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Tofu has a high nutritional value, but it may also contain components that may have an antinutritional effect, such as trypsin inhibitors (TI), lectins and ureases. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the hydrothermal-cooking process of soybean in combination with commercial chymosin-pepsin rennet on the content and activity of TI, urease and lectins in tofu. High total TI content was found in tofu (5.00-16.87%). In addition, Kunitz (KTI = 3.52-4.32%) and Bowman-Birk (BBI = 5.00-12.53%) TI were registered, and BBI was detected in polymeric (1.38-2.71%) and monomeric (3.42-9.82%) forms. TI activity of tofu was very low (5.86-9.34%), corresponding to the very low activity of urease (0.51-3.07%). The percentage of lectin (2.62-4.63%) and urease (0.03-0.12%) in tofu was low. The results showed that the applied tofu production process is very effective in reducing the content and activity of TI, urease and lectin and provides the values without nutritional harmful effect.

Honey is a sweet syrup mixture substance produced by honey bees. Contradictory results have been reported on the influence of organic and conventional beekeeping on the properties of honey. The aim of this research was to determine the potential difference between organically and conventionally produced honey of the same botanical origin (linden, acacia, chestnut, meadow). It was shown that the electrical conductivity (0.16-0.98 mS/cm), optical rotation (-1.00 - (-2.60) [α] D 20 ), pH values (3.30-4.95), free acidity (4.0-9.0 mmol/kg), total content of phenolic (76.5-145.9 μg GAE/g dry weight (d.w.)) and flavonoids (48.7-307.0 μg QE/g d.w.), antioxidant potential, phenolic profile, mineral composition, color (-8.62-126.57 mmPfund) and sensory characteristics, although statistically significant differences were found, were not significantly improved better in the organic samples. All organic honey samples were richer in hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives (60.5-112.1 μg CGAE/g d.w.) compared to conventional honey (56.7-91.1 μg CGAE/g d.w.) of the corresponding botanical origin. The results show that organic beekeeping does not lead to the production of honey with significantly better physicochemical, nutritional and sensory properties compared to conventionally produced honey.

The aim of this study was to identify and characterise different classes of bioactive compounds from freeze-dried red goji berries (RGB) grown in Serbia, using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC Q-ToF MS). In addition, this study aims to demonstrate the importance of applying the advanced UHPLC Q-ToF MS technique in the identification of various biocompounds. The analysis showed the presence of 28 phenolic compounds, 3 organic acids, and 26 phenylamides. The 2-O-β- d -glucopyranosyl- l -ascorbic acid (AA-2βG) was identified by UHPLC Q-ToF MS and quantified by standardised UHPLC-DAD method. Most of the compounds detected were derivatives of caffeic acid and ferulic acid, followed by quercetin derivatives. Among the phenylamides, several glucosylated caffeoyl and/or dihydrocaffeoyl derivatives of spermidine and spermine were characterized, confirming their recent characterization. Some glycosylated/non-glycosylated putrescine derivatives and caffeoyl-dihydrocaffeoyl-feruloyl spermidines were identified in goji berriesfor the first time. Their tentative structures and fragmentations were proposed., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Herein we describe the antioxidant, antimicrobial, antibiofilm, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing potential of aqueous and polysaccharide extracts from three widely appreciated mushrooms: Agrocybe aegerita , Laetiporus sulphureus and Agaricus bisporus . Moreover, we present their detailed phenolic, polysaccharide and protein profiles and ATR-FTIR spectra. The study found that polysaccharide extracts (PEs) from mushrooms had higher total and β -glucan levels than aqueous extracts (AEs), with A. aegerita showing the highest content. L. sulphureus had a higher total protein content, and A. aegerita AE had the highest phenolic content. Our results indicate that all the tested extracts have high potential regarding their bioactive properties, with A. aegerita being the most promising one. Namely, the antibacterial activity assay showed that the development of the skin-infection-causing agent, Staphylococcus aureus , was inhibited with a minimal inhibitory concentration of 4.00 mg/mL and minimal bactericidal concentration of 8.00 mg/mL, while the results regarding wound healing showed that, over the course of 24 h, the A. aegerita extract actively promoted wound closure in the HaCaT keratinocyte cell line model. The anti-inflammatory activity results clearly showed that when we used S. aureus as an inflammation-inducing agent and the A. aegerita aqueous extract in treatment, IL-6 levels reduced to the level of 4.56 pg/mL. The obtained data suggest that the tested mushroom extracts may serve as a source of bioactive compounds, with potential applications in the cosmeceutical, pharmaceutical and food industries. Furthermore, potential skin preparations carefully crafted with mushroom extract may help restore the skin's barrier function, decrease the probability of staph infections and minimize skin irritation.

