Natural products of plant origin, which include essential oils (EO) could be used as a growth inhibitor of pathogenic and spoilage microflora in food. The objective of this study was to determine the antibacterial and antioxidant activity of 21 EO against 10 species isolated from freshwater fish. The chemical composition of EO was determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The disc diffusion method and detection of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) were used for the determination of the antimicrobial activity. All the EO tested exhibited antimicrobial activity, however, EO was the most effective against spp. both according to the disc diffusion and MIC methods. The EOs of, , and showed the highest antioxidant activity of 93.86 μg, 83.47 μg, 76.74 μg and 74.28 μg TEAC/mL. Application of EO could be an effective tool for inhibition of growth of spp. on fish.

No abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of sage and rosemary essential oils (EO) on microbiota of fresh chicken breast. Sample treatments were stored without packaging, vacuum-packaged, vacuum-packaged with EDTA 1.5% v/w, sage and rosemary EO treatment 0.2% v/w. Assessment of food quality was done by anaerobic plate count (APC), and Enterobacteriaceae, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and Pseudomonas spp. counts a period of 16 days of storage at 4 ± 0.5 °C. Bacterial species were identified with a MALDI TOF MS Biotyper. Antimicrobial activity of isolates against both EO were tested. The APC varied from 2.97 log CFU/g to 6.81 log CFU/g, LAB from 2.35 log CFU/g to 3.36 log CFU/g and Enterobacteriaceae from 0.00 log CFU/g on day 0 to 4.77 log CFU/g with the highest counts on day 16 and in control unpackaged samples. Pseudomonas spp. was found only on days 0, 4, 8, and 12, with counts from 0.00 log CFU/g on day 16 to 2.89 log CFU/g on day 4 in control unpackaged samples. APC were represented by Staphylococcus and Kocuria, LAB with Lactobacillus and Enterobacteriaceae with Buttiauxella, Escherichia, Hafnia, Serratia and Yersinia. The Pseudomonas genus was represented by ten species. The best antimicrobial effect on APC, Enterobacteriaceae, LAB and Pseudomonas was achieved by application of EO. The results suggest the potential use of Salvia officinalis L. and Rosmarinus officinalis L. EOs as natural food preservatives and potential sources of antimicrobial ingredients in the food industry.

Plant oils and fats are important and necessary components of the human nutrition. They are energy source and also contain fatty acids - compounds essential for human health. The aim of this study was to evaluate nutritional quality of selected plant oil - olive, rapeseed, pumpkin, flax and sesame; based on fatty acid composition in these oils. Fatty acids (MUFA, PUFA, SFA) were analyzed chromatography using system Agilent 6890 GC, injector multimode, detector FID. The highest content of saturated fatty acids was observed in pumpkinseed oil (19.07%), the lowest content was found in rapeseed oil (7.03%), with low level of palmitic and stearic acids and high level of behenic acid (0.32%) among the evaluated oils. The highest content of linoleic acid was determined in pumpkinseed (46.40%) and sesame oil (40.49%); in these samples was also found lowest content of α-linolenic acid. These oils have important antioxidant properties and are not subject to oxidation. The richest source of linolenic acid was flaxseed oil which, which is therefore more difficult to preserve and process in food industry. In olive oil was confirmed that belongs to the group of oils with a predominantly monosaturated oleic acid (more than 70%) and a small amount of polysaturated fatty acid. The most commonly used rapeseed oil belongs to the group of oils with the medium content of linolenic acid (8.76%); this oil also showed a high content of linoleic acid (20.24%). The group of these essentially fatty acids showed a suitable ratio ∑n3/n6 in the rapessed oil (0.44).

The current study was designed to enhance the functionality of white bread by replacement of wheat flour with different levels (1%, 2%, 5%, and 8%) of grape seeds micropowder (GSMP) with nanosized particles (10 µm). Chemical composition of GSMP, volume and sensory attributes, evaluated with the panel of evaluators and an electronic nose (e-nose) and an electronic eye (e-eye) were investigated in the tested breads. It has been found out that GSMP contained appreciable amounts of flavonoids including catechin, epicatechin, gallic acid and minerals especially, Ca, K and Mg. The data from rheological analysis showed that the addition of GSMP (mainly at 5% and 8% levels) to the wheat flour had a positive effect on dough manifesting with rheology by increased dough stability. The volume of the experimental breads (above 1% concentration) was demonstrably declined (P < 0.0001) in comparison with the control bread. Sensory rating revealed that the bread fortified with 1% GSMP was judged by the consumer panelists as the most acceptable with the highest scores for all quality attributes which was also confirmed by the data of e-nose and e-eye. Our results suggest for the first time that 1% GSMP addition appears to be a promising functional ingredient to improve bread with required qualitative and sensory properties.

Herbal phytochemicals have recently become an attractive subject for scientists in many different research areas. The aim of this study was to determine antioxidant activity, total polyphenol and flavonoid content of apple juice enriched by water herbal extracts. Secondary was to evaluate sensory characteristic of enriched apple juice. It was found that applications of water herbal extracts to apple juice increase antioxidant activities, and also total polyphenol and flavonoid content with compare to pure apple juice. The highest biological activities were detected in apple juice with addition of lemon balm (14.42 mg TEAC/L; 84.38 mg TEAC/L; 50.88 mg GAE/L; 36.26 μg QE/L, oregano (14.92 mg TEAC/L; 79.97 mg TEAC/L; 50.51 mg GAE/L; 31.02 μg QE/L) and salvia (8.40 mg TEAC/L; 30.40 mg TEAC/L; 23.33 mg GAE/L; 27.67 μg QE/L) water extract. Sensorial analysis of samples showed, that enriched juices had better properties for evaluators with compared to pure juice. The aim of this study was also to mention the potential use of medicinal herbs in food industry, because plant bioactive compounds can play an important role in preventing cardiovascular diseases, cancers and reduction inflammatory action.

No abstract

Fibre is an important component of diet and nutrition and is one of the groups of biologically important substances consumed in insufficient quantity. One possibility to increase its intake is to enrich with fibre the food consumed in significant quantities, such as bread and pastries. The aim of this experimental work was to verify the influence of the addition of commercially produced potato fibre Potex to wheat flour and to evaluate the changes in physical properties of subsequently prepared doughs. The addition of 1%, 3%, 5% and 7% of Potex has been chosen and rheological properties were evaluated by the means of E-Farinograph (consistency, water absorption, dough development time, stability and degree of softening), Extensograph-E (resistance to extension, maximal resistance to extension, extensibility, extensibility maximum and energy dough), and Amylograph-E (beginning of gelatinization, viscosity, maximum of gelatinization). The addition of Potex depending on the amount changed the physical dough properties: above 3% of addition significantly increased the beginning of gelatinization and with increasing addition the maximum of gelatinization has increased. Based on the evaluation of farinograph curves it can be concluded that the addition of Potex increased water absorption of composite flours, prolonged dough development time and dough stability. Extensograph measurements showed, with increasing addition of Potex the decrease in dough extension. All doughs were easy to process and with the suitable amount of addition their satisfactory parameters could be maintained. From a technological point of view, the addition of fibre (Potex) up to 3% was fully acceptable and did not significantly alter the rheological properties of processed doughs.