Search

Aiming to improve the quality of cocoa, preconditioning of cocoa after harvesting and before fermentation has become an on-farm processing step of great interest in recent times. The present work aimed to evaluate the influence of a pre-drying process on the volatile composition of Ecuadorian bulk (Forastero and CCN-51) and fine-flavour (ETT103 and LR14) cocoa at the end of primary processing. A total of 63 volatile compounds including aldehydes, alcohols, acids, ketones, esters, terpenes, lactones and other miscellaneous compounds were identified in cocoa samples by HS-SPME-GC-MS. The use of a pre-drying step revealed a varietal homogenization and a reduction in the fermentation time, making this preconditioning step an inexpensive and attractive option for farmers. Moreover, different varietal behaviour was observed after pre-drying, the fine-flavour varieties obtaining a clear improvement in aromatic quality with higher levels of compounds imparting positive notes. Spanish Government IJC2018-036207-I , Junta de Andalucia EMERGIA20_00144, POST-DOC_21_00914, Competitive Fund for Scientific and Technological Research "FOCICYT" PFOC-08-39-2021 info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in the formation of biogenic amines and free fatty acids occurring during the manufacturing process of a traditional salt-dried product based on yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares. (Protected Geographical Indication – Mojama). Histamine levels found in all stages of the manufacturing process did not exceed the maximum limits established in the European Commission (100–200 mg/kg) and US Food and Drug Administration (50 mg/kg) regulations. Yellowfin tuna fillets could be classified as lean fish flesh, presenting 1.18% fat on average. An increment in the free fatty acid fraction was evidenced along the manufacturing process, ranging from 10.37% of the total lipids in fresh loins to 16.88% in the dry-cured fillet product. High levels of unsaturated free fatty acids were observed, arising from phospholipids' degradation in the muscle. The results indicated that the traditional processing method of this salt-dried tuna product inhibits and minimizes most undesirable effects and maintains food safety, ensuring the quality of this high added-value product highly appreciated as gourmet food.

The impact of drought stress induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG) on morphological, physiological, (bio)chemical, and biological characteristics of

Phenolic compounds are secondary plant metabolites known to be one of the most important sources of natural antioxidants in the human diet [...]

Camellia genus (Theaceae) is comprised of world famous ornamental flowering plants. C. japonica L. and C. sasanqua Thunb are the most cultivated species due to their good adaptation. The commercial interest in this plant linked to its seed oil increased in the last few years due to its health attributes, which significantly depend on different aspects such as species and environmental conditions. Therefore, it is essential to develop fast and reliable methods to distinguish between different varieties and ensure the quality of Camellia seed oils. The present work explores the study of Camellia seed oils by species and location. Two standardized gas chromatography methods were applied and compared with that of data obtained from proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR) for fatty acids profiling. The principal component analysis indicated that the proposed 1H-NMR methodology can be quickly and reliably applied to separate specific Camellia species, which could be extended to other species in future works.

Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) pod is a characteristic fruit from the Mediterranean regions. It is composed by seeds, the valuable part due to the extraction of locust bean gum, and the pulp, considered a by-product of the fruit processing industry. Carob pulp is a mixture of macro- and micronutrients, such as carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and secondary metabolites with functional properties. In the last few years, numerous studies on the chemical and biological characteristics of the pulp have been performed to encourage its commercial use. Its potential applications as a nutraceutical ingredient in many recipes for food and beverage elaborations have been extensively evaluated. Another aspect highlighted in this work is the use of alternative processes or conditions to mitigate furanic production, recognized for its toxicity. Furthermore, carob pulp’s similar sensorial, chemical and biological properties to cocoa, the absence of the stimulating alkaloids theobromine and caffeine, as well as its low-fat content, make it a healthier potential substitute for cocoa. This paper reviews the nutritional and functional values of carob pulp-based products in order to provide information on the proclaimed health-promoting properties of this interesting by-product UIDB/05183/2020 info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

