Valorization on the Antioxidant Potential of Volatile Oils of Lavandula angustifolia Mill., Mentha piperita L. and Foeniculum vulgare L. in the Production of Kefir

Abstract

(1) Background: Natural antioxidants are health products found in many plants and may have a therapeutic effect on various diseases caused by oxidative stress. The purpose of this research is the antioxidant analysis of some kefir samples enriched with volatile oils extracted from three aromatic plants; (2) Methods: The volatile oils were extracted from lavender, fennel and mint. Four samples of kefir were made: kefir enriched with encapsulated lavender volatile oil, kefir enriched with encapsulated mint volatile oil, kefir enriched with encapsulated fennel volatile oil and a control sample without volatile oils. The analysis took place in three periods of storage: on the first day, on the 10th day and the 20th day; (3) Results: The antioxidant activity of kefir samples had decreased during the storage. The kefir sample with fennel and lavender volatile oil had the highest antioxidant activity, while the control sample had the lowest activity; (4) Conclusions: We can conclude that the volatile oils add value to the finished product.

Sensory, textural, physico-chemical and enzymatic characterization of melted cheese with added potato and carrot peels

“…One repetition was made for each sample. Following the texture analyses, two textural characteristics are measured: firmness and consistency ( 36 ).…”

“…The tasting was carried out on the first day, 15th day, 30th day, 45th day and 60th day of storage of the melted cheese products. The processing of the obtained results was performed using a non-numerical method based on several multi-person approval criteria described by Fadhil et al in 2017 and 2020 ( 36 – 38 ).…”

Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oils Extracted from Apiaceae Family Plants

“…The balance between free radicals and antioxidants within the human body is crucial for the healthy functioning of the body. Imbalance between antioxidants and reactive oxygen species may lead to many negative consequences [9]. The exposure of the human body to reactive oxygen species can result in oxidative stress which can eventually lead to lipid peroxidation, protein glycation or oxidation and nitration, enzyme inactivation, and DNA damage.…”

Natural Polymers as Carriers for Encapsulation of Volatile Oils: Applications and Perspectives in Food Products

“…Interest in this topic was continued in 2022 and 2023, investigating the effect of peppermint, fennel, and lavender oil on cow’s milk kefir. Figure 2 shows the process of obtaining and encapsulating the volatile oil used by Tita et al [ 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 ].…”

“…This resulted in an innovative dairy product with high nutritional value and health benefits for the consumer. Figure 3 shows samples of yoghurt and kefir with encapsulated volatile oil obtained by Tita et al [ 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 ].…”