Dietary Phenolic Compounds-Wellbeing and Perspective Applications.

Contemporary living is continuously leading to poor everyday choices resulting in the manifestation of various diseases. The benefits of plant-based nutrition are undeniable and research on the topic is rising. Modern man is now aware of the possibilities that plant nutrition can provide and is seeking ways to benefit from it. Dietary phenolic compounds are among the easily accessible beneficial substances that can exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiparasitic, analgesic, anti-diabetic, anti-atherogenic, antiproliferative, as well as cardio-and neuroprotective activities. Several industries are exploring ways to incorporate biologically active substances in their produce. This review is concentrated on presenting current information about the dietary phenolic compounds and their contribution to maintaining good health. Additionally, this content will demonstrate the importance and prosperity of natural compounds for various fields, i.e., food industry, cosmetology, and biotechnology, among others.

Rapid Assessment of Metabolomic Fingerprinting of Recycled Sunflower By-Products via DART-HRMS.

To comply with a more circular and environmentally friendly European common agricultural policy, while also valorising sunflower by-products, an ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) was tested to optimise ethanol-wash solutes (EWS). Furthermore, the capabilities of DART-HRMS as a rapid and cost-effective tool for determining the biochemical changes after valorisation of these defatted sunflower EWS were investigated. Three batches of EWS were doubly processed into optimised EWS (OEWS) samples, which were analysed via DART-HRMS. Then, the metabolic profiles were submitted to a univariate analysis followed by a partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) allowing the identification of the 15 most informative ions. The assessment of the metabolomic fingerprinting characterising EWS and OEWS resulted in an accurate and well-defined spatial clusterization based on the retrieved pool of informative ions. The outcomes highlighted a significantly higher relative abundance of phenolipid hydroxycinnamoyl-glyceric acid and a lower incidence of free fatty acids and diglycerides due to the ultrasound treatment. These resulting biochemical changes might turn OEWS into a natural antioxidant supplement useful for controlling lipid oxidation and to prolong the shelf-life of foods and feeds. A standardised processing leading to a selective concentration of the desirable bioactive compounds is also advisable.

UV-A treatment of phenolic extracts impacts colour, bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity.

BACKGROUND: The unintended co-extraction of chlorophylls during the recovery of polyphenols from plant sources yields green-coloured phenolic extracts with limited use in colour-sensitive foods. This study aimed at decolourizing the ethanolic extracts of sugar beet leaves using a UV-A treatment (390 nm). RESULTS: Exposure of the phenolic extracts to 30 UV-A LEDs at 8.64 J m-2 radiation dose decreased the total chlorophyll content by 69.23% and reduced the greenness parameter (-a*) significantly (P < 0.05) from 27.33 ± 0.32 to 8.64 ± 0.16. Additionally, UV-A treatment increased the content of most individual phenolic compounds (e.g. gallic acid, ferulic acid, etc.) significantly, resulting in an increase in the overall phenolic content in the extracts from 900.56 ± 14.11 µg g-1 fresh weight (FW) to a maximum of 975.09 ± 9.62 µg g-1 FW at 0.67 J m-2. However, rutin content had a significant decrease at the highest radiation dose (8.64 J m-2). The soluble sugar content (i.e. glucose and fructose) increased simultaneously with phenolic compounds after the UV-A treatment. Although the UV treatment reduced the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity, it had no significant effect on the ferrous chelating activity and the extract's ability to delay lipid oxidation in corn oil. The antioxidant activity index of the treated extract was comparable to that of butylated hydroxytoluene, a synthetic antioxidant. CONCLUSION: Key findings of this study include successful decolourization of the extract, decomposition of bound polyphenols to their free form, and maintaining the antioxidant activity of the extract in the oil system after UV-A exposure. © 2024 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Characterization of Muffins Reformulated with Chia and Lyophilized Peach Powder in Terms of Some Technological and Sensory Aspects.

