Grape Pomace as Innovative Flour for the Formulation of Functional Muffins: How Particle Size Affects the Nutritional, Textural and Sensory Properties

Every year, the winemaking process generates large quantities of waste and by-products, the management of which is critical due to the large production in a limited period. Grape pomace is a source of bioactive compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective and antimicrobial properties. Its chemical composition makes it potentially suitable for preparing high-value food products. The aim of this research was to study the effect of adding grape pomace powder with different particle size fractions (600–425, 425–300, 300–212 and 212–150 m) to the chemical, technological and sensorial characteristics of muffins. The addition of 15% of grape pomace powder, regardless of particle size, led to muffins rich in antioxidant compounds and total dietary fiber (>3/100 g), which could be labelled with the “source of fiber” nutritional claim according to the EC Regulation 1924/2006. As particle size decreased, total anthocyanins, total phenol content and antioxidant activity (evaluated by ABTS and DPPH assays) increased, while muffin hardness and lightness were negatively influenced. The latter observation was confirmed by the sensory evaluation, which also showed that a smaller particle size led to the presence of irregular crumb pores

Effectiveness of Oat-Hull-Based Ingredient as Fat Replacer to Produce Low Fat Burger with High Beta-Glucans Content

Low-fat beef burgers with high beta-glucan content was obtained using a gel made from an oat-hull-based ingredient as fat replacer. Two levels of fat substitution were considered: 50% (T1) and 100% (T2). The nutritional composition, cooking yield, textural properties, color characteristics and consumer preference were evaluated, in comparison with a burger without fat replacer (CTRL). After cooking, T2 burger showed a significant increase in the cooking yield and a very low lipid content (3.48 g 100 g-1) as well as a level of beta-glucans per single portion (2.96 g 100 g-1) near the recommended daily intake. In T1 burger, the decrease of lipid content was mitigated during the cooking process, because the beta-glucans added had a fat-retaining effect. Compared to CTRL, replacing fat led to a softer texture of cooked burgers evaluated by Texture Profile Analysis. The differences in color, significant in raw burgers, were smoothed with cooking. The consumer evaluation, carried out according to the duo-trio test, highlighted significant differences between CTRL and T2 burgers in terms of odor, taste, color and texture. The consumers expressed a higher preference for the T2 burger, probably due to its softer texture and greater juiciness

Physical and Thermal Evaluation of Olive Oils from Minor Italian Cultivars

Authentication of extra virgin olive oils is a key strategy for their valorization and a way to preserve olive biodiversity. Physical and thermal analysis have been proposed in this study as fast and green techniques to reach this goal. Thirteen extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) obtained from minor olive cultivars, harvested at three different ripening stages, in four Italian regions (Abruzzo, Apulia, Sardinia, and Calabria) have been studied. Thermal properties, viscosity and color, as influenced by fatty acid composition and chlorophyll content, have been investigated. The thermal curves of EVOOs, obtained by differential scanning calorimetry, were mostly influenced by the oleic acid content: a direct correlation with the cooling and heating enthalpy and an indirect correlation with the cooling transition range were observed. The minor fatty acids, and particularly arachidic acid, showed an influence, mostly on the heating thermograms. Viscosity and color showed respectively a correlation with fatty acids composition and chlorophyll content, however they didn’t result able to discriminate between the samples. Thanks to the principal component analysis, the most influencing thermal parameters and fatty acids were used to cluster the samples, based on their botanical and geographical origin, resulting instead the harvesting time a less influential variable

Evolution of VOC and Sensory Characteristics of Stracciatella Cheese as Affected by Different Preservatives

Undesired volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can negatively affect the flavor of fresh food products; especially those characterized by a mild and delicate aroma. Finding connections between chemical and sensory analyses is a useful way to better understand the arising of off-flavors. A study was conducted on stracciatella; a traditional Italian cream cheese that is emerging on international markets. Samples were prepared by adding two different preservatives (alone or combined): sorbic acid and an olive leaf extract. Their influence on flavor preservation during refrigerated storage was investigated by chemical, microbiological and sensory analyses. A strong change of the VOC profile was ascertained after 8 days in the control cheese and in the sample added with leaf extract alone. The samples containing sorbic acid, alone or in combination with leaf extract, gave the best chemical and sensory results, demonstrating a significant shelf-life extension. In particular, these samples had lower concentrations of undesired metabolites, such as organic acids and volatiles responsible for off-flavor, and received better scores for odor and taste. Ex and Ex-So samples had significantly higher antioxidant activity than Ctr and So throughout the entire storage period, and the color parameter shows no differences among samples taken on the same day. The use of the olive leaf extract, at the concentration tested, seemed to be interesting only in the presence of sorbic acid due to possible synergic effect that mainly acted against Enterobacteriaceae

