Search Results (650)

This study examined the effects of adding herbs, spices, and fruits into fermented Olympus Mountain tea (Sideritis scardica) kombucha using thyme honey as a sweetener. This study evaluated how these additions affected the tea’s physical, chemical, and functional characteristics. Two different enrichments were proposed: a “Golden Mountain tea and honey Kombucha” (KG) with fresh ginger, turmeric powder, and lemon zest and juice and a “Red Mountain tea and honey Kombucha” (KR) with dried hibiscus calyces, rose petals, and lavender blossoms. In KR, the levels of vitamin C increased from 33.2 ± 2.7 to 48.4 ± 4.5. Additionally, the levels of calcium increased from 31.0 ± 1.2 to 55.7 ± 1.2, while the levels of potassium practically doubled from 64.7 ± 0.6 to 115.7 ± 2.5. An increased potassium concentration was observed in KG, and ionic iron was found for the first time after both enrichments. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents, along with antioxidant capacity, as assessed by the ABTS and DPPH methods, were found to be substantially enhanced in KR. In KG, the total phenolic content increased, together with antioxidant activity, as assessed by ABTS. Enrichment with hibiscus calyces, rose petals, and lavender blossoms significantly increased inhibitory effects against α-amylase, α-glucosidase, acetylcholinesterase, and butyrylcholinesterase. On the other hand, enrichment with ginger, turmeric, and lemon zest and juice decreased inhibitory effects against α-glucosidase and increased those against α-amylase, acetylcholinesterase, and butyrylcholinesterase. KR had the strongest enzyme-inhibiting activity, with its α-glucosidase-inhibiting activity increased by approximately 18 times. Therefore, enrichment with selected herbs, spices, and fruits can transform fermented Olympus Mountain tea kombucha sweetened with honey into a novel beverage with enhanced functional properties. Full article

Craft beer quality is the result of the complex interactions among ingredients. The purpose of this work was to assess the influence of combinations of cereal mixtures, yeast strains, and sucrose added for the refermentation in bottle on the physico-chemical and sensory characteristics of the resulting beers in order to maximize their antioxidant content and overall quality. More in depth, brewing trials were carried out with 16 combinations of 2 cereal mixtures (made of 60% malted barley/40% unmalted durum or soft wheat), 4 oenological Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains (17290 and 14061 isolated from Negroamaro; 9502 and 9518 from Susumaniello musts), and 2 concentrations of sucrose for refermentation (6 and 9 g/L). If maximizing the total phenolic content is the goal, the best beers were those obtained from the mixtures containing durum wheat and fermented by S. cerevisiae 17290 and 14061. Instead, the best sensory results were obtained from brewing the mixture containing the unmalted common wheat and fermented by S. cerevisiae 9518 thanks to their persistent foam; high turbidity, alcohol content, effervescence, and body; and low saltiness and sourness. The physico-chemical and sensory quality of beers were mainly affected by the cereal mixtures and secondarily by yeasts. The quantity of sucrose added for refermentation affected only CO₂, residual sugar, and foam. Full article

Volatile compounds contribute to aroma and flavor, these being the main sensory attributes in food acceptance. This work addresses the physicochemical, volatile compounds, polyphenols, and flavonoids content and, antioxidant activity of apple-raspberry (90/10%) juice treated by thermal and ultraviolet radiation (UV-C) alone or in combination with moderate heat-treatment. Nineteen volatile compounds were identified which experienced changes depending on the treatment. Compounds such as α-ionone and β-ionone, that contribute to raspberries characteristic aroma, were present in a greater concentration in the UV-C treatment and lower in the thermal treatment. Likewise, 2-methyl butyl acetate, which give a fruity-sweet aroma typical of apples was present in a greater concentration in the UV-C treatment. Regarding polyphenol content, control and combined treatment presented the greater concentrations. However, after twenty days of storage, control and combined treatment presented the lower flavonoid concentration. Nevertheless, at this time, treatments showed no variations in antioxidant activity. Yeast and mold and total aerobic mesophilic and psychrophilic counts were reduced in the heat and combined treatments. In conclusion, UV-C and moderate heat might successfully be used to process a stable apple-raspberry juice while maintaining its quality and safety. Full article

