Analysis of antioxidant potential of fruit and vegetable juices available in Serbian markets.

Antioxidants in fruit and vegetable juices have become increasingly popular because of their potential health benefits. Nowadays, juice mixes made from berries present frequent consumer choices, due to their nutritive value and high content of bioactive compounds. Commercial fruit and vegetable juices available in Serbian markets (n = 32) were analyzed for the physicochemical properties, chemical composition, and antioxidant activity. Relative antioxidant capacity index was used for the ranking of the juices according to antioxidant capacity, while antioxidant effectiveness of phenolic compounds contained in juice samples was investigated depending on phenolic antioxidant coefficients. Principal component analysis was applied to study the data structure. In addition, a multi-layer perceptron model was used for modeling an artificial neural network model (ANN) for prediction antioxidant activity (DPPH, reducing power, and ABTS) based on total phenolic, total pigments, and vitamin C content. The obtained ANN showed good prediction capabilities (the r2 values during training cycle for output variables were 0.942). Phenolic, pigments, and vitamin C contents showed a positive correlation with the investigated antioxidant activity. The consumption of commercial berry fruit juices available in Serbian markets may deliver great health benefits through the supply of natural antioxidants.

Kinetics of Carotenoids Degradation during the Storage of Encapsulated Carrot Waste Extracts.

The encapsulates of carrot waste oil extract improved the antioxidant properties of durum wheat pasta. The aim of this research was to study the kinetics of carotenoids degradation in the freeze-dried (FDE) and spray-dried (SDE) encapsulates of carrot waste extract during storage at four different temperatures (+4, +21.3, +30, +37 °C) up to 413 days by HPLC. Carotenoids levels decreased as a function of time and temperature, following zero-order kinetics. At 4 °C carotenes were stable for at least 413 days, but their half-lives decreased with increasing temperatures: 8-12 months at 21 °C; 3-4 months at 30 °C; and 1.5-2 months at 37 °C. The freeze-drying technique was more effective against carotenes degradation. An initial lag-time with no or very limited carotenes degradation was observed: from one week at 37 °C up to 3 months (SDE) or more (FDE) at 21 °C. The activation energies (Ea) varied between 66.6 and 79.5 kJ/mol, and Ea values tended to be higher in FDE than in SDE.

Encapsulation of bioactive compounds extracted from Cucurbita moschata pumpkin waste: the multi-objective optimisation study.

AIM: Artificial neural network (ANN) development to find optimal carriers (pea protein-P, maltodextrin-M, and inulin-I) mixture for encapsulation of pumpkin waste bioactive (ß-carotene and phenolics). METHODS: Freeze-drying encapsulation and encapsulates characterisation in terms of bioactive contents and encapsulation efficiencies, water activity, hygroscopicity, densities, flowability, cohesiveness, particle size (laser diffraction), solubility, colour (CIELab), morphological (SEM), stability and release properties. RESULTS: Optimal encapsulates, OE-T (with highest total bioactive contents; P, M, and I of 53.9, 46.1, and 0%w/w) and OE-EE (with highest bioactive encapsulation efficiencies; P, M, and I of 45.5, 32.0, and 22.5%w/w) had particle diameters of 94.561 ± 1.341 µm and 90.206 ± 0.571 µm, the span of 1.777 ± 0.094 and 1.588 ± 0.089, highest release at pH 7.4 of phenolics of 71.03%w/w after 72 h and 66.22%w/w after 48 h, and ß-carotene of 43.67%w/w after 8 h and 48.62%w/w after 6 h, respectively. CONCLUSION: ANN model for prediction of encapsulates' preparation, showed good anticipation properties (with gained determination coefficients of 1.000).

Green Techniques for Preparation of Red Beetroot Extracts with Enhanced Biological Potential.