Research background: There is an increasing interest in foods with added nutritional value. This study presents the opportunity for the reformulation of muffins using chia seeds and lyophilized peach powder in view of the emerging societal challenges regarding unhealthy eating patterns and food intolerances. Experimental approach: Two new formulations were developed to eliminate the use of eggs and alter the flour content and type. Physical characteristics, texture analysis, water activity, microbial load, antioxidant potential and sensory profile aided in the evaluation of the newly developed products. Results and conclusions: The results indicate an inversely proportional relationship between the relative mass of the dough and physical parameters (density, volume and height) of all muffin formulations. The modification of the original recipe compared to the control sample led to decreased baking losses, increased total phenolic content, as well as enhanced nutritional value in terms of fibre content. The addition of chia seeds and peach powder led to positive sensory changes. The alteration of the original recipe resulted in significant effect on the colour, making the muffins darker and less yellow than the control sample. In terms of texture characteristics, the new formulations had a profile close to the control. Novelty and scientific contribution: Recipe reformulation without deteriorating quality attributes is important for the food technology field. Reformulation should comply with the new expectations of the modern consumer. The study targets an approach where new products with enhanced functional characteristics are presented.

Impact of Sample Pretreatment and Extraction Methods on the Bioactive Compounds of Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris L.) Leaves.

To find the most optimal green valorization process of food by-products, sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) leaves (SBLs) were freeze-dried and ground with/without liquid nitrogen (LN), as a simple sample pretreatment method, before ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of polyphenols. First, the water activity, proximate composition, amino acid (AA) and fatty acid (FA) profiles, and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity of dried and fresh SBLs were evaluated. Then, conventional extraction (CE) and UAE of polyphenols from SBLs using water/EtOH:water 14:6 (v/v) as extracting solvents were performed to determine the individual and combined effects of the sample preparation method and UAE. In all the freeze-dried samples, the specific activity of PPO decreased significantly (p ≤ 0.05). Freeze-drying significantly increased (p ≤ 0.05) the fiber and essential FA contents of SBLs. The FA profile of SBLs revealed that they are rich sources of oleic, linoleic, and α-linolenic acids. Although freeze-drying changed the contents of most AAs insignificantly, lysine increased significantly from 7.06 ± 0.46% to 8.32 ± 0.38%. The aqueous UAE of the freeze-dried samples without LN pretreatment yielded the most optimal total phenolic content (TPC) (69.44 ± 0.15 mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry matter (mg GAE/g DM)) and excellent antioxidant activities. Thus, combining freeze-drying with the aqueous UAE method could be proposed as a sustainable strategy for extracting bioactive compounds from food by-products.

Impact of In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion on the Bioaccessibility of Phytochemical Compounds from Eight Fruit Juices.

Fruits contain a number of useful substances including antioxidants. Their bio-accessibility after passing through the digestive tract is of primary importance when considering their benefits. In this respect, we investigated the effect of in vitro digestion on the phytochemicals of eight fruit juices. Freshly prepared juices from pomegranate, orange and grapefruit were used as well as commercially available juices from cherry, black grapes and aloe vera, blackberry and chokeberry, and two types of chokeberry and raspberries. Spectrophotometric and HPLC methods were used in order to analyse the sugar content, the total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid contents (TFC), anthocyanins, phenolic acids and antioxidant activity. Principle component analysis was used to explain the differentiation among the types of fruit juice. Sugar recovery variation was between 4-41%. The bio-accessibility of TPC ranged from 13.52-26.49% and of flavonoids between 24.25-67.00%. The pomegranate juice and the juice of black grapes and aloe vera kept 58.12 and 50.36% of their initial anthocyanins content, while for the other samples less than 1.10% was established. As a result, a maximum of 30% remaining antioxidant activity was measured for some of the samples, but for most this was less than 10%. In conclusion, fruit juices are a rich source of biologically active substances, but a more detailed analysis of food transformation during digestion is needed.

GC-MS Metabolic Profile and α-Glucosidase-, α-Amylase-, Lipase-, and Acetylcholinesterase-Inhibitory Activities of Eight Peach Varieties.

