The use of fruit extracts for production of beverages with high antioxidative activity

Free radicals and reactive oxygen species can cause many diseases of the circulatory and nervous system as well as tumors. There are many ways of preventing and treating these diseases including the consumption of products that contain significant amounts of antioxidant compounds, such as polyphenols and antioxidative vitamins. However, currently food stores offer mainly convenient food, ready-to-eat foodstuffs or highly processed products. During numerous technological treatments they have been deprived of many valuable compounds occurring in fresh products. Therefore, an important element of the food production technology is to ensure a proper composition of valuable human health-promoting compounds, mostly vitamins, minerals and polyphenols in final food product. Consumers often and willingly drink beverages. They are also a good starting base for supplementation. Drinks can be enriched with polyphenols, which may reduce the risk of lifestyle diseases, owing to their antiradical potential. The aim of this study was to use the fruit extracts for beverages enrichment in order to increase their antioxidative potential and polyphenol content. For the experiment the fruits of Cornelian cherry, lingonberry, elderberry, hawthorn and Japanese quince were used. Fruit was extracted with 80% ethanol, and then thickened by distillation under reduced pressure. Extracts were used to enrich the apple, orange and grapefruit beverages. Antioxidative activity and total polyphenols content in final beverages were determined. Also, sensory analysis was carried out. The fortification of tested beverages resulted in an increased antioxidative activity and total polyphenol content in case of all applied fruit extracts. Among the beverages composed, the best antioxidative properties were found in a beverage of red grapefruit, whereas the best organoleptically evaluated was the orange beverage. The scores of on the sensory evaluation revealed that the addition of extracts from Japanese quince fruit (in the case of apple and orange beverages) and lingonberry extract (grapefruit beverage) were preferred than the other samples

Possible Side Effects of Polyphenols and Their Interactions with Medicines

Polyphenols are an important component of plant-derived food with a wide spectrum of beneficial effects on human health. For many years, they have aroused great interest, especially due to their antioxidant properties, which are used in the prevention and treatment of many diseases. Unfortunately, as with any chemical substance, depending on the conditions, dose, and interactions with the environment, it is possible for polyphenols to also exert harmful effects. This review presents a comprehensive current state of the knowledge on the negative impact of polyphenols on human health, describing the possible side effects of polyphenol intake, especially in the form of supplements. The review begins with a brief overview of the physiological role of polyphenols and their potential use in disease prevention, followed by the harmful effects of polyphenols which are exerted in particular situations. The individual chapters discuss the consequences of polyphenols’ ability to block iron uptake, which in some subpopulations can be harmful, as well as the possible inhibition of digestive enzymes, inhibition of intestinal microbiota, interactions of polyphenolic compounds with drugs, and impact on hormonal balance. Finally, the prooxidative activity of polyphenols as well as their mutagenic, carcinogenic, and genotoxic effects are presented. According to the authors, there is a need to raise public awareness about the possible side effects of polyphenols supplementation, especially in the case of vulnerable subpopulations

The Impact of Compounds Extracted from Wood on the Quality of Alcoholic Beverages

The production of some alcoholic beverages very often requires the use of wood from various tree species to improve the quality parameters (smell, taste, and color) of the drink. The review discusses the types of wood used in the production of wines, beers, and flavored vodkas. Changes occurring in wood during the process of toasting barrels or wood chips are described. The compounds derived from wood that shape the aroma, taste, and color of alcoholic beverages are presented. Depending on their origin, they were classified into compounds naturally occurring in wood and those formed as a result of the thermal treatment of wood. Next, the influence of the presence of wood on the quality of alcoholic beverages was described, with particular emphasis on wine, beer, whisky, and brandy. The final part of the article presents innovative techniques using wood to impart qualitative features to alcoholic beverages

Influence of the Aging of Apple Wines with Oak Chips on the Quality and Sensory Parameters of the Wines

This study investigated the effect of the oak chips added at different dosages and stages of apple wine production on its oenological, antioxidant and sensory properties. In the study, medium-toasted or heavily-toasted oak chips (at a concentration of 3 or 6 g/L) and ethanol extracts prepared from them (at a dose of 1 or 2 mL/100 mL) were used. Basic oenological parameters (OIV), total polyphenol content (Folin-Ciocalteu method), antioxidant activity (ABTS assay), color (CIELAB) and organoleptic assessment of the wine were evaluated. Although the use of chips had no significant effect on the ethanol content and wine extract, it caused a significant change in volatile acidity. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of the wines correlated closely with the concentration of polyphenolic compounds and these parameters were significantly higher after contact with medium-toasted chips. The apple wines had high values of lightness and yellow color, and the addition of chips did not significantly affect the color parameters (CIELAB). In the sensory assessment, the control wine (without chips) received the lowest scores, while significantly higher scores were given to the wine with the addition of 6 g/L of heavily-toasted chips, which was characterized by intense smoky, toasty, woody and vanilla notes

The Utilisation of Acrylamide by Selected Microorganisms Used for Fermentation of Food

Acrylamide (AA) present in food is considered a harmful compound for humans, but it exerts an impact on microorganisms too. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of acrylamide (at conc. 0–10 µg/mL) on the growth of bacteria (Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5) and yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces lactis var. lactis), which are used for food fermentation. Moreover, we decided to verify whether these microorganisms could utilise acrylamide as a nutritional compound. Our results proved that acrylamide can stimulate the growth of L. acidophilus and K. lactis. We have, to the best of our knowledge, reported for the first time that the probiotic strain of bacteria L. acidophilus LA-5 is able to utilise acrylamide as a source of carbon and nitrogen if they lack them in the environment. This is probably due to acrylamide degradation by amidases. The conducted response surface methodology indicated that pH as well as incubation time and temperature significantly influenced the amount of ammonia released from acrylamide by the bacteria. In conclusion, our studies suggest that some strains of bacteria present in milk fermented products can exert additional beneficial impact by diminishing the acrylamide concentration and hence helping to prevent against its harmful impact on the human body and other members of intestinal microbiota

The Utilisation of Acrylamide by Selected Microorganisms Used for Fermentation of Food

Acrylamide (AA) present in food is considered a harmful compound for humans, but it exerts an impact on microorganisms too. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of acrylamide (at conc. 0–10 µg/mL) on the growth of bacteria (Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5) and yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces lactis var. lactis), which are used for food fermentation. Moreover, we decided to verify whether these microorganisms could utilise acrylamide as a nutritional compound. Our results proved that acrylamide can stimulate the growth of L. acidophilus and K. lactis. We have, to the best of our knowledge, reported for the first time that the probiotic strain of bacteria L. acidophilus LA-5 is able to utilise acrylamide as a source of carbon and nitrogen if they lack them in the environment. This is probably due to acrylamide degradation by amidases. The conducted response surface methodology indicated that pH as well as incubation time and temperature significantly influenced the amount of ammonia released from acrylamide by the bacteria. In conclusion, our studies suggest that some strains of bacteria present in milk fermented products can exert additional beneficial impact by diminishing the acrylamide concentration and hence helping to prevent against its harmful impact on the human body and other members of intestinal microbiota