Pulsed electric field (PEF) processing of white grapes (Arinto, Moscatel Graúdo also known as Moscatel de Setúbal) before pressing for must extraction (1.2 and 1.6 kV/cm) and before bottling for finished wine physical stabilization (10 kV/cm) was implemented in a pilot-scale winery to produce about 540 L of wine for each variety. PEF was applied at these two different stages of wine production, and its effects on the sensory and physico-chemical quality of the wines were investigated. The sensory triangle tests revealed no significant change in both wine varieties’ colour, odour, and taste with PEF extraction and PEF stabilization treatments. However, for colour coordinates assessed with a spectrophotometer, a significant increase in CIE b* colour coordinate was registered for PEF-extracted Arinto and Moscatel wine samples, showing a development of a more intense yellow colour. Concerning physico-chemical quality parameters, the PEF extraction increased both wine varieties’ turbidity and pH, although total acidity was not affected. The total phenols also increased in Arinto with extraction. The second PEF treatment applied for wine stabilization did not affect any of the quality parameters, except total phenols, which decreased in Moscatel wine. The results encourage the application of PEF in the wineries at different stages of vinification of white wine grape varieties. Full article

This investigation aimed to assess how the somatic cell count (SCC) impacts milk production and the physicochemical quality of milk, including the effects of centrifugation and microfiltration on SCCs and the yield of fresh cheese. Milk production was analysed at different somatic cell counts (SCCs) to observe how centrifugation and microfiltration affected the removal of SCs from the milk and the yield of fresh cheese. Tukey’s test was employed at a 5% significance level to compare the chemical composition of the milk, milk production, and fresh cheese yield when using microfiltered and/or centrifuged milk. Milk with an SCC of ≤200,000 somatic cells (SCs) per mL exhibited higher yields. Although centrifugation and microfiltration influenced milk fat content, total dry extract and SCC, they did not impact fresh cheese yield. It is important to note that these processes reduced the fat content and SCC, making skim milk a potential option for future research studies. Full article

Kava is the traditional intoxicating beverage of the Pacific with mild sedative and muscle relaxant effects, which are attributed to a group of compounds known as kavalactones. This paper aims to evaluate the quality of kava sold in the local markets of Fiji through the quantification of the six major kavalactones in kava root bundles and powdered kava packages using ethanolic extracts and HPLC. It was found in this work that kava root bundles contain mainly noble kava roots with a total kavalactone content of 8–13%; kavain had the highest concentration among kavalactones and kavain, methysticin, and yangonin together represented 69–71% of the total kavalactone content. Adulteration via mixing noble kava roots with those of non-noble kava with a relatively high dihydrokavain and dihydromethysticin content has also been observed. Powdered kava products were found to contain lower amounts of kavalactones (3–5%) with a less favorable kavalactone profile than those of root bundles, possibly due to mixing roots, rhizomes, and/or basal stems. The findings of this work, namely the variation in kavalactone content and profile in marketed products, indicate the need for rigorous quality control and quality indicators on kava commodities. Suggestions to include quantitative measures in the previously proposed chemical standardization code are also presented. Full article

Sparging is a technique to remove an excess of dissolved oxygen from the wine with inerting gases before bottling to avoid negative consequences for its chemical and sensory properties. However, its effectiveness on these properties has not been studied in depth. This work investigates the effectiveness of different inerting gases (N₂, CO₂, and argon) in removing dissolved oxygen in different volumes of a model wine. The efficacy of these gases was also studied in white and red wine, as was their effect on the physicochemical characteristics. Sparging with N₂ in the model wine gave the best results in terms of cost–benefits, and with CO₂ the worst. The scaling in tanks of different sizes allowed us to establish that the N₂ expenditure ranged between 0.09 L and 0.23 L of gas per liter of model wine, establishing an index (L_gas/L_wine) that can be very useful for wineries to remove the dissolved oxygen. Sparging treatments in white and red wine showed very similar results to the model wine. The effect on the chemical properties of the wines was, in some cases, different for white and red wine and for each gas used. The incorporation of oxygen and the subsequent sparging produced a significant loss of some volatile compounds of sensory interest and increased the content of others that have a negative sensory effect. In addition, it had a negative effect on the chromatic properties of red wines. Full article

Recently, “minor” cereals have been gaining interest due to their distinctive characteristics, not only in terms of nutritional and health potential, but also because of their hardiness. To date, the use of several of these cereals for the production, both at artisan and industrial level, of foods such as pasta and bakery products has already been well established, whereas their investigation for the production of malt and beer has been more limited. In this work, a preliminary analysis of the malting aptitude of einkorn, tritordeum, food-grade sorghum and teff was evaluated. Grain quality parameters that influence the processes of malting and transformation into alcoholic beverages were evaluated, i.e., thousand-kernel weight, test weight, total protein and starch content, falling number, germination capacity, germination energy and amylase activity. Grain analyses showed, on average, satisfactory values for alcoholic fermented beverage production in all the cereal species examined (mainly in tritordeum), whereas the amylase activity of the malts produced was lower than that revealed in barley malt. Fermented drinks derived from these minor cereals, therefore, could be interesting for the light and gluten-free beer markets. Full article