Inulin from Globe Artichoke Roots: A Promising Ingredient for the Production of Functional Fresh Pasta

Globe artichoke roots represent an alternative and sustainable source for inulin extraction and are well-noted for their technological and functional properties. Therefore, the aim of our study was to exploit inulin with high degree of polymerization as a replacement of durum wheat semolina for the production of functional fresh pasta. The effect of increased level of substitution (5, 10, 15%) on cooking, structural, sensory, and nutritional properties were evaluated and compared with a control sample consisting exclusively of durum wheat semolina. Inulin addition caused changes to internal structure as evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. The enriched samples showed a lower swelling index, an increasing cooking time, and values of cooking loss (2.37-3.62%), mainly due to the leaching of inulin into the cooking water. Cooked and raw enriched pasta was significantly darker and firmer than the control, but the sensory attributes were not negatively affected, especially at 5 and 10% of substitution levels. The increase of dietary fiber content in enriched pasta (3.44-12.41 g/100 g) resulted in a significant reduction of glycaemic index (pGI) and starch hydrolysis (HI). After gastrointestinal digestion, inulin-enriched pasta increased prebiotic growth able to significantly reduce E. coli cell density

Quality of frozen stored flavoured olive oils

The purpose of the current research was to study the effects of 6-month frozen storage on the quality parameters and the phenolic profiles of flavoured olive oils (FOO) produced by co-malaxation or infusion using basil, chilli, or chilli–garlic as flavouring ingredients. The results demonstrated that during frozen storage, FOOs underwent degradative processes that caused a progressive depletion of phenolic compounds and the rising of oxidative and hydrolytic markers. A clear interaction appeared between storage time, flavouring ingredient and flavouring technique. Infusion caused a greater quality loss than co-malaxation, and in basil flavoured oils the drawbacks of infusion were greater than in other flavoured oils. The impact of flavouring method on the phenolic profiles of oil became more evident at the end of the storage period. It was confirmed that oleocanthal is less affected by storage in freezing conditions than other secoiridoids

Dynamics of the Fermentation Process and Chemical Profiling of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Wines Obtained by Different Cultivar×Yeast Combinations

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is one of the historical tree crops in the Mediterranean region and is nowadays commercialized for its beneficial properties in the form of fruits, juice, jams and, in some East countries, as fermented juice (pomegranate wine). However, pomegranate wines are not established as a common beverage in Western countries. In this work, we produced pomegranate wines using two cultivars and two yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain Clos and S. cerevisiae ex-bayanus strain EC1118) with contrasting characteristics. A comprehensive chemical profile of the wines was obtained. Notable differences were observed in the function of the cultivars and the yeasts. Different cultivar×yeast combinations provided wines with clearly different chemical profiles and specific features in the patterns of organic acids, phenolics, and volatile compounds. This highlights the opportunity to obtain tailored pomegranate wines with desired chemical profiles and, consequently, sensory properties, through management optimization of pomegranate winemaking. In this view, pomegranate wines have the potential to become an established beverage in Western countries

Green extracts from Coratina olive cultivar leaves: Antioxidant characterization and biological activity

Olive leaves and their extracts are associated with food preservation and health, and are used in folk medicine to treat several diseases, mainly because of their polyphenols. In this investigation polyphenols were extracted from olive leaves using green solvents and evaluated the antioxidant activity of the extracts. Polyphenols were extracted from fresh, freeze-dried, and hot air-dried leaves using either ethanol/water mixtures (70:30, 30:70, v/v) or water alone. Antioxidant activity was assessed in bronchial epithelial NCI-H292 cells by measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS) and in vegetable oil by measuring oxygen consumption. Results showed that extracts with a good antioxidant activity could be obtained when leaves were pre-treated by hot air-drying. The use of water alone as the extraction solvent gave results comparable to those obtained with ethanol/water (30:70, v/v). These extracts were particularly rich in oleuropein, and had anti-ROS effects in NCI-H292 cells and antioxidant activity in vegetable oil

Antioxidant Efficacy of Olive By-Product Extracts in Human Colon HCT8 Cells

The production of olive oil is accompanied by the generation of a huge amount of waste and by-products including olive leaves, pomace, and wastewater. The latter represents a relevant environmental issue because they contain certain phytotoxic compounds that may need specific treatments