The inhibition of certain digestive enzymes by target food matrices represents a new approach in the treatment of socially significant diseases. Proving the ability of fruits to inhibit such enzymes can support the inclusion of specific varieties in the daily diets of patients with diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer's disease, etc., providing them with much more than just valuable micro- and macromolecules. The current study aimed atidentifying and comparing the GC-MS metabolic profiles of eight peach varieties ("Filina", "Ufo 4, "Gergana", "Laskava", "July Lady", "Flat Queen", "Evmolpiya", and "Morsiani 90") grown in Bulgaria (local and introduced) and to evaluate the inhibitory potential of their extracts towards α-glucosidase, α-amylase, lipase, and acetylcholinesterase. In order to confirm samples' differences or similarities, principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were also applied to the identified metabolites. The results provide important insights into the metabolomic profiles of the eight peach varieties and represent a first attempt to characterize the peels of the peach varieties with respect to α-glucosidase-, α-amylase-, lipase-, and acetylcholinesterase-inhibitory activities. All of the studied peach extracts displayed inhibitory activity towards α-glucosidase (IC50: 125-757 mg/mL) and acetylcholinesterase (IC50: 60-739 mg/mL), but none of them affected α-amylase activity. Five of the eight varieties showed inhibitory activity towards porcine pancreatic lipase (IC50: 24-167 mg/mL). The obtained results validate the usefulness of peaches and nectarines as valuable sources of natural agents beneficial for human health, although further detailed investigation should be performed in order to thoroughly identify the enzyme inhibitors responsible for each activity.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Late Season Peach Varieties (Prunus persica L.): Fruit Nutritional Quality and Phytochemicals.

Peaches are one of the most preferred seasonal fruits, and a reliable source of nutrients. They possess biologically active substances that largely differ among varieties. Hence, revealing the potential of several late season peaches is of present interest. Three commonly consumed varieties ("Flat Queen"; "Evmolpiya"; "Morsiani 90") were studied in terms of nutritive and phytochemical content, as well as antioxidant activity with the use of reliable spectrophotometric and High Performance Liquid Chromatographic (HPLC) methods. An analysis of the soil was also made. The phytochemical data were subjected to principal component analysis in order to evaluate their relationship. The "Morsiani 90" variety had the highest minerals concentration (2349.03 mg/kg fw), total carbohydrates (16.21 g/100 g fw), and α-tocopherol (395.75 µg/100 g fresh weight (fw)). Similar amounts of TDF (approx. 3 g/100 g fw) were reported for all three varieties. "Flat Queen's" peel extract was the richest in monomeric anthocyanins (2279.33 µg cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3GE)/100 g fw). The "Morsiani 90" variety extracts had the highest antioxidant potential, defined by 2,2-diphenil-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and cupric ion-reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) assays.

Analysis of the GC-MS of volatile compounds and the phytochemical profile and antioxidant activities of some Bulgarian medicinal plants.

The study's objective was to investigate the volatile compounds, assess the total phenolic content and phenolic acids profile, determine the antioxidant capacity and evaluate the anthocyanin and flavonoid contents in stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.), tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.), bladder campion (Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke) and rosehip fruit (Rosa canina L. cv. Plovdiv 1). The total phenolic content ranged from 0.55±0.00 to 47.39±0.41 mg GAE/g dw, total flavonoids ranged from 0.45±0.02 to 17.27±0.45 mg QЕ/g dw and the total anthocyanins ranged from 0.94±0.23 to 58.11±2.85 mg/L. The results demonstrated that the selected research plants show auspiciously useful properties in fields like pharmacy, food preparation, cosmetics, etc. Furthermore, the most promising extraction methods in terms of bioactivity are decoction and tincture (U. dioica; T. vulgare; S. vulgaris) and tincture (R. canina). The current study could be regarded as a first detailed investigation of the biological activity and phytochemical composition of R. canina L. cv. Plovdiv 1.

Carotenoids, tocopherols, organic acids, charbohydrate and mineral content in different medicinal plant extracts.