Tisane is a fruit or herbal infusion, commonly referred to as herbal tea. These products are consumed as part of a balanced diet, which is closely related to the trend of a healthier lifestyle. In this work, tisanes prepared from rosehip (R), and herbal mixtures containing rosehip/hibiscus flowers (R/H) and rosehip/hibiscus flowers/saffron (R/H/S) were studied. Rosehip was dried by the convective drying method at 40, 50 and 60 °C. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total flavonol content (TFlC), total anthocyanin content (TAC), antioxidant properties (DPPH^∙ and ABTS^∙+ assays) and in vitro inhibitory potential toward α-amylase of tisanes were examined. The highest TPC (based on dry weight (dw)) was measured in tisane obtained from rosehip dried at 60 °C (37.84 mg GAE/g dw). Tisanes prepared from a R/H/S mixture had the highest values of TFC (4.66–6.13 mg QUE/g dw), TFlC (2.67–3.98 mg QUE/g dw) and TAC (1.35–2.27 mg Cy 3-glc/g dw). The highest DPPH^∙ scavenging activity (53.42 mg TE/g dw) was measured in rosehip (dried at 60 °C) tisane, whereas tisane prepared from a rosehip (dried at 60 °C)/hibiscus mixture expressed the best ABTS^∙+ scavenging activity (107.44 mg TE/g dw). All tisane samples expressed high inhibitory potential toward α-amylase, with the highest activity of 85.03% and 89.90%, measured for tisanes prepared from rosehip/hibiscus flowers mixture (rosehip dried at 50 and 60 °C, respectively). Full article

‘Bulletproof Coffee’, a popular beverage composed of coffee, grass-fed butter, and medium-chain triglyceride oil, has gained significant attention for its purported benefits including cognitive enhancement, increased alertness and energy, appetite suppression, and improved metabolic outcomes. However, the scientific evidence supporting these claims remains limited. This review aims to evaluate the evidence and determine the validity of claims regarding Bulletproof Coffee. Studies published between 2010–2023 were retrieved and evidence pertaining to cognition, alertness and energy, hunger and satiety, serum cholesterol, and gastrointestinal tolerance and Bulletproof Coffee were evaluated. The findings suggest that the current evidence base is small, and overall, there is weak or insufficient evidence to support the claimed benefits of Bulletproof Coffee. In particular, there were no significant improvements in cognition, alertness, or energy levels from Bulletproof Coffee compared to regular coffee. The impact on hunger, satiety, resting energy expenditure, and fat oxidation appeared equivocal, with effects offset by the additional calorie intake of Bulletproof Coffee. Further research with more rigorous study designs, larger sample sizes, diverse populations, and standardized methodologies are required in addition to an examination of potential health risks associated with regular Bulletproof Coffee consumption. Full article

Background: Risky alcohol consumption (RAC) can lead to alcohol-related liver disease (ALD). Liver cirrhosis caused by ALD continues to increase as alcohol consumption continues unabated. In turn, the elderly are more sensitive to alcohol. Population ageing calls for preventive activities to improve their health. Brief interventions have proven to be cost-effective in addressing risk behaviours. Aim: We aimed to analyse the prevalence of RAC in people > 64 years and to assess the effect of a brief intervention in the subgroup of risky consumers. Methods: population-based study in two phases: (1) Phase I: Cross-sectional, descriptive multicentre study of prevalence of RAC in people > 64 years. (2) Phase II: Cluster randomized, controlled, single-blind, community-based clinical trial with two comparison groups of subjects with RAC, to assess the effectiveness of a brief intervention compared to standard practice in reducing alcohol consumption in primary care. Results: Out of the 932 subjects, 455 (49%) (268 men (64%) and 187 women (36%)) had an alcohol consumption that was considered to be risky. Overall, the brief intervention was effective in reducing alcohol consumption showing 1.8 OR (p = 0.030). That effect was caused by women whose group showed 3.3 OR (p = 0.009). There was no effect on men (p = 0.468). Conclusions: RAC in the elderly is very high, far more in men than in women. A brief intervention was successful in reducing alcohol consumption but not below risk levels. Further research is needed to determine which types of interventions are most effective in this population subgroup. Full article