The present study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of different natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) on the extraction of phenolic compounds from Lavandula pedunculata subsp. lusitanica (Chaytor) Franco, on the antioxidant activity, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and tyrosinase (Tyr) inhibitory capacities. Ten different NADES were used in this research and compared with conventional solvents. Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) for 60 min proved to be the best extraction condition, and proline:lactic acid (1:1) and choline chloride:urea (1:2) extracts showed the highest total phenolic contents (56.00 ± 0.77 mgGAE/gdw) and antioxidant activity [64.35 ± 1.74 mgTE/gdw and 72.13 ± 0.97 mgTE/gdw in 2.2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2.20 -azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) methods, respectively]. These extracts also exhibited enzymes inhibitory capacity particularly against Tyr and AChE. Even so, organic acid-based NADES showed to be the best extractants producing extracts with considerable ability to inhibit enzymes. Twenty-four phenolic compounds were identified by HPLC-HRMS, being rosmarinic acid, ferulic acid and salvianolic acid B the major compounds. The results confirmed that the combination of UAE and NADES provide an excellent alternative to organic solvents for sustainable and green extraction, and have huge potential for use in industrial applications involving the extraction of bioactive compounds from plants. Grant SFRH/BD/145243/2019, UIDB/05183/2020 info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

BACKGROUND: Mentha pulegium is an aromatic and medicinal plant used in different Mediterranean herb-based liqueurs, whose phytochemical composition depends on the elaboration technique used. The aim of this work was to investigate differences in the sensory, chemical, and biological characteristics of pennyroyal liqueurs elaborated by hydro-alcoholic (HI) and aqueous (AI) infusions, percolation (P), maceration (M), and distillation (D) techniques, and by the mixture of spirit with pennyroyal essential oil (EO). The volatile composition determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography coupled to flame ionization detection (GC-FID), the total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid (TFC) contents, the antioxidant (AC), and enzyme (alpha-glucosidase, tyrosinase, and acetylcholinesterase) inhibitory capacities, and the sensory analysis by napping, were evaluated in the liqueurs obtained. RESULTS: Monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes were the main volatiles present in liqueurs. The M, P, HI, and AI liqueurs showed the highest TPC, TFC, and AC values; and pulegone, the main hepatotoxic chemotype, was found in concentrations that gave rise to concern. The D and EO liqueurs stand out for their acceptable pulegone content and greater tyrosinase inhibition. Similar liqueur classifications were achieved by sensory analyses, and physico-chemical and biological analyses using multiple factor and principal component analyses, respectively. CONCLUSION: These results are an important contribution to the identification of the most appropriate elaboration conditions for herbal liqueurs with the healthiest chemical composition and functional properties. (c) 2020 Society of Chemical Industry INTERREG - MD.NET: When Brand Meets People project; National Funds through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology [UIDB/05183/2020, UIDB/04326/2020]; FCTPortuguese Foundation for Science and TechnologyEuropean Commission [SFRH/BPD/103086/2014, SFRH/BD/145243/2019, DL 57/2016/CP1361/CT0022] info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Camellia genus (Theaceae) is comprised of world famous ornamental flowering plants. C. japonica L. and C. sasanqua Thunb are the most cultivated species due to their good adaptation. The commercial interest in this plant linked to its seed oil increased in the last few years due to its health attributes, which significantly depend on different aspects such as species and environmental conditions. Therefore, it is essential to develop fast and reliable methods to distinguish between different varieties and ensure the quality of Camellia seed oils. The present work explores the study of Camellia seed oils by species and location. Two standardized gas chromatography methods were applied and compared with that of data obtained from proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-NMR) for fatty acids profiling. The principal component analysis indicated that the proposedH-NMR methodology can be quickly and reliably applied to separate specific Camellia species, which could be extended to other species in future works., This research was funded by grants from the Xunta de Galicia and Deputación de Pontevedra (DEPO: 20/413.4123.221.36, Spain). Raquel R.S. was supported by Juan de la Cierva– Incorporation contract, from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities (IJC2018- 036207-I). We thank the Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (University of La Rioja) for financial support (Biomol–Camelia 2020–2022). Authors also thank to the Ministry of Science and Innovation from Spain (grant number PID2020-114821RB-100).