Nettle (Urtica dioica L.), tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.), bladder campion (Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke, waterpepper (Polygonum hydropiper L.), common centaury (Centaurium erythraea Pers.) and rose hip fruit (Rosa canina L. cv. Plovdiv 1) were used for preparation of different water extracts (infusion, decoction and microwave extract) and ethanol (tincture) extracts. Carotenoids (lutein, lycopene and ß-carotene), tocopherols (α-, γ- and δ-), organic acids (ascorbic, malic, fumaric and citric), five macro- and three microelements, sugars and uronic acids content in the obtained extracts were analyzed. Among the investigated plants, stinging nettle, bladder campion and rose hip fruit were evaluated as most potential with respect to bioactive compounds and microelements. The results showed that the selected six medicinal plants and their extracts can be presented as sources of dietary fibers and micronutrients, which may encourage further application as food supplements and beverages as well as to motivate plant use as a dietary alternative in different foods. The present study is a first detailed analysis with respect to sugar content of decoction, infusion and tincture of S. vulgaris.

Isolation, Characterization and Amino Acid Composition of a Bacteriocin Produced by Bacillus methylotrophicus Strain BM47.

Members of the bacterial genus Bacillus are known as producers of a broad spectrum of antibiotic compounds of proteinaceous nature that possess inhibitory activity against different saprophytic and pathogenic microorganisms. In the current research, a peptide synthesized by Bacillus methylotrophicus strain BM47, previously isolated from a natural thermal spring in Bulgaria, was identified and characterized as a bacteriocin. In vitro antimicrobial screening of the crude bacteriocin substance of B. methylotrophicus BM47 showed activity against the plant pathogenic fungi Fusarium moniliforme, Aspergillus awamori, Penicillium sp., Aspergillus niger and Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The antimicrobial activity of the crude bacteriocin substance was partially inhibited by the enzymes trypsin, Alcalase®, Savinase®, proteinase K, papain and Esperase®, while catalase was not effective. The crude bacteriocin substance was relatively pH resistant, but sensitive to the action of heat and most organic solvents and detergents tested. To obtain the active protein fractions, crude bacteriocin substance was purified by fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) using a strong anion exchange column. Tricine-sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis demonstrated that the purified bacteriocin had molecular mass of 19 578 Da. The amino acid analysis performed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) revealed that the isolated bacteriocin consisted of 17 types of amino acids, with the highest mol fraction expressed as percent of serine (29.3), valine (10.3), alanine (9.8) and tyrosine (7.1).

Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of ultrasound-assisted extract of the endemic plant Haberlea rhodopensis Friv.

The antioxidant capacity of extracts from leaves of Haberlea rhodopensis Friv. obtained by a highly efficient and simple method of the ultrasound-assisted extraction was investigated. The total polyphenolic content was determined spectrophotometrically using the Folin - Ciocalteu's phenol reagent and the polyphenols composition was analyzed by HPLC method. Antioxidant activity of the extract was evaluated as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, 2,2-azinobis-3 ethyl benxothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) cation decolorization activity assays and the ferric reducing/antioxidant power method (FRAP). The total phenolics of the extract were determined to be 148.71 ± 5.33 mg GAE on a dry weight basis. The HPLC analysis showed a large number of flavonoids and phenolic acids present in the ultrasound ethanol extract of H. rhodopensis. Results also revealed that the major flavonoids were luteolin (2730.18 µg/g DW), hesperidin (928.56 µg/g DW) and kaempferol (578.52 µg/g DW), whereas the most abundant phenolic acids identified in the extract were ferulic acid (630.48 µg/g DW) and sinapic acid (580.80 µg/g DW). DPPH(•) and ABTS(•+) values were 0.803 ± 0.007 and 0.769 ± 0.040 mmol TE/g DW, respectively and FRAP values were 1.362 ± 0.05 mmol TE/g DW.

Evaluation of the Enzyme Inhibition, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Activities of Apricots, Plums, and Their Hybrid Fruits.

