Natural antioxidants have gained interest for their role in preventing lipids oxidation. The goals of this investigation were to study the antioxidant potential of carrot (Daucus carota), grape (Vitis vinifera) leaf and turmeric (Curcuma longa) powder extracts and to evaluate their addition as natural antioxidants in biscuits. Physical and chemical properties of biscuit were evaluated during processing and storage. Electrophoretic properties of biscuit dough were carried out to understand the impact of different extracts on the processing of biscuits. Biscuits prepared with 1 % (w/w) grape leaves ethanol (70 %) extract (GLE), carrot aqueous extract (CE), and tumeric aqueous extract (TE) were acceptable. Among extracts, TE was found to retain only 11.2 % activity, wherein GLE had retained 51.0 % activity after baking, which was comparable to butylated hydroxyanisole and better than tertbutylhydroquinone (TBHQ). TBHQ was found to possess the highest activity, followed by GLE, TE and CE, respectively. The ash content of biscuits enriched with TE and GLE was near to that of the control sample. Addition of CE, GLE and TBHQ reduced the force required for breakage. After 15 days of storage, PV was increased in all samples, but in the case of GLE-enriched sample there was a sudden increase in PV from 0.034 to 0.374. Supportive electrophoresis study indicated that there was no change in the protein subunits of biscuit dough fro different samples. It could be concluded that GLE, CE and TE might be used in biscuit baking as natural antioxidants.

In the present study, an attempt was made to investigate the in vitro antioxidant, anticancer, and antibacterial activities of Delonix regia, then in vivo evaluate its safety as a natural colorant and sweetener in beverages compared to synthetic colorant and sweetener in rats, then serve the beverages for sensory evaluation. Delonix regia flowers had high protein, polysaccharide, Ca, Na, Mg, K, and Fe contents. The Delonix regia pigment extract (DRPE) polysaccharides were separated and purified by gel permeation chromatography on Sephacryl S-200, characterized by rich polysaccharides (13.6 g/L). The HPLC sugar profile detected the monosaccharides in the extracted polysaccharides, composed of mannose, galactose, glucose, arabinose, and gluconic acid, and the structure of saccharides was confirmed by FTIR, which showed three active groups: carbonyl, hydrocarbon, and hydroxyl. On the other hand, the red pigment constituents of DRPE were detected by HPLC; the main compounds were delphinidin and cyanidin at 15 µg/mL. The DRPE contained a considerable amount (26.33 mg/g) of anthocyanins, phenolic compounds (64.7 mg/g), and flavonoids (10.30 mg/g), thus influencing the antioxidant activity of the DRPE, which scavenged 92% of DPPH free radicals. Additionally, it inhibited the population of pathogenic bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocyogenes, Salmonella typhimurum, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, in the range of 30–90 μg/mL, in addition to inhibiting 85% of pancreatic cancer cell lines. On the in vivo level, the rats that were delivered a diet containing DRPE showed regular liver markers (AST, ALP, and ALT); kidney markers (urea and creatinine); high TP, TA, and GSH; and low MDA, while rats treated with synthetic dye and aspartame showed higher liver and kidney markers; lowered TP, TA, and GSH; and high MDA. After proving the safety of DRPE, it can be safely added to strawberry beverages. Significant sensorial traits, enhanced red color, and taste characterize the strawberry beverages supplemented with DRPE. The lightness and redness of strawberries were enhanced, and the color change ΔE values in DRPE-supplemented beverages ranged from 1.1 to 1.35 compared to 1.69 in controls, indicating the preservative role of DRPE on color. So, including DRPE in food formulation as a natural colorant and sweetener is recommended for preserving health and the environment.