medicinal plants. DMSO and 50% (v/v) ethanol were evaluated as more efficient for phenolic compounds and colorants extraction, while water was more useful for element extraction. Drying and extraction of herbs with 50% (v/v) ethanol was the most appropriate treatment to ensure a high yield of most compounds. The satisfactory differentiation of herbs (61.8-100%) confirmed the significant effect of the processing, geographical, and seasonal factors on target functional component concentrations. Total phenolic and total flavonoid compounds content, total antioxidant activity expressed as TAA, yellowness, chroma, and browning index were identified as the most important markers for medicinal plant differentiation.

Colour descriptors for plant-based milk alternatives discrimination.

Colour characteristics of plant-based milk alternatives (PBMAs: almond, coconut, cashew, oat, soy) were monitored during long-term storage to select suitable descriptors for PBMAs differentiation. All colour descriptors evaluated varied depending on the raw material used in the plant-based milk alternative production. Long-term storage of plant-based beverages resulted in slightly noticeable (0.5-1.5) and noticeable (1.5-3.0) colour changes. Based on all colour descriptors, an absolute differentiation of PBMAs according to the type of raw material and storage time was achieved using canonical discriminant analysis. The results also indicate the possibility of using colour descriptors to detect the addition of honey to these products. Statistical analysis identified yellowness, browning index and lightness as the most discriminating parameters.

Effects of Different Factors on Concentration of Functional Components of Aronia and Saskatoon Berries.

Effects of different factors on the content of phenolics, anthocyanins, antioxidants and colour parameters in two varieties of Aronia and three varieties of Saskatoon berries were evaluated. The berries were extracted by dynamic solvent extraction using three different solvents (water, 50% ethanol (v/v) and dimethyl sulfoxide) and subsequently analysed by ultraviolet visible near infrared spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance followed by chemometric analysis. The results obtained show that, dimethyl sulfoxide was the most appropriate for berries functional components isolation, and among the studied berries, Aronia exhibited the highest contents of phenolics. Besides that, varieties of Aronia melanocarpa Viking and of Amelanchier lamarckii Ballerina were selected as the cultivars with high contents of functional components. Satisfactory differentiation of berries was achieved according to extraction solvent, fruit type, variety and production years. The results obtained reveal that, phytochemical composition of Aronia and Saskatoon berries may vary depending on genotypic factors, climate, growing conditions as well as on extraction method used for their assessment. Sample processing, genotypic and seasonal factors had significant effect on the concentration of naturally occurring compounds in berries.

Wine Yeasts Selection: Laboratory Characterization and Protocol Review.

Wine reflects the specificity of a terroir, including the native microbiota. In contrast to the use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae commercial starters, a way to maintain wines' microbial terroir identities, guaranteeing at the same time the predictability and reproducibility of the wines, is the selection of autochthonous Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces strains towards optimal enological characteristics for the chosen area of isolation. This field has been explored but there is a lack of a compendium covering the main methods to use. Autochthonous wine yeasts from different areas of Slovakia were identified and tested, in the form of colonies grown either on nutrient agar plates or in grape must micro-fermentations, for technological and qualitative enological characteristics. Based on the combined results, Saccharomyces cerevisiae PDA W 10, Lachancea thermotolerans 5-1-1 and Metschnikowia pulcherrima 125/14 were selected as potential wine starters. This paper, as a mixture of experimental and review contributions, provides a compendium of methods used to select autochthonous wine yeasts. Thanks to the presence of images, this compendium could guide other researchers in screening their own yeast strains for wine production.

Why is sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) so exceptional? A review.

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae L.) is a valuable, multipurpose plant extensively grown in Asia, Europe and Canada. In order to use it in the best way for products of human nutrition, it is necessary to recognize its positive aspects and to eliminate the negative ones. The exceptional value of sea buckthorn can be seen in the presence of both lipophilic antioxidants (mainly carotenoids and tocopherols) and hydrophilic antioxidants (flavonoids, tannins, phenolic acids, ascorbic acid) in remarkably high quantities. Some of the main nutrients, especially lipids of advantageous fatty acid composition, contribute to nutritional benefits of sea buckthorn products for a consumer as well. This review article focuses, besides the above mentioned compounds and vitamins, also on other important components, such as sugars, sugar derivatives, fibre, organic acids, proteins, amino acids and mineral elements. The article also deals with the effects of sea buckthorn components on the course of non-enzymatic browning of food and in vivo glycation. In addition, sensory perception of sea buckthorn and its constituents from the consumers point of view is discussed.

Antioxidative Capacity of and Contaminant Concentrations in Processed Plum Products Consumed in Romania.

The bioactive compounds (total phenols, anthocyanins, and flavonoids) and antioxidant activity of plum-based products (prunes, jams, and marmalade) were evaluated based on spectrophotometric assays and acrylamide and 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde concentrations to determine the quality and safety of these products in the Romanian marketplace. The total polyphenol concentrations in prunes, marmalade, and jams were 0.93 to 5.63 g of gallic acid equivalent per kg of dry matter, and the antioxidant activity was 3.0 to 17.2 mmol/kg. The concentrations of potentially harmful acrylamide in the plum products ranged from the limit of quantitation (<20 µg/kg) to 37.44 µg/kg, and the concentration was higher in prunes (26.66 to 163.72 µg/kg) than in jams. The 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde concentrations in plum products were also variable, at 36 to 2,149 mg/kg. These data revealed a very low concentration of acrylamide in thermally processed plum products, and the results for total polyphenols and the antioxidant activity of prunes and plum jams may be relevant for evaluating these products as important sources of bioactive compounds.