Red beetroot is well known for its high proportion of betalains, with great potential as functional food ingredients due to their health-promoting properties. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of processing techniques such as Soxhlet, cold, ultrasound and supercritical fluid extraction on the betalains content and its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antihyperglycemic activities. Whilst Soxhlet extraction with water has provided the highest yield, the highest content of total phenolics was found in an extract prepared using Soxhlet extraction with 50% ethanol. Amongst eight phenolic compounds detected in the extracts, protocatechuic acid was the most abundant. The concentrations of total phenolics ranged from 12.09 mg/g (ultrasound extraction with 30% methanol) to 18.60 mg/g (Soxhlet extraction with 50% ethanol). The highest anti-inflammatory activity was observed for cold extraction with 50% methanol extract. The high radical scavenging activity of supercritical fluid extracts could be a consequence of nonphenolic compounds. The chemometrics approach was further used to analyse the results to find the "greenest" method for further possible application in the processing of beetroot in the food and/or pharmaceutical industry. According to the standard score, the best extraction method was determined to be Soxhlet extraction with 50% ethanol.

Horned Melon Pulp, Peel, and Seed: New Insight into Phytochemical and Biological Properties.

Artificial neural intelligence was established for the estimation, prediction, and optimization of many agricultural and food processes to enable enhanced and balanced utilization of fresh and processed fruits. The predictive capabilities of artificial neural networks (ANNs) are evaluated to estimate the phytochemical composition and the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of horned melon (Cucumis metuliferus) pulp, peel, and seed. Using multiobjective optimization, the main goals were successively achieved through analysis of antimicrobial potential against sensitive microorganisms for peel (Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aspergillus brasiliensis, and Penicillium aurantiogriseum), pulp (Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Typhimurium), and seed samples (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans), and its connection with phytochemical and nutritional composition and antioxidant activity. The highly potent extracts were obtained from peels which represent a waste part with strong antioxidant and antifungal capacity. Briefly, the calculated inhibition zone minimums for sensitive microorganisms were 25.3−30.7 mm, while the optimal results achieved with carotenoids, phenolics, vitamin C, proteins, lipids, DPPH, ABTS, and RP were: 332.01 mg ß-car/100 g, 1923.52 mg GAE/100 g, 928.15 mg/100 g, 5.73 g/100 g, 2.3 g/100 g, 226.56 µmol TE/100 g, 8042.55 µmol TE/100 g, and 7526.36 µmol TE/100 g, respectively. These results imply the possibility of using horned melon peel extract as an antioxidant and antifungal agent for food safety and quality.

Addition of Combinedly Dehydrated Peach to the Cookies-Technological Quality Testing and Optimization.

Peach dehydrated by a combined method of osmodehydration and lyophilization is characterized by upgraded dehydration effectiveness and enhanced chemical and mineral matter content, and as such, is an interesting material to be applied to the cookies' formulation. Incorporation of this material requires testing and optimization of the addition level from the aspect of overall technological quality in order to obtain a new cookie product. Obtained cookie samples with different levels of dehydrated peach addition were subjected to the nutritive and technology quality parameters testing. Cookies' chemical, mineral matter, and phenolic compounds content, the antioxidative activity of nutritive parameters, and the physical, technological, textural, colour, and sensory characteristics of technological parameters were investigated. Obtained results showed that the addition of especially higher levels of dehydrated peach enhanced all nutritive, while simultaneously decreased most of the technological quality parameters. The statistical method of Z-score analysis was used to calculate the optimal level of dehydrated peach addition to the cookie formulation for obtaining the highest nutritive enrichment without excessive technological quality deterioration. The optimal addition of osmodehydrated and lyophilized peach to the cookie formulation was determined to be 15%.

Quality and Sensory Profile of Durum Wheat Pasta Enriched with Carrot Waste Encapsulates.

Consumer knowledge about pasta quality differs around the world. Modern consumers are more sophisticated compared to past times, due to the availability of information on pasta types and quality. Therefore, this study investigated the nutritional, physical, textural, and morphological quality of durum wheat pasta enriched with carrot waste encapsulates (10 and 20% freeze-dried encapsulate (FDE) and 10 and 20% spray-dried encapsulate (SDE)), as well as determining consumer preferences for this type of product. Replacement of semolina with FDE and SDE contributed to changes in the pasta nutritional quality, which was reflected in the increased protein, fat, and ash content. Additionally, changes in cooking quality, color, and texture were within satisfactory limits. The uncooked pasta enriched with 10 and 20% SDE was characterized by a lighter yellow intensity with color saturation, as well as an imperceptible waxy appearance compared to the control and enriched pasta with 10 and 20% FDE. After cooking, the yellow color was more intense in all the enriched pasta samples which can be linked to the raw cereal which was significantly greater in the control in comparison to the FDE and SDE containing samples. Overall, carrot waste can be a promising material for the food industry to produce high-quality pasta.

