Beneficial Effects of Laurel (Laurus nobilis L.) and Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) Extract on Rat Health.

Polyphenols of Laurel and Myrtle exhibit structural diversity, which affects bioavailability, metabolism, and bioactivity. The gut microbiota plays a key role in modulating the production, bioavailability and, thus the biological activities of phenolic metabolites, particularly after the intake of food containing high-molecular-weight polyphenols. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the polyphenolic components of Laurel and Myrtle aqueous extract have beneficial effects on rat health. The growth of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), ß-glucuronidase, ß-glucosidase, ß-galactosidase activity, pH value, body weight change and food efficacy ratio after intragastric treatment of rats with Laurel and Myrtle extract at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg for two weeks were investigated. The endogenous populations of colonic probiotic bacteria (Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria) were counted on selective media. According to the obtained data, Laurel extract in the applied dose of 50 and 100 and Myrtle extract (100 mg/kg) positively affects the rats health by increasing the number of colonies of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria compared to the control group, causes changes in glycolytic enzymatic activity and minor change in antioxidative tissue activity. In addition, high doses of Laurel increase food efficiency ratio, while Myrtle has the same effect at a lower dose.

Optimization of Sour Cherry Juice Spray Drying asAffected by Carrier Material and Temperature.

Response surface methodology was applied for optimization of the sour cherry Marasca juice spray drying process with 20, 30 and 40% of carriers maltodextrin with dextrose equivalent (DE) value of 4-7 and 13-17 and gum arabic, at three drying temperatures: 150, 175 and 200 °C. Increase in carrier mass per volume ratio resulted in lower moisture content and powder hygroscopicity, higher bulk density, solubility and product yield. Higher temperatures decreased the moisture content and bulk density of powders. Temperature of 200 °C and 27% of maltodextrin with 4-7 DE were found to be the most suitable for production of sour cherry Marasca powder.

Optimization of the Spray-Drying Encapsulation of Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of spray-drying parameters on the physicochemical properties of encapsulated sea buckthorn berry oil. Different carriers (gum arabic, ß-cyclodextrin, and their mixture (1:1, w/w)), inlet air temperatures (120, 150, and 180 °C), and carrier-to-oil ratios (2, 3, and 4, w/w) were evaluated. The obtained powders were characterized in terms of the product yield (36.79-64.60%), encapsulation efficiency (73.08-93.18%), moisture content (0.23-3.70%), hygroscopicity (1.5-7.06 g/100 g), solubility (19.55-74.70%), bulk density (0.25-0.44 g/L), total carotenoid content (mg/100 g dm), and antioxidant capacity (871.83-1454.39 µmol TE/100 g dm). All physicochemical properties were significantly affected by the carrier-to-oil ratio and inlet air temperature. Higher carrier-to-oil ratios increased the product yield, encapsulation efficiency, solubility, and bulk density and decreased the powder hygroscopicity. Elevating the drying temperatures during spray drying also increased the product yield, encapsulation efficiency, and solubility, while it decreased the powder moisture content, total carotenoid content, and antioxidant capacity. Based on the physicochemical properties, the use of ß-cyclodextrin as a carrier, a drying temperature of 120 °C, and a carrier-to-oil ratio of 4 were selected as optimal conditions for the production of sea buckthorn berry oil powder. The obtained powder is a valuable material for a wide range of applications in the food and nutraceutical industries.

Effect of Spray Drying Encapsulation on Nettle Leaf Extract Powder Properties, Polyphenols and Their Bioavailability.

Nettle (Urtica dioica L.) is a plant rich in a health-promoting compounds such as polyphenols, which are sensitive and unstable compounds with low bioavailability, that need to be stabilized and protected from external influences. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine how the temperature, type of carrier and sample to carrier ratio influence the physicochemical properties and encapsulation and loading capacity of the nettle leaf extract powder and examine the effect of encapsulation on the antioxidant capacity and bioavailability of polyphenols. The process yield ranged from 64.63-87.23%, moisture content from 1.4-7.29%, solubility from 94.76-98.53% and hygroscopicity from 13.35-32.92 g 100 g-1. The highest encapsulation (98.67%) and loading (20.28%) capacities were achieved at 160 °C, ß-CD:GA (3:1) and sample:carrier ratio of 1:3. Extracts encapsulated at selected conditions showed high antioxidant capacity and distinct polyphenolic profile comprised of 40 different compounds among which cinnamic acids were the most abundant. Moreover, the encapsulation increased the bioavailability of nettle leaf polyphenols, with the highest amount released in the intestinal phase. Thus, the obtained encapsulated extract represents a valuable source of polyphenols and may therefore be an excellent material for application in value-added and health-promoting products.

Non-Volatile and Volatile Bioactives of Salvia officinalis L., Thymus serpyllum L. and Laurus nobilis L. Extracts with Potential Use in the Development of Functional Beverages.

Functional beverages based on herbal extracts are highly demanded products due to the presence of bioactives with promising health benefits and interesting and characteristic sensory properties. Mediterranean medicinal and aromatic herbs contain a wide range of bioactives (non-volatile polyphenols, volatile terpenes) that are important constituents of herbal extracts and essential oils. The antioxidant capacity and potential health benefits of these bioactives could be associated with their synergistic effects. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the non-volatile and volatile bioactives of sage (Salvia officinalis L.), wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum L.) and laurel (Laurus nobilis L.) aqueous extracts and their two- and three-component mixtures as well as their antioxidant capacity. The content of total phenols, flavonoids, hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonols was determined spectrophotometrically. Individual polyphenols were analyzed by LC-MS/MS, the volatiles were analyzed by HS-SPME/GC-MS, and the antioxidant capacity was analyzed by ORAC and DPPH assays. The results showed that aqueous extracts of all examined herbs and their mixtures contained a high content of phenolic compounds ranging from 0.97 to 2.79 g L-1 of the sample, among which the most common were flavonols. At the same time, mono- and sesquiterpenes were the main volatiles. All extracts showed high antioxidant capacity, especially L. nobilis (781.62 ± 5.19 µmol TE mL-1 of the sample in the DPPH assay; 1896.10 ± 8.77 µmol TE mL-1 of the sample in the ORAC assay) and the two-component mixture of L. nobilis and T. serpyllum (679.12 ± 5.19 µmol TE mL-1 in the DPPH assay; 1913.38 ± 8.77 µmol TE mL-1 in the ORAC assay). Mixtures of herbal extracts have been shown to possess additive or synergistic effects, consequently contributing to higher antioxidant capacity. Therefore, two-component mixtures of herbal extracts showed promising potential for the production of functional beverages.