The use and production of chemical compounds are subjected to strong legislative pressure. Chemical toxicity and adverse effects derived from exposure to chemicals are key regulatory aspects for a multitude of industries, such as chemical, pharmaceutical, or food, due to direct harm to humans, animals, plants, or the environment. Simultaneously, there are growing demands on the authorities to replace traditional in vivo toxicity tests carried out on laboratory animals (e.g., European Union REACH/3R principles, Tox21 and ToxCast by the U.S. government, etc.) with in silica computational models. This is not only for ethical aspects, but also because of its greater economic and time efficiency, as well as more recently because of their superior reliability and robustness than in vivo tests, mainly since the entry into the scene of artificial intelligence (AI)-based models, promoting and setting the necessary requirements that these new in silico methodologies must meet. This review offers a multidisciplinary overview of the state of the art in the application of AI-based methodologies for the fulfillment of regulatory-related toxicological issues. This article is categorized under: Data Science > Chemoinformatics Data Science > Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning.

Fig fruits (Ficus carica L.) are used in several Mediterranean countries to produce alcoholic spirits, with either plurivarietal dried figs or, monovarietal fresh figs as the raw material. To determine the influence of different varietal attributes and production methods on the quality of fig spirits, we analyzed the volatile compounds that contribute to the aroma and organoleptic characteristics of spirits derived from eight Portuguese varieties of fresh figs, as well as mixtures of dried figs processed in the laboratory and plurivarietal fig spirits already in the market. The quantification of major and minor volatiles by GC-FID revealed that the plurivarietal dried fig spirits contained greater quantities of short-chain fatty acid esters and higher alcohols (associated with poor-quality spirits) and compounds with a negative influence on aroma and flavor (such as ethyl lactate, ethyl acetate and diethyl succinate) than the fresh fig spirits. HS-SPME/GC–MS analysis detected 130 volatile compounds, among which the esters ethyl decanoate, ethyl octanoate and ethyl dodecanoate, the aldehydes benzaldehyde and furfural, the monoterpene limonene and the norisoprenoide β-damascenone were common constituents in most of the spirits. The volatile profile of all dried fig distillates was similar and diverse, reflecting the plurivarietal origin, whereas the monovarietal fresh fig spirits produced distinct profiles (sufficient for varietal chemical differentiation), with Burjassote branco distillates containing the greatest number of volatile compounds. This volatile analysis provides a way to determine the quality of fig spirits objectively and to develop spirits with novel characteristics for the market.

Thymus lotocephalus G. Lopez & R. Morales is an aromatic species endemic to the south of Portugal with medicinal properties. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of elicitors, cytokinin, and different sucrose concentrations on chemical composition and antioxidant activity of extracts from in vitro regenerated shoots. Elicitors (YE: yeast extract, salicylic acid, and AgNO3) were added directly to the medium. Phytochemical analysis include evaluation of total phenolic (TPC), flavonoid (TFC), and rosmarinic acid (RAC) contents. The TPCs and TFCs were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride calorimetric assays, respectively. Rosmarinic acid (RA), the main compound found in the studied extracts, was quantified by liquid chromatography-photodiode array detector. Results showed that the cytokinin benzyladenine has an inhibitory effect on TPC, TFC and RAC, as well as on antioxidant activity. TPC was only significantly improved by the presence of YE (from 95.49 +/- 3.34 to 118.34 +/- 6.24 mg(GAE)/g(extract)) and TFCs were not affected by elicitation. The increase in sucrose concentration, from 2 to 4%, and the three elicitors tested, particularly YE, enhanced RACs (from 48.61 +/- 0.09 in the control medium to 78.57 +/- 0.99 mg/g(extract) in YE-elicited medium). In accordance with these results, the antioxidant activity measured by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays was significantly greater in extracts from elicited shoots. Overall, the results obtained suggest that shoots of T. lotocephalus are a good source of antioxidant compounds and showed that the production of RA can be promoted by altering in vitro culture conditions. project INTERREG - MD.Net: When Brand Meets People Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), PortugalPortuguese Foundation for Science and Technology [SFRH/BPD/103086/2014] info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

We are gratefulto the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for the financial support of this work (project CTQ2015-71436-C2-1-R), which has partial financial support from the FEDER funds of the European Union and to Laffort for providing the samples of oak fragments. Dr Jose Manuel Salgado was supported by the grant SFRH/BPD/84440/2012 from Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia–FCT, Portugal.