Food nanoemulsions are known as very effective and excellent carriers for both lipophilic and hydrophilic bioactive compounds (BCs) and have been successfully used for controlled delivery and protection of BCs during gastrointestinal digestion (GID). However, due to sensitive and fragile morphology, BCs-loaded nanoemulsions have different digestion pathways depending on their properties, food matrix properties, and applied models for testing their digestibility and BCs bioaccessibility. Thus, this review gives a critical review of the behavior of encapsulated BCs into food nanoemulsions during each phase of GID in different static and dynamic in vitro digestion models, as well as of the influence of nanoemulsion and food matrix properties on BCs bioaccessibility. In the last section, the toxicity and safety of BCs-loaded nanoemulsions evaluated on in vitro and in vivo GID models have also been discussed. Better knowledge of food nanoemulsions' behavior in different models of simulated GI conditions and within different nanoemulsion and food matrix types can help to standardize the protocol for their testing aiming for researchers to compare results and design BCs-loaded nanoemulsions with better performance and higher targeted BCs bioaccessibility.

The aim of this study was to compile a detailed phytochemical profile and assess the antioxidant properties of bee-collected pollen (PBP) obtained from corn poppy ( Papaver rhoeas L.) plants. To achieve this, a lipid fraction was prepared for quantifying fatty acids using GC-FID. Extractable and alkaline-hydrolysable PBP fractions (obtained from a defatted sample) were used to determine the qualitative and quantitative profiles of phenolic compounds, phenylamides and alkaloids using UHPLC/Q-ToF-MS. Additionally, various spectrophotometric assays (TAC, FRP, CUPRAC, DPPH ⦁ ) were conducted to evaluate the antioxidant properties. Phenolic compounds were more present in the extractable fraction than in the alkaline-hydrolysable fraction. Luteolin was the predominant compound in the extractable fraction, followed by tricetin and various derivatives of kaempferol. This study presents one of the first reports on the quantification of tricetin aglycone outside the Myrtaceae plant family. The alkaline-hydrolysable fraction exhibited a different phenolic profile, with a significantly lower amount of phenolics. Kaempferol/derivatives, specific compounds like ferulic and 5-carboxyvanillic acids, and (epi)catechin 3- O -gallate were the predominant compounds in this fraction. Regarding phenylamides, the extractable fraction demonstrated a diverse range of these bioactive compounds, with a notable abundance of different spermine derivatives. In contrast, the hydrolysable fraction contained six spermine derivatives and one spermidine derivative. The examined fractions also revealed the presence of seventeen different alkaloids, belonging to the benzylisoquinoline, berberine and isoquinoline classes. The fatty-acid profile confirmed the prevalence of unsaturated fatty acids. Furthermore, both fractions exhibited significant antioxidant activity, with the extractable fraction showing particularly high activity. Among the assays conducted, the CUPRAC assay highlighted the exceptional ability of PBP's bioactive compounds to reduce cupric ions.

The aim of this study was to produce an eco-innovative gluten-free bread with a pleasant taste and a unique formulation that includes the highest quality grains and pseudocereals (buckwheat; rice; and millet); and okara; a by-product of soy milk production. The mixture of pseudocereal and cereal flour contained buckwheat flour 45%, rice flour 33%, and millet flour 22%. Three gluten-free breads; each containing different contents of gluten-free flour (90%, 80%, and 70%, respectively); okara (10%, 20%, and 30%, respectively); and a control sample (without okara); were prepared and subjected to sensory evaluation. The okara-enriched gluten-free bread with the highest sensory score was selected for further analysis of physico-chemical (total proteins; total carbohydrates; insoluble fiber; soluble fiber; sugars; total lipids; saturated fatty acids; and salt) and functional properties (total phenolic content and antioxidant properties). The highest sensory scores were obtained for 30% okara-enriched gluten-free bread including taste; shape; odor; chewiness; and cross-section properties; classifying this bread in the category of very good quality and excellent quality (mean score 4.30 by trained evaluators and 4.59 by consumers). This bread was characterized by a high content of dietary fiber (14%), the absence of sugar; low content of saturated fatty acids (0.8%), rich source of proteins (8.8%) and certain minerals (e.g.,; iron; zinc); and low energy value (136.37 kcal/100g DW). Total phenolic content was 133.75 mgGAE/100g FW; whereas ferric reducing power; ABTS radical cation; and DPPH radical scavenging activity were 119.25 mgAA/100g FW; 86.80 mgTrolox/100g FW; and 49.92 mgTrolox/100g FW; respectively. Okara addition in gluten-free bread production enables the formulation of high-nutritive; good antioxidative; low-energy bread; and better soy milk waste management.

