Targeted analysis for the detection of phenolics and authentication of Albanian wines using LC-DAD/ESI-MS/MS combined with chemometric tools.

In recent years, Albania has seen a significant increase in wine production, which can be attributed to the growing interest in the diversity of native grape varieties. Among the most popular grape varieties are Kallmet, Shesh i zi (ShiZ), Shesh i bardhë (ShiB), and Cerruje, which are known for their distinctive wines as well as the planted area. A study was conducted to investigate the influence of the territory and vintage on phenolic compounds of single-variety wines from these grape varieties. Liquid chromatography identified and quantified thirty-one phenolic compounds, sub-grouped into flavonoids and non-flavonoids, with diode-array detection coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-DAD-ESI/MSn). Within the red wines group, the ShiZ variety wine presented the highest phenolic content (1037 mg/L), followed by Kallmet cv. (539 mg/L); conversely, in the white wine group, the ShiB wines (699 mg/L) were distinguished from the Cerruje variety. Gallic acid was the main phenolic compound, followed by procyanidin B3. ShiB and ShiZ had the highest levels, at 215 and 136 mg/L, respectively. Among flavanols, (+)-catechin was found in the highest levels, with the maximum in Kallmet cv. red wine (58.9 mg/L), followed by (-)-epicatechin (29.1 mg/L). The ShiB wine had the highest content of flavonols, with quercetin-3-O-glucuronide and quercetin-3-O-glucoside as the main contributors. The highest quantity of stilbenoids belonged to Kallmet red wine (1.59 mg/L). Applying Principal Component Analysis (PCA) in red and white wine groups made a good separation possible according to variety and region. However, a separation according to vintage year was not successful.

Optimization of complex coacervation parameters for the production of encapsulated black garlic using response surface methodology.

The purpose of this study was to optimize black garlic encapsulation parameters (core/coating ratio, extract concentration, and coacervate/maltodextrin [MD] ratio) using central composite design of the response surface methodology based on encapsulation efficiency (EE) (%). The optimum parameters were determined as 4.0 for the coating material/core ratio, 50% for the extract concentration, and 6.0 for the MD/coacervate ratio depending on the EE (%). The antioxidant activity values were determined as 101 and 134 µmol Trolox/100 g dry weight (DW) for the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) methods, respectively, whereas the total phenolic content was 49 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g DW for the encapsulated black garlic samples. S-Allyl-l-cysteine (SAC), γ-l-glutamyl-SAC (GSAC), γ-l-glutamyl-(S)-trans-1-propenyl-l-cysteine, and allicin were the organosulfur (OS) compounds determined in the samples. The SAC concentration of the encapsulated black garlic samples was determined as 22.36 mg/g, whereas the GSAC content was found at a lower concentration (0.33 mg/g) compared to SAC. The allicin content was quantified to be 0.31 mg/g. The encapsulated samples were also characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The FT-IR analysis revealed specific functional groups, including hydroxyl, carbonyl, and glycosidic linkage. The interaction between lentil protein isolate and pectin was strong enough to encourage capsule formation as visualized in the SEM images. This study shows the potential of black garlic coacervates as a functional ingredient for the food industry due to their stability, solubility, and preservation of OS and antioxidant compounds.

Effect of Salt Stress on the Phenolic Compounds, Antioxidant Capacity, Microbial Load, and In Vitro Bioaccessibility of Two Microalgae Species (Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Spirulina platensis).

Microalgae have gained attention as alternative food sources due to their nutritional value and biological effects. This study investigated the effect of salt stress on the antioxidant activity, phenolic profile, bioavailability of bioactive compounds, and microbial counts in the blue-green algae Spirulina platensis and diatom species Phaeodactylum tricornutum. These microalgae were cultured in growth mediums with different salt concentrations (15-35‱) We observed the highest antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds in the control groups. S. platensis (20‱) exhibited higher antioxidant activity compared to P. tricornutum (30‱), which decreased with increasing salt stress. Using HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS, we identified and quantified 20 and 24 phenolic compounds in the P. tricornutum and S. platensis culture samples, respectively. The bioavailability of these compounds was assessed through in vitro digestion with the highest amounts observed in the intestinal phase. Salt stress negatively affected the synthesis of bioactive substances. Microbial counts ranged from 300 to 2.78 × 104 cfu/g for the total aerobic mesophilic bacteria and from 10 to 1.35 × 104 cfu/g for yeast/mold in P. tricornutum samples while the S. platensis samples had microbial counts from 300 to 1.9 × 104 cfu/g and the total aerobic mesophilic bacteria from 10 to 104 cfu/g, respectively. This study suggests that adding salt at different ratios to the nutrient media during the production of P. tricornutum and S. platensis can impact phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, microbial load evaluation, and in vitro bioaccessibility of the studied microalgae.

Impact of different salt concentrations on growth, biochemical composition and nutrition quality of Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Spirulina platensis.

The effects of different salt concentrations on the growth, aroma and quality parameters of P. tricornutum and S. platensis were investigated for the first time.Salt contents were 15, 25, 30 and 35‰ for the P. tricornutum and 20, 25, 30 and 35‰ for the S. platensis culture. Aroma compounds were analyzed by HS-SPME-GC/MS while the organic acid and sugar composition were studied by HPLC-PDA-RID.The main amino acids were glutamic acid (6.24-12.96 mg/100 g) and alanine (3.67-13.65 mg/100 g) while the prevailing sugars were sucrose (229-1099 mg/100 g) and glucose (192-2322 mg/100 g) in the P. tricornutum and S. platensis samples.The most prevailing aroma compound was acetic acid (113 µg/kg) in the P. tricornutum samples and heptadecane (36941 µg/kg) in the S. platensis samples.A significant reduction was found in the amount of aroma compounds, amino acids, sugars and organic acids with increasing salt concentration.The study results are valuable for producing high-quality and flavorful P. tricornutum and S. platensis products.

Pumpkin Seed Oil as a Partial Animal Fat Replacer in Bologna-type Sausages.

Beef fat was replaced with cold press pumpkin seed oil (PSO; 0%, 5%, 15%, and 20%) in the production of bologna-type sausages. A value of pH, water-holding capacity (WHC), jelly-fat separation, emulsion stability and viscosity values were determined in meat batters. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), color, and textural characteristics (TPA, shear test, penetration test) were determined in end-product at 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days of storage at 4°C. The pH values were varied between 6.06 and 6.08. With the increase in the level of PSO in meat batters, there was a significant increase in WHC, jelly-fat separation and viscosity values (p<0.05) while a significant decrease in emulsion stability (p<0.05). TBARS values of sausages were found to be significantly higher than in the control group (p<0.05), and this trend continued during storage. Increasing of PSO level were caused a significant increase in L* and b* values while a decrease in a* value (p<0.05). Hardness, adhesiveness and chewiness values were significantly reduced whereas cohesiveness and resilience values increased (p<0.05). Maximum shear force and work of shear was significantly decreased as the level of PSO increased (p<0.05). Hardness, work of penetration and the resistance during the withdrawal of the probe values (penetration tests) increased significantly with the increase in the level of PSO (p<0.05). These results indicate that PSO has potential to be use as a replacement of animal-based fats in the production of bologna-type sausages.