BACKGROUND: Herbal liqueurs are alcoholic beverages produced by the maceration or distillation of aromatic and medicinal plants in alcohol, and are also highly valued for their medicinal properties. The process conditions, as well as the number and quantity of the plants employed, will have a great influence on the quality of the liqueur obtained. The aim of this research was to optimize these important variables. RESULTS: A Box–Benhken experimental design was used to evaluate the independent variables: alcohol content, amount of plant and time during the experimental maceration of plants in grape marc distillate. Four plants were assessed, with the main compound of each plant representing the dependent variable evaluated with respect to following the evolution of the maceration process. Bisabolol oxide A in Matricaria recutita L., linalool in Coriander sativum L. and eucalyptol in Eucalyptus globulus Labill. were quantified using a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector. Glycyrrhizic acid in Glycyrrhiza glabra L was determined using a high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector. Other dependent variables were also evaluated: total phenolic content, color parameters and consumer preference (i.e. appearance). CONCLUSION: The experimental designs allowed the selection of the optimal maceration conditions for each parameter, including the preference score of consumers: 70% (v/v) of ethanol, 40 g L −1 plant concentration and a maceration process of 3 weeks. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry Supporting information may be found in the online version of this article.

BACKGROUND The production of the traditional carob liquor from Algarve (Portugal) depends on numerous factors such as carob processing, variety and maceration conditions. An experimental design with 36 runs was created to evaluate the effect of the roasting temperature, particle size, variety of carob and time of maceration on several parameters of carob liquors as gallic acid and total phenolic content, the furanic composition (furfural and 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural), browning index and in vitro antioxidant capacity. RESULTS The results revealed that carob variety was the independent variable with the greatest effect on antioxidant capacity, total phenolic and gallic acid content. In particular, AIDA liquors presented the highest results, mainly those prepared with unroasted carob. Meanwhile, Galhosa and Mulata liquors showed the greatest concentrations when the carob pulp was roasted at 150 °C. The furanic composition and browning index were greatly influenced by the carob roasting degree. CONCLUSION The levels of the main toxic furanics present in carob liquors, furfural and 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural, suggest a safe consumption of these beverages even in samples of carobs with the maximum roasting degree. The smallest carob particle size favoured the highest phenolic extraction, while the longest maceration periods decreased the concentration of the toxic furanic compounds studied., This work was supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Grant no. SFRH/BPD/103086/2014)and by the project INTERREG - MD.Net: When Brand Meets People. José Manuel Salgado was supported by grant CEB/N2020 – INV/01/2016 from Project“BIOTECNORTE- Under pinning Biotechnology to foster the north of Portugal bioeconomy” (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004)., info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Monovarietal red wines from Caino da Terra, Caino Longo, Caino Bravo and Caino Redondo grape varieties were analysed in order to determine the volatile composition in terms of fermentative compounds. The wines were also sensorially evaluated with the aim of defining their sensory profile based on the descriptive attributes provided by a panel. Significant analytical and sensorial differences were found among the four wine cultivars. The wine from the Caino Redondo cultivar showed a lower content for the majority of the aromatic compounds, whereas wines from Caino Longo and Caino da Terra cultivars were the most aromatic ones with higher contents in ethyl esters and acetates. Odour activity values (OAV) for all volatile compounds identified were calculated and classified into seven odorant series, fruity, floral, sweet and fatty being the series with higher contribution to the aroma profile of the evaluated wines. Based on the individual odour thresholds, wines from Caino Longo were the most aromatic, owing to the higher OAV values found for the majority of the volatiles analysed, mainly ethyl esters. Principal component analysis accounted for 81.19% of the variance, thus showing a good separation of the wine cultivars according to the volatile compounds. Copyright © 2015 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling

The present work reports investigation on phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity and enzyme inhibitory activities (acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, tyrosinase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase) of different extracts from two Moroccan Asteraceae species; Bubonium imbricatum Cav. and Cladanthus arabicus (L.) Cass. B. imbricatum extracts contained the highest amounts of phenolics and flavonoids, and also exhibited higher antioxidant activity. In this species, the highest total phenolic (1611.13 ± 14.23 μmolGAE/gextract) and flavonoid (376.11 ± 8.22 μmolQE/gextract) contents were observed in aqueous-methanol extract obtained by maceration. Further, UHPLC–MS analysis of C. arabicus and B. imbricatum extracts revealed the presence of several flavonoids (diosmetin, luteolin, apigenin 7-glucoside, and apigenin) and phenolic acids (benzoic, protocatechuic, p-coumaric, gallic, vanillic, caffeic, ferulic and isochlorogenic acids). The antioxidant activity of the extracts was dependent of the extraction process and solvent used. Aqueous-methanol extract of B. imbricatum prepared by maceration showed the highest activity with DPPH, ABTS and FRAP tests (respectively: IC50 = 8.53 ± 0.38 μg/ml, 3461.8 ± 9.38 μmolTE/gextract and 3281.6 ± 47.43 μmolAAE/gextract). The results indicated that most of the tested extracts or essential oils exhibited activity towards the tested enzymes. Overall, the results obtained in this work indicated the two Moroccan species studied, particularly B. imbricatum, as valuable sources of natural agents beneficial for human health.