Tofu whey is a pale-yellowish liquid with specific aroma/taste which remains as the byproduct/waste after tofu squeezing and represents an environmental problem for direct disposal. Understanding the fresh tofu whey protein composition and the activity of bioactive peptides could be useful for the application of tofu whey as a functional food additive. Tofu whey was obtained during the tofu production from six soybean genotypes by hydrothermal processing in combination with chymosin-pepsin rennet. Basic 7S globulin (14.28-19.13%), γ-conglycinin (7.73-9.31%) and β-conglycinin (10.59-12.90%) were registered of the total extracted proteins. Glycinin was present with a dominant share of acidic (24.64-27.55%) versus basic polypeptides (12.18-14.61%) in the total extracted proteins. High content of total protein (22.67-28.00%), balanced content (9.76-13.33% of the total extracted proteins) and residual activity (1.95-3.76%) of trypsin inhibitors and low lectins content (5.04-5.48% of the total extracted proteins) indicate good nutritional value of the tofu whey samples. Tofu whey can be potentially useful for application as a cheap, nutritional and functional food additive and can enable sustainable production through the recycling of waste.

This study deals with the evaluation of the bioaccessibility and antioxidant properties of phenolic compounds from heat-treated skim goat-milk powder fortified with grape-pomace-seed extract, after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detection and mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD MS/MS) analysis confirmed the abundant presence of phenolic acids and flavan-3-ols in the grape-pomace-seed extract (SE) and heat-treated skim goat-milk/seed-extract powder (TME). After in vitro digestion of TME powder and recovery of total quantified phenolics, flavan-3-ols and phenolic acids were 18.11%, 24.54%, and 1.17%, respectively. Low recovery of grape-pomace-seed phenolics indicated strong milk protein-phenolic interactions. Electrophoretic analysis of a soluble fraction of digested heat-treated skim goat milk (TM) and TME samples showed the absence of bands originating from milk proteins, indicating their hydrolysis during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. The digested TME sample had better antioxidant properties in comparison to the digested TM sample (except for the ferrous ion-chelating capacity, FCC), due to the presence of bioaccessible phenolics. Taking into account the contribution of the digestive cocktail, digested TME sample had lower values of total phenolic content (TPC), in vitro phosphomolybdenum reducing capacity (TAC) and ferric reducing power (FRP), compared to the undigested TME sample. These results could be attributed to low recovery of phenolic compounds. TME powder could be a good carrier of phenolics to the colon; thus, TME powder could be a promising ingredient in the formulation of functional food.