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Activity of Dracocephalum moldavica L. Essential Oil and Hydrolate.

Steam distillation was used for the isolation of Dracocephalum moldavica L. (Moldavian dragonhead) essential oil (DMEO). This aromatic herbaceous plant is widespread across the Northern Hemisphere regions and has been utilized in health-improving studies and applications. In addition to the DMEO, the hydrolate (DMH), a byproduct of the distillation process, was also collected. The DMEO and DMH were analyzed and compared in terms of their chemical composition, as well as their in vitro biological activities. The main component in DMEO was geranyl acetate, while geranial was dominant in DMH. The DMEO demonstrated better antioxidant and antimicrobial activities compared with the DMH against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes, which represent sources of food-borne illness at the global level. The DMEO and DMH show promise as antioxidant and antimicrobial additives to various products.

Textural, Color and Sensory Features of Spelt Wholegrain Snack Enriched with Betaine.

The influence of different extrusion parameters, including screw speed (250-750 rpm), feed rate (15-25 kg/h) and feed moisture content (15-25%), on the textural and color properties of spelt wholegrain snack products produced on a co-rotating twin-screw extruder with added betaine was investigated. In order to determine the relative influence of input variables in the artificial neural network (ANN) model, Yoon's interpretation method was used, and it was concluded that feed moisture content has the greatest influence on L* values, while screw speed has the greatest influence on a* and b* values. The softest samples were obtained at the lowest moisture content. Sensory analysis was carried out on selected samples, and it showed that betaine addition did not intensify the bitter taste. The sample with the largest expansion exhibited the lowest hardness and chewiness before and after immersion in milk, and this sample is the most suitable for enrichment with betaine.

Composition, texture, sensorial quality, and biological activity after in vitro digestion of durum wheat pasta enriched with carrot waste extract encapsulates.

Aim of this research was to evaluate durum-wheat pasta enriched with encapsulated carrot waste extracts in oil, obtained by freeze drying (FDE) or spray drying techniques (SDE). Five pastas (control, enriched with 10% FDE, or 10% SDE, or 20% FDE, or 20% SDE) were evaluated for furosine, carotenoids, tocols, colour, in vitro bioactivities, cooking performance, texture and sensory quality. The encapsulates added to the enriched pastas α-carotene (0.58-1.24 mg/kg), ß-carotene (1.43-3.29 mg/kg), cis-ß-carotene (0.51-1.11 mg/kg) and total tocols (10.9-33.6 mg/kg). The carotenes were stable and the tocols diminished (-13%) during pasta manufacturing; both decreased (2-18% and 4-15%, respectively) during cooking, but they were still more abundant in the enriched pastas. Antioxidant, anti-hyperglycaemic, anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activities after in vitro digestion of cooked pastas improved, while sensory acceptability of control and 10% enriched pastas were similar. The encapsulates addition significantly improved the nutritional and technological qualities of durum-wheat pasta.

Recovery of ß-carotene from pumpkin using switchable natural deep eutectic solvents.

The aim of the present research was to develop green and sustainable extraction procedure for ß-carotene recovery from pumpkin. A series of hydrophobic natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) based onfatty acids were prepared to establish high extraction efficiency of ß-carotene and to increase stability of extracted carotenoids from the pumpkin. To intensify extraction process, NADES composed of C8 and C10 fatty acids (3:1) was selected and coupled with ultrasound assisted extraction. Response surface methodology and artificial neural network model (ANN) model was adopted to analyze significance of extraction parameters demonstrating high prediction levels of the ß-carotene yield, experimentally confirming the maximum ß-carotene content of 151.41 µg/mL at the optimal process condition. Extracted carotenoids in the optimal NADES extract have shown high stability during the storing period of 180 days. A switchable-hydrophilicity eutectic solvent system has been introduced as a successful way to recover extracted carotenoids from the NADES solvent. It was capable of precipitating 90% of carotenoids present in the extract. The proposed procedure is simple, easily scalable and has minimal impact on operators and the environment.