Carob liqueur is a traditional alcoholic beverage manufactured by maceration of plurivarietal carobs with plant-based ethyl alcohols. The main purpose of this research was to investigate the influence of the carob variety and different pod processing processes, on the antioxidant capacity (AC) and total phenolic content (TPC) of the final liquor (fruit macerated in 45% v/v of alcohol). For this, pods from three carob varieties characteristic from the Algarve region were tested: Galhosa, Mulata and AIDA. Fig distillate was the fruit-based ethanol used. The maceration time (one or three weeks), the particle size (flour or pieces) and three roasted degrees (unroasted, 120 °C and 150 °C), were the studied processing variables. Ferric Reducing Ability of Plasma (FRAP) and DPPH free radical scavenging methods were used to measure the AC of the liquors and the TPC was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method.

Three different techniques: the classical gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and two “green” alternative techniques to the classical chromatography, the spectroscopic techniques Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and dispersive-Raman were employed to characterize the main chemotypes of different essential oils from plants of the Lamiaceae family and to compare between techniques. Gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) was also employed to quantify the main compounds present in essential oils isolated by hydrodistillation (HD) and semi-quantify essential oil composition isolated by HD and simultaneous steam distillation – solvent extraction (SDE). While GC cannot differentiate between pure and mixed chemotypes of a compound, FT-IR, and Raman methods allow the creation of libraries, through which chemotype determination is feasible even for mixed chemotypes, thus combining robustness with being rapid and non-destructive techniques.

Introduction Plants from the Lamiaceae family have been known traditionally for their beneficial health-promoting properties, attributed to their anti-inflammatory, anaesthetic and anti-microbial effects. Objective The purposes of this study was to characterise the essential oils from four Lamiaceae plants by applying different extraction techniques. Methods Accelerated solvent (ASE), Soxhlet and supercritical fluid (SFE) extraction methods were compared for their efficiency in obtaining the essential oils from plants. The volatile compounds were identified by GC–MS and the main chemotype was quantified by GC with flame ionisation detection (FID). Phenolic compounds were identified and quantified by HPLC and electrospray ionisation (ESI) with MS/MS. Results The essential oils Mentha piperita (ct. menthol/menthone), Rosmarinus officinalis L. (ct. eucalyptol/camphor) and Origanum vulgare (ct. carvacrol/thymol), whereas Thymus vulgaris L. was found to be a pure chemotype (ct. thymol). All three extracts also contained six phenolic compounds. The highest extraction yields were achieved by the Soxhlet and ASE techniques, with M. piperita and R. officinalis L. producing the highest concentrations of rosmarinic and carnosic acids. Finally, it was observed that M. piperita and O. vulgare produced the highest total phenolic content, whereas R. officinalis L. and T. vulgaris L. produced the highest anti-oxidant activity. Conclusion The ASE and Soxhlet extraction techniques presented the highest yields of volatile and phenolic compounds, showing their suitability to characterise the chemical profile of aromatic plants. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Orujo is the name of the Galician (NW of Spain) grape marc distillate. The usual way of Orujo consumption is as young brandy due to the lack of knowledge about the most appropriate type of barrel for aging and the high cost of the final product. However in the past years, demand for this aged distillate has increased. This manuscript has a double aim: contribute to the analytical characterization of this traditional beverage in terms of mineral constituents and evaluate the influence of the species of wooden barrel in the mineral content. Analyses were performed by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (Cu, Mn, Zn, Fe, Ca and Mg), flame atomic emission spectrophotometry (Na and K) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (Al, Cd and Pb). Orujos aged in Quercus alba showed significant higher value for the majority of metals whereas those aged in Quercus petraea showed the lowest contents. K, Na and Ca were the more abundant minerals in the analyzed distillates. The PCA analysis clearly showed a good separation of samples in terms of mineral constituents. The very low concentrations of all minerals evaluated indicated the good manufactured process and the consumer safety of aged Orujos.

The suitability of two different cultivars of hop for making herb liqueurs was evaluated in the present study. Grape distillate marc was used to macerate the hop (15 g L−1), and headspace-solid phase microextraction was conducted to determine which volatile compounds migrated from the hop flowers to the liqueur. Also, a descriptive sensory analysis and a consumer study were conducted, with 7 herb liqueurs which had different percentages of hop liqueurs, to determine the acceptability of the product and the liking drivers. Saaz cultivar proved to be a good option to improve or develop herb liqueurs, because the samples which had a 10 and 25 % of Saaz liqueur were the most liked for consumers. Samples which had Nugget liqueur resulted too bitter and with an excess of “herb flavor” for consumers, maybe because of the high concentration of phenolic compounds or the presence of high amounts of certain aromatic compounds (e.g., myrcene, humulene). Saaz hop increased the intensity of “aromatic herbs” flavor and decreased the perception of excess of sweetness of the commercial liqueur. The addition of this cultivar could contribute with new aromatic notes to a product, bringing to the liqueur unique characteristics.

Background Hop cones, the immature inflorescences of the female plant of Humulus lupulus L., have been used for centuries to improve the flavor of beer and can be also used for a great variety of other products. Four samples of hop, belonging to three different cultivars (Nugget, Saaz and Perle), were studied in the present work. Headspace solid-phase microextraction and hydrodistillation techniques were used to obtain the volatile profiles of the samples. Results Independent of the technique employed, over 40 volatile compounds were detected in the hop pellet samples (esters, monoterpenes, monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpenoids). Sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpenoids represented the majority of the total aromatic compounds. The main compounds for all cultivars were myrcene, β-caryophyllene and humulene, but the presence of high amounts of β-farnesene in Saaz cultivar was highlighted. Conclusion Both techniques were suitable for studying qualitatively the volatile composition of hop pellets, but some differences were shown when studying the proportion of the main constituents of the volatile profiles. Understanding these differences may help researchers design future studies to advise the industry how to exploit the potential of each hop cultivar. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry

Twenty-eight commercial herb liqueurs, elaborated by maceration of aromatic and medicinal plants in grape marc distillate, were analysed. Thirty-two volatile compounds were identified and quantified by gas chromatographymass spectrometry, whereas seven phenols were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. All compounds showed significant differences among the samples analysed as consequence of the initial composition of the distillate and the plants and spices used in the liqueur elaboration. Of the 32 volatile compounds identified, 18 were considered to be impact odorants (odour activity value ?1) and these were classified into six odorant series. Spice, fruity and floral were the series that contributed the most to the aroma profile of the evaluated liqueurs. A first principal components analysis (PCA) was performed on the concentration of the seven phenols and these accounted for 75.37% of the total variance and a second PCA was performed on the concentration of the 18 impact odorants and these accounted for 60.96% of the total variance; allowing for the classification of the liqueur samples into three different groups., We are grateful to the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for the financial support of this work (project CTQ201571436-C2-1-R), which has partial financial support from the FEDER funds of the European Union. José Manuel Salgado was supported by the grant SFRH/BPD/84440/2012 from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - FCT, Portugal.

This work deals with the screening of seven lignocellulosic residues: chestnut and pistachio shells, grass, leaf fruit, vine leaf, and, red and white grape stems as feedstocks for the release of ferulic acid by sequential pre-treatment with dilute sulfuric acid and alkaline hydrolysis with NaOH. Grass showed the highest concentration of both ferulic acid (312.0 mg/L) and p-coumaric acid (542.7 mg/L). Ferulic acid was further purified from the brown liquor by ethanol extraction, or adsorption with activated charcoal or polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP). Finally, streams coming from these treatments were fermented by Streptomyces setonii after nutrients supplementation in solid state fermentation. Ferulic acid treated with PVPP presented the best results, achieving 92.1 mg/L 4-vinyl guaiacol (3-methoxy 4-hydroxystyrene) after 30 h of fermentation (QP = 3.071 mg/L h; YP/S = 0.44 g/g), thus confirming the efficacy of the materials as renewable feedstocks, and the treatments for producing natural food additives with high add value.

The main physicochemical parameters and sensory profile of commercial aged distillates from grape marc, Orujo, have been determined in this study. Significant differences were obtained for the mean concentration of the chemical parameters determined among the samples analysed. All samples fulfilled the values fixed for each parameter by the corresponding Regulation Council and the values obtained showed differences with respect those obtained for other similar beverages (whisky, rum, cognac) owing to the characteristics of the raw material employed. The results from sensory analysis showed that Orujo aged over 60 months in wooden barrels from Quercus robur reached the highest overall quality, next to the distillate aged over 144 months in Quercus petraea oak wood. The tasters evaluated more positively the species of oak used in the aging process than the time that the distillate remained in contact with the barrel. Samples aged in oak wood from Quercus robur during 60 months and from Quercus petraea during 144 months had a similar sensory profile and obtained a greater intensity in all qualifying parameters. The principal components analysis clearly showed a good separation of the aged Orujo samples in terms of sensory descriptors according to the species and origin of the oak wood employed in the aging process. Copyright © 2012 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling

Herbal liqueurs are alcoholic beverages produced by the maceration or distillation of aromatic and medicinal plants in alcohol, and are also highly valued for their medicinal properties. The process conditions, as well as the number and quantity of the plants employed, will have a great influence on the quality of the liqueur obtained. The aim of this research was to optimize these important variables.A Box-Benhken experimental design was used to evaluate the independent variables: alcohol content, amount of plant and time during the experimental maceration of plants in grape marc distillate. Four plants were assessed, with the main compound of each plant representing the dependent variable evaluated with respect to following the evolution of the maceration process. Bisabolol oxide A in Matricaria recutita L., linalool in Coriander sativum L. and eucalyptol in Eucalyptus globulus Labill. were quantified using a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector. Glycyrrhizic acid in Glycyrrhiza glabra L was determined using a high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector. Other dependent variables were also evaluated: total phenolic content, color parameters and consumer preference (i.e. appearance).The experimental designs allowed the selection of the optimal maceration conditions for each parameter, including the preference score of consumers: 70% (v/v) of ethanol, 40 g L

U ovom su radu tekućinskom kromatografijom velike djelotvornosti uz pomoć detektora koji radi na više valnih duljina (engl. HPLC-MWD) određene koncentracije fenolnih spojeva (derivata benzojeve i cimetne kiseline) u destilatima komine odležanim u hrastovim bačvama vrsta Quercus petraea, Quercus robur i Quercus alba. Uz indeks boje i udjel polifenola, ispitane su i senzorske značajke svih uzoraka. Uočene su bitne razlike u koncentraciji većine fenolnih spojeva u uzorcima destilata komine. Najzastupljenije su bile galna i benzojeva kiselina, a uzorci odležali u bačvama vrste Q. robur iz Galicije (sjeverozapadna regija Španjolske) imali su najveće koncentracije skoro svih fenola. Senzorske su značajke destilata komine odležanih u bačvama vrste Q. robur bile najbolje, a uzorci su odležani u bačvama vrsta Q. petraea i Q. alba dobili slične ocjene. Analizom je osnovnih komponenata utvrđeno da se 88,32 % razlika među uzorcima može pripisati različitoj koncentraciji fenolnih spojeva te karakteristikama boje odležanih destilata, ovisno o vrsti te porijeklu hrastova drva., Phenolic compounds (benzoic and cinnamic acid derivatives) were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with multiple wavelength detector (HPLC-MWD) in grape marc distillates aged in Quercus petraea, Quercus robur and Quercus alba wooden barrels. In addition to colour indices and evaluable polyphenols, all samples were described by sensorial analysis. There were signifi cant diff erences in the mean concentrations of the majority of phenolic compounds among the samples. Gallic and benzoic acids were the most abundant and samples aged in Q. robur from Galicia (NW of Spain) had the highest concentration of most of the determined phenols. Grape marc distillates aged in Q. robur obtained the highest values of all sensorial attributes, whereas samples aged in Q. petraea and Q. alba obtained similar scores. Principal component analysis accounted for 88.32 % of total variance, showing a good separation of aged distillates in terms of phenolic compounds and colour characteristics, according to the species and origin of the oak wood used in the ageing process.

Plants from the Lamiaceae family have been known traditionally for their beneficial health-promoting properties, attributed to their anti-inflammatory, anaesthetic and anti-microbial effects.The purposes of this study was to characterise the essential oils from four Lamiaceae plants by applying different extraction techniques.Accelerated solvent (ASE), Soxhlet and supercritical fluid (SFE) extraction methods were compared for their efficiency in obtaining the essential oils from plants. The volatile compounds were identified by GC-MS and the main chemotype was quantified by GC with flame ionisation detection (FID). Phenolic compounds were identified and quantified by HPLC and electrospray ionisation (ESI) with MS/MS.The essential oils Mentha piperita (ct. menthol/menthone), Rosmarinus officinalis L. (ct. eucalyptol/camphor) and Origanum vulgare (ct. carvacrol/thymol), whereas Thymus vulgaris L. was found to be a pure chemotype (ct. thymol). All three extracts also contained six phenolic compounds. The highest extraction yields were achieved by the Soxhlet and ASE techniques, with M. piperita and R. officinalis L. producing the highest concentrations of rosmarinic and carnosic acids. Finally, it was observed that M. piperita and O. vulgare produced the highest total phenolic content, whereas R. officinalis L. and T. vulgaris L. produced the highest anti-oxidant activity.The ASE and Soxhlet extraction techniques presented the highest yields of volatile and phenolic compounds, showing their suitability to characterise the chemical profile of aromatic plants.

In situ extractive fermentation was used to produce 4-vinyl derivatives from hydroxycinnamic acids extracted from corn cobs by recombinant Escherichia coli cells expressing Lactobacillus plantarum phenolic acid descarboxylase (PAD) gene. This microorganism mainly produced 4-vinylphenol (4VP) from p-coumaric acid (p-CA). In the first study , we observed that the concentrations of 4VP are higher than 1g/L which had a negative impact on decarboxylation of p-CA to 4VP by recombinant E. coli cells. Because of this, and in order to improve the downstream process, a two-phase aqueous-organic solvent system was developed. The results of the extractive fermentation indicated that it was possible to use hydrolyzates as aqueous phase to bioproduce 4VP, and recover simultaneously the product in the organic phase containing hexane. The detoxification of pre-treated corn cob alkaline hydrolyzate improved 4VP production up to 1003.5mg/L after 24h fermentation (QP=41.813mg/Lh). Additionally, preliminary experiments using cells immobilized in calcium alginate showed to be a good system for the biotransform of p-CA to 4VP in extractive fermentation, although the process hindered partially the recovery of 4VP in the organic phase. © 2014 Elsevier Inc., Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for the financial support of this work (CTQ2011-28967 and AGL2011-22745 projects), which has partial financial support from the FEDER funds of the European Union. J.M.S. is grateful for Postdoctoral fellowship (SFRH / BPD / 84440 / 2012) of Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia – FCT.

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Miller) is an aromatic plant used, among other applications, in the production of traditional herbal liqueurs. In this study, essential oils from fennel were extracted applying two techniques, Soxhlet and Accelerated Solvent Extraction (ASE). The extracts obtained were characterized by CG-MS. Taking into account that estragole is the major constituent of fennel and due to recent studies pointed out its possible carcinogenic properties; this compound was also quantified by CG-FID. The quantification method showed good linearity (r2 = 0.998) and precision (RSD < 5%) with low values of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) limits. A Box-Behnken design was used to correlate three independent variables (temperature, contact time sample-solvent and number of cycles) with the amount of estragole extracted. Meanwhile, the response surface methodology was applied to optimize the extraction of estragole by ASE. The optimal conditions were 125 ºC, 7 min and 3 cycles. On the other hand, the Soxhlet technique was studied step-by-step. Two variables were optimized: time (4 and 8 hours) and solvents, according to their polarity. Methanol and 4 hours of extraction showed the best results both qualitatively and quantitatively. Soxhlet technique provides higher performance of extraction and greater amounts of compounds extracted compared to ASE, but similar concentration of estragole. The shorter time of extraction and the lower amount of solvent used justify the ASE technique choice to characterize fennel essential oils., We are grateful for the financial support of this work to the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (project CTQ2011-28967) which has partial financial support from the FEDER funds of the European Union. Jose Manuel Salgado is grateful for Postdoctoral fellowship (EX-2010-0402) of Education Ministry of Spanish Government.