The current study focuses on evaluating the enzyme inhibition (acetylcholinesterase, α-amylase, α-glucosidase, pancreatin lipase), antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities of the "Modesto" apricot, "Stanley" plum, and their hybrid the "Stendesto" plum-apricot. The "Stendesto" is the only successful plum-apricot hybrid in Bulgaria. A spectrophotometric approach was used to evaluate the antioxidant activity following four complementary assays (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and CUPRAC). The "Stendesto" plum-apricot revealed its enhanced antioxidant potential compared to its parental lines. Apart from the free phenolics extraction, two other techniques (alkaline and acid hydrolysis) were applied to reveal the biological potential of the studied fruit. Not only free but also bound phenolic extracts were able to inhibit α-glucosidase and acetylcholinesterase, while none of the extracts inhibited lipase or α-amylase. None of the apricot extracts had antimicrobial activity, while the other fruit had limited antimicrobial activity. The proposed results undoubtedly reveal that hybrid fruits possess enhanced biological activity compared to their parents. This is a first comprehensive evaluation of hybrid fruits with reference to parental lines. This makes them an interesting research topic that should be better explored.

Insights and Perspectives on Plant-Based Beverages.

The emerging demand for everyday food substitutes is increasing on a daily basis. More and more individuals struggle with allergies and intolerances, which makes it mandatory to provide alternatives for simple products like dairy milk. Plant-based beverages (PBBs) are currently trending due to the multiple diets that promote their consumption with or without a justification. PBBs can derive from various types of plants, not exclusively nuts. Some of the most well-known sources are almonds, soy, rice, and hazelnuts, among others. In view of the need for sustainable approaches to resource utilization and food production, novel sources for PBBs are being sought, and those include fruit kernels. The plant kingdom offers a palette of resources with proven bioactivity, i.e., containing flavonoids, phenolic acids, vitamins, carotenoids, and phenolics, among others. Many of these beneficial substances are water soluble, which means they could be transferred to the plant beverage compositions. The current review aims at comparing the vast number of potential formulations based on their specific nutritional profiles and potential deficiencies, as well as their expected health-promoting properties, based on the raw material(s) used for production. Special attention will be given to the antinutrients, usually abundant in plant-based sources.

Valorization of Peels of Eight Peach Varieties: GC-MS Profile, Free and Bound Phenolics and Corresponding Biological Activities.

Sustainability, becoming essential for food processing and technology, sets goals for the characterization of resources considered as food waste. In this work, information about the GC-MS metabolites of peach peels was provided as a tool that can shed more light on the studied biological activities. In addition, distribution patterns and contribution of the chemical profile and free and bound phenolic compounds as antioxidant, antimicrobial, and enzymatic clusters in peach peels of different varieties of Bulgarian origin were studied. The two applied techniques (alkaline and acid hydrolysis) for releasing the bound phenolics reveal that alkaline hydrolysis is a better extraction approach. Still, the results indicate the prevalence of the free phenolics in the studied peach peel varieties. Total phenolics of peach wastes were positively correlated with their antioxidant activity. The antioxidant activity results certainly defined the need of an individual interpretation for each variety, but the free phenolics fractions could be outlined with the strongest potential. The limited ability of the peels' extracts to inhibit α-amylase and acetylcholinesterase, and the moderate antimicrobial activity, on the other hand, indicate that the potential of peach peels is still sufficient to seek ways to valorize this waste. Indeed, this new information about peach peels can be used to characterize peach fruits from different countries and/or different food processes, as well as to promote the use of this fruit waste in food preparation.

Impact of Agronomic Treatments on the Enzymatic Browning of Eggplants (Solanum melongena L.).

Enzymatic browning could negatively affect the sensory and nutritional properties of eggplants post-harvest. Polyphenols, polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are three material conditions involved in enzymatic browning. This paper seeks to evaluate the effect of fertilization techniques and grafting on the activity of PPO and colorimetric parameters in cultivated eggplants. Fertilization alone significantly increased the PPO activity in all eggplant fleshes (p ≤ 0.05), whereas the grafting technique combined with fertilization decreased the PPO activity in most of the samples significantly (p ≤ 0.05). Moreover, there was a significant positive correlation between the PPO activity and the a* values of the eggplants. The a* values in grafted eggplants were significantly different from each other (p ≤ 0.05), showing that grafting the fertilized eggplants could be effective in controlling the enzymatic browning. The eggplant slices exposed to air for 60 min at room temperature showed a significant increase (p ≤ 0.05) in PPO activity, browning index (BI), total color difference (ΔE), and a*, b*, and c* values. Thus, it is necessary to minimize the exposure time of the slices to air at room temperature, even if combining fertilization techniques with grafting could delay the enzymatic browning in fresh-cut eggplants.