Encapsulation and Degradation Kinetics of Bioactive Compounds from Sweet Potato Peel During Storage.

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: The aim of this work is to evaluate utilization of sweet potato peel as a source of bioactive compounds. The effect of solvents (acetone and acetone/ethanol mixture) on the extraction efficiency of total carotenoids and phenolics from sweet potato tuber, flesh and peel, and antioxidant activity were investigated. Sweet potato peel extract stood out in terms of antioxidant activity and was chosen for encapsulation by spray and freeze-drying. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Encapsulation is an effective method to improve phytochemical stability by entrapping the core material with a coating agent. In this study, spray and freeze-drying techniques were applied for improving the stability of bioactive compounds (carotenoids and phenolics) using whey protein as a coating material. The main advantages of the applied techniques over the other encapsulation techniques are simplicity, continuity, effectiveness, availability and applicability. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Physicochemical characteristics revealed that spray drying resulted in the formation of lower size particles, better flow properties and encapsulation efficiency of carotenoids. The retention of encapsulated and non-encapsulated bioactive compounds was monitored during storage in daylight and dark conditions. Storage conditions affected the carotenoid retention, whereas higher degradation rate of all samples was observable in daylight. Phenolic compounds exhibited higher retention in all investigated samples. Degradation kinetic parameters suggest the longer shelf life of spray dried encapsulated extract and potent method for stabilization of bioactive ingredients. NOVELTY AND SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION: This study demonstrates that the spray drying technique and utilization of sweet potato peel have a big potential for the development of functional additives with improved nutritional, colour and bioactive properties.

Encapsulation of beetroot juice: a study on the application of pumpkin oil cake protein as new carrier agent.

Aim: In the present study, beetroot juice was encapsulated in pumpkin protein isolate by freeze and spray drying method.Methods: The powders were characterised by measuring moisture content, hygroscopicity, bulk density, solubility, a* value (colour). To simulate the human gastrointestinal digestion, in vitro digestion was conducted as two-stage hydrolysis by pepsin and by pancreatin. The antioxidant and ACE inhibitory potential of the digests was examined.Results: Encapsulation efficiency of phenols from beetroot juice in pumpkin protein isolate was 92% for freeze and 75% for spray dried. Physical properties of all samples were affected by the drying methods. All powders were easily digested. It was observed that the antioxidant and ACE inhibitory potential of the digests was enhanced, indicating that it originated from the hydrolysates released from the protein carrier during digestion.Conclusion: The results from this study are promising and indicate that the pumpkin oil cake protein has great potential and could be introduced to the encapsulation process of bioactive compounds as a new carrier agent.

Chromatographic and computational screening of anisotropic lipophilicity and pharmacokinetics of newly synthesized 1-aryl-3-ethyl-3-methylsuccinimides.

The present study is focused on a series of newly synthesized 1-aryl-3-ethyl-3-methylsuccinimide derivatives, as potential anticonvulsants. The retention behavior of eleven succinimide derivatives was determined by using reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and reversed phase high performance thin layer chromatography (RP-HPTLC). The estimated retention behavior was correlated with partition (logP) and distribution coefficients (logD). These high correlations pointed out that the determined retention parameters (logk0 and RM0) can be considered chromatographic (anisotropic) lipophilicity of the studied succinimide derivatives. The structural properties, which dominantly affect the chromatographic lipophilicity, were determined as well. The significant correlations between the chromatographic lipophilicity and plasma protein binding (PPB), Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cells permeability, volume of distribution (Vd) and absorption constant (Ka) indicate the strong influence of lipophilicity on pharmacokinetics of 1-aryl-3-ethyl-3-methylsuccinimide derivatives. These derivatives have also been tested applying Comprehensive Medicinal Chemistry (CMC) drug-like rules which confirmed their drug-like properties. Besides, their blood-brain penetration (BBB) ability has been estimated applying the set of Clark's rules and by using Pre-ADMET software. Regarding toxicity, it was predicted that only one compound from the set might have toxic effects by blocking the hERG potassium channel. The present study reveals which molecular features in the structure of novel succinimide derivatives could be crucial for their lipophilicity, and consequently for their pharmacokinetic properties. The results indicate that the newly synthesized series of succinimide derivatives should be further considered in design of novel anticonvulsants.