Mezcal is an alcoholic beverage obtained by distilling musts and juices fermented by spontaneous or cultivated microorganisms, which are extracted from ripe stems of cooked Agaves and harvested in Mexico. Both raw material and production practices differ markedly between producing regions, locations, and even factories, resulting in a very distinctive set of products. The state of Oaxaca is the top producer worldwide of mezcal, and 35,000 families are involved in the production of this aromatic alcoholic beverage. Fermentation is the most important stage of mezcal production and is performed by different yeast and bacteria. In this study, the yeast strains were isolated from fermentation containers of four mezcal factories (palenques) in Oaxaca. Taxonomic determination was verified by ITS, and an analysis of the biotechnological process through personal interviews and principal component analysis was performed. Eighteen different isolates of eight different genera (Candida, Clavispora, Meyerozyma, Metarhizium, Pichia, Saccharomyces, Torulaspora, and Yarrowia) were identified. According to the biotechnological process analysis and principal component analysis, the artisanal palenques (palenques 1, 3, and 4) are more like each other than and differ radically from palenque 2, which is where the artisanal process has changed towards technical production. Full article

Excessive sugar consumption is a risk factor for becoming overweight. Due to the increase in consumer nutritional awareness, functional beverages with reduced caloric content have attracted great interest in recent years. The current state of knowledge on the feasibility of using low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS) as substitutes for traditional sugar in the production of functional beverages while maintaining their osmolality properties is limited. Selected sweeteners were examined for the presence of five selected macronutrients (calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, and sulfur) and iron by ICP-OES, osmolality, total dissolved solids (TDS), and electrical conductivity (EC) in their solutions. The obtained results formed the basis for evaluating the applicability of the studied sweeteners in the production of functional beverages. Full article

The escalating production of processed prickly pear products has led to a substantial rise in waste materials, particularly peel, which is rich in bioactive chemicals and holds the potential for value-added product development. However, the high perishability of these peels imposes effective preservation techniques. So, this work aimed to explore the potential of prickly pear peels from O. ficus-indica ‘Rossa’, ‘Gialla’, and ‘Bianca’ cultivars for the production of Opuntia beverages, namely infusions. To achieve this goal, two distinct drying methods, namely microwave drying and a food dehydrator, were employed with the latter method, resulting in the higher recovery of phenolic compounds (0.5 mg_GAE/mL vs. 0.16 mg_GAE/mL) and the higher antioxidant capacity of the resulting infusions. Additionally, various steeping conditions involving water temperatures of 80, 90, and 100 °C were assessed to maximize the levels of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity. The results demonstrate that the better overall drying method temperature and steeping conditions for the food dehydrator were at 35 °C and boiling water (100 °C) due to its generally better results and practicality. Sensorial trials revealed that the three infusions were generally accepted (score > 7.20 out of 9) but that O. ficus-indica ‘Rossa’ received the highest ratings. This study offers valuable insights for optimizing drying methods and steeping conditions to preserve and enhance the bioactive compounds and antioxidant potential in prickly pear peel infusions, promoting their sustainable utilization as functional ingredients in food and nutraceutical applications. Full article

The contamination and spoilage of heat-treated fruit juices by heat-resistant mold ascospores present significant challenges to the food industry. Understanding effective strategies to mitigate this contamination is vital for ensuring the shelf-life and microbial safety of heat-treated fruit juices. This study investigated the thermal resistance of ascospores from different heat-resistant mold species, including Aspergillus laciniosus, A. chevalieri, A. denticulatus, A. siamensis, Hamigera pallida, and Talaromyces macrosporus, isolated from pineapple and sugarcane field soils. Ascospores inactivation kinetics in pineapple juice under heat treatment (75–97 °C) were analyzed using log-linear and Weibull models. Among these species, A. laciniosus displayed the highest heat resistance (δ-value: 104.59 min at 85 °C), while A. siamensis exhibited the lowest (δ-value: 3.39 min at 80 °C). Furthermore, A. laciniosus, the most heat-resistant species, showed notable tolerance to sanitizers. The most effective inactivation was achieved using 1.0% (w/v) sodium hypochlorite for 15 min. Chlorine dioxide, however, was generally ineffective and even activated dormant ascospores in some cases. The combination of hot water (65 °C for 5 min) with sanitizer increased ascospore reduction in most species but did not achieve the 3-log reduction required by the European Standard N13697. This study revealed a correlation between ascospore resistance to heat and chlorine dioxide, offering significant findings for practical inactivation strategies. Full article