Chlorophylls as Natural Bioactive Compounds Existing in Food By-Products: A Critical Review.

Chlorophylls are a group of naturally occurring pigments that are responsible for the green color in plants. This pigment group could have numerous health benefits due to its high antioxidant activity, including anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-obesity properties. Many food by-products contain a high level of chlorophyll content. These by-products are discarded and considered environmental pollutants if not used as a source of bioactive compounds. The recovery of chlorophylls from food by-products is an interesting approach for increasing the sustainability of food production. This paper provides insight into the properties of chlorophylls and the effect of different treatments on their stability, and then reviews the latest research on the extraction of chlorophylls from a sustainable perspective.

The α-Amylase and α-Glucosidase Inhibition Capacity of Grape Pomace: A Review.

The concept of functional foods is gaining more importance due to its role in maintaining a healthy status and preventing some metabolic diseases. The control of diabetes, in particular type-2 (T2DM), could be considered a big challenge since it involves other factors such as eating habits. From the pharmacological point of view, inhibiting digestive enzymes, such as α-amylase and α-glucosidase, is one of the mechanisms mainly used by synthetic drugs to control this disease; however, several side effects are described. For that reason, using bioactive compounds may appear as an alternative without presenting the complications synthetic drugs available on the market have. The winemaking industry generates tons of waste annually, and grape pomace (GP) is the most important. GP is recognized for its nutritional value and as a source of bioactive compounds that are helpful for human health. This review highlights the importance of GP as a possible source of α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitors. Also, it is emphasized the components involved in this bioactivity and the possible interactions among them. Especially, some phenolic compounds and fiber of GP are the main ones responsible for interfering with the human digestive enzymes. Preliminary studies in vitro confirmed this bioactivity; however, further information is required to allow the specific use of GP as a functional ingredient inside the market of products recommended for people with diabetes.

Oxidative Stress Response of Probiotic Strain Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum GT15.

Bifidobacterium is a predominant and important genus in the bacterial population of the human gut microbiota. Despite the increasing number of studies on the beneficial functionality of bifidobacteria for human health, knowledge about their antioxidant potential is still insufficient. Several in vivo and in vitro studies of Bifidobacterium strains and their cellular components have shown good antioxidant capacity that provided a certain protection of their own and the host's cells. Our work presents the data of transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic analyses of the growing and stationary culture of the probiotic strain B. longum subsp. longum GT15 after exposure to hydrogen peroxide for 2 h and oxygen for 2 and 4 h. The results of the analysis of the sequenced genome of B. longum GT15 showed the presence of 16 gene-encoding proteins with known antioxidant functions. The results of the full transcriptomic analysis demonstrated a more than two-fold increase of levels of transcripts for eleven genes, encoding proteins with antioxidant functions. Proteomic data analysis showed an increased level of more than two times for glutaredoxin and thioredoxin after the exposure to oxygen, which indicates that the thioredoxin-dependent antioxidant system may be the major redox homeostasis system in B. longum bacteria. We also found that the levels of proteins presumably involved in global stress, amino acid metabolism, nucleotide and carbohydrate metabolism, and transport had significantly increased in response to oxidative stress. The metabolic fingerprint analysis also showed good discrimination between cells responding to oxidative stress and the untreated controls. Our results provide a greater understanding of the mechanism of oxidative stress response in B. longum and the factors that contribute to its survival in functional food products.

HS-SPME-GC-MS Volatile Profile Characterization of Peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) Varieties Grown in the Eastern Balkan Peninsula.

The volatile compounds of eight peach varieties (Prunus persica L.)-"Filina", "Gergana", "Ufo-4", "July lady", "Laskava", "Flat Queen", "Evmolpiya", and "Morsiani 90"-growing in Bulgaria were analyzed for the first time. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis and the HS-SPME technique revealed the presence of 65 volatile compounds; the main identified components were aldehydes, esters, and fatty acids. According to the provided principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), the relative quantities of the identified volatile compounds depended on the studied peach variety. The results obtained could be successfully applied for the metabolic chemotaxonomy of peaches.