Application of encapsulated natural bioactive compounds from red pepper waste in yogurt.

Aim: The aim of this study was to encapsulate red pepper waste (RPW) bioactives and monitor their stability in yogurt.Methods: RPW extract was encapsulated in whey protein using spray and freeze-drying techniques. Physicochemical characteristics of encapsulates were evaluated, and better encapsulates were used to develop functional yogurt. Retention of bioactives was followed over 21 days of storage, and sensory analyses were assessed.Results: Freeze-dried encapsulates (FDE) showed better characteristics like water activity, moisture content, solubility, flowing and colour properties, and, therefore, incorporated in yogurt. Yogurt with FDE successfully retained carotenoids (71.43%) and caused increasing of polyphenol retention (up to 123.73%). This yogurt exhibited higher sensory and general acceptability scores compared to control sample. The fortification of yogurts had a positive influence on maintaining the initial number of lactic acid bacteria during storage.Conclusion: Freeze drying and utilisation of pepper waste are efficient for functional food development, with improved nutritional, colour and bioactive properties.

Bioavailability and Bioactivity of Encapsulated Phenolics and Carotenoids Isolated from Red Pepper Waste.

In order to deactivate the health properties of bioactive compounds, they need to withstand the effects of food processing, their potential release from the food matrix, and remain bio-accessible in the gastrointestinal tract. Bio-actives from different plants are prone to oxidative degradation, and encapsulation is an effective method in improving their stability. In the present study, red pepper waste (RPW), a by-product of vegetable processing industry, was encapsulated in whey protein using spray and freeze-drying techniques. The aim was to evaluate the effects of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on the release and bioactivity of encapsulated bio-actives, after each digestion step. The results showed that the release of phenolics and carotenoids, as well as antioxidants, anti-hyperglycemic, and anti-inflammatory activities are influenced by pH and intestinal fluid, with pH 7.5 exhibited at higher levels. There was a rapid initial release of carotenoids from whey protein matrices, while a more gradual increase of phenolics was observed, reaching around 50% for both encapsulates first at 6 h and 37 °C, and small intestine conditions. The encapsulation of RPW demonstrated a protective effect against pH changes and enzymatic activities along digestion, and contributed to the increase in bio-accessibility in the gut. Also, the results suggest that encapsulation is an efficient method for valorization of bio-actives from RPW, with improvements in nutrition, color, and bioactive properties.

Sprouted and Freeze-Dried Wheat and Oat Seeds - Phytochemical Profile and in Vitro Biological Activities.

This research was carried out to study phytochemical profile, in vitro antioxidant capacity, reducing power, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory activities and simulated gastrointestinal digestion of 7-day old cereal sprouts: spelt wheat 'Nirvana' (WSSpe), wheat 'Simonida' (WSSim), oat 'Golozrni' (OSG) and oat 'Jadar' (OSJ). OSG expressed significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) total phenols (TPC) and flavonoids content (TFC), antioxidant capacities (DPPH and ABTS assays) and reducing power (EC50DPPH  = 2.12 mg/ml; EC50ABTS  = 0.87 mg/ml; EC0.5RP  = 12.24 mg/ml) as well as anti-hyperglycemic activity (EC50AHgA  = 0.96 mg/ml). WSSpe had the highest content of chlorophyll (131.23 mg/100 g) and carotenoids (22.84 mg/100 g). WSSim possessed the most potent anti-inflammatory activity (2.71 mg/ml), though not significantly different from OSG (2.77 mg/ml). The in vitro simulation of gastro-intestinal digestion showed higher release of phenolic compounds in intestinal than in gastric fluid.