The aim of this study was to investigate the eating behavior of college students and the reasons for consuming traditional food and to compare the motives for choosing traditional food with the research conducted in 6 European countries. This research was conducted using anonymous online questionnaires. The majority of surveyed students are physically active (75%) and live with their families (57.0%), which can have a positive impact on their diet and a lower level of consumption of "fast-food" (17.5%). Respondents have bad habits in terms of consuming cigarettes (65.0%), alcohol (73.0%) and energy drinks (75.0%). Most students consume all regular meals (73.0%). Based on the Body Mass Index (BMI) of respondents, they belong to the categories: underweight (12%), normal weight (34%), pre-weight (17%), obese (37%); however, 55.0% believed to have "ideal weight". The reasons for choose particular food are: it is not genetically modified, it tastes good, it is nutritious, it makes them happy, it was produced/packaged in an environmentally friendly and ethical way, while the price of food is not important. Connection with family (81%) and food being tasty (54%) are the main reasons for consuming traditional food. When buying traditional food, respondents (59%) generally do not check the declaration on the product. These results indicate the need to educate students about the harmfulness of cigarettes, alcoholic and energy drinks, the importance of BMI and declaration on the product. Comparing obtained results with the results in 6 European countries it can be noticed that the answers of the respondents in Serbia were the most similar to those obtained in Poland., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Product authentication is one of the most important food quality assurances. Considering the importance of consumption of berry fruits with proven health-beneficial properties, high sensory values and rich composition in bioactive substances, the aim of this study was to evaluate a straightforward and simple procedure for the protein fingerprinting of berry seeds. For this purpose, protein profiles of 45 samples of genuine berry fruit cultivars (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, black currant, blueberry, gooseberry, chokeberry, cape gooseberry, and gojiberry) were analyzed by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis in combination with advanced chemometric tools. The most important parameters for discrimination among berry seeds were polypeptides at 12.8; 15.1; 25.0; 26.4; 30.0; 41.8; 44.4; 46.0; 48.5; 52.3 and 56.4 kDa. Biomarkers obtained from the protein profile of berry seeds proved to be a powerful tool in the authentication of their botanical origin, as well as for potential detection of berry-based products adulteration., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The aim of this research was phenolics and protein characterization and antioxidant properties evaluation of skimmed thermally treated goat's milk powder enriched with different concentration of grape pomace seed extract (SE). The dominant phenolics in SE were phenolic acids, flavan-3-ols and procyanidins. Different electrophoretic techniques together with UHPLC-MS/MS analysis revealed the presence of phenolics-protein interactions in the samples, mainly procyanidins with whey protein/caseins complexes. Addition of SE into thermally treated goat's milk significantly improved antioxidant properties of goat's milk such as TAC, FRP, DPPH • and ABTS •+ scavenging activity. Gallic acid, catechin, and procyanidins mostly contributed to these activities. The schematic representation of phenolics-casein micelles interactions in thermally treated goat's milk enriched with SE was given. The addition of SE into thermally treated goat's milk can be a promising strategy in food waste recovery and to enhance the beneficial health effects of goat's milk-based functional foods.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of enriching a complex food matrix (FM) with grape extracts on polyphenol content, composition, bioaccessibility and antioxidant activity during digestion. The grape extracts and FM were separately tested under the same conditions as controls. The FM by itself contains a significant amount of phenolic acids and flavonols, influencing the final recovery of polyphenols from grape extracts. The FM significantly increased the total recovery of polyphenols after digestion of grape seed extracts compared to those digested without the FM; however, a low recovery of proantocyanidins and total flavonoids was observed. Digestive fluids and FM compounds significantly increased the total polyphenol content of grape digests and significantly contributed to their ABTS + scavenging activity and ferrous-ion-chelating capacity. The present study suggested that enrichment of meat- and cereal-based products with grape polyphenol extracts could be a good strategy to formulate a healthier diet., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study was aimed at investigating the phytochemical composition and antioxidant capacity of rhizomes, above-ground vegetative parts and flowers of three Iris species: Iris humilis Georgi, Iris pumila L. and Iris variegata L. UHPLC-Orbitrap MS analysis was used for determination of phytochemical profile. Total pigments, phenolics, flavonoids, soluble sugars and starch content as well as ABTS antioxidant capacity were also determined. In total, 52 phenolics compounds were identified with 9 compounds (derivatives of iriflophenone, apigenin C-glycosides, luteolin O-glycoside, isoflavones derivatives of iristectorigenin, dichotomitin, nigracin and irilone) never reported before in Iris spp. Differences in phenolic composition profile, pigments, soluble sugar, starch, total phenolics and flavonoids content and total antioxidant capacity were found among Iris species and different part of plants. Significant correlation between total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity was determined. The obtained results are comparable with those obtained for medical plants. These findings could be useful for fingerprinting characterization of Iris species and estimation of possible use in pharmaceutical industries., (© 2019 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Due to its divergent chemical composition and good nutritional properties, pollen is not only important as a potential food supplement but also as a good substrate for the development of different microorganisms. Among such microorganisms, toxigenic fungi are extremely dangerous as they can synthesize mycotoxins as a part of their metabolic pathways. Furthermore, favorable conditions that enable the synthesis of mycotoxins (adequate temperature, relative humidity, pH, and a w values) are found frequently during pollen collection and/or production process. Internationally, several different mycotoxins have been identified in pollen samples, with a noted predominance of aflatoxins, ochratoxins, fumonisins, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, and T-2 toxin. Mycotoxins are, generally speaking, extremely harmful for humans and other mammals. Current EU legislation contains guidelines on the permissible content of this group of compounds, but without information pertaining to the content of mycotoxins in pollen. Currently only aflatoxins have been researched and discussed in the literature in regard to proposed limits. Therefore, the aim of this review is to give information about the presence of different mycotoxins in pollen samples collected all around the world, to propose possible aflatoxin contamination pathways, and to emphasize the importance of a regular mycotoxicological analysis of pollen. Furthermore, a suggestion is made regarding the legal regulation of pollen as a food supplement and the proposed tolerable limits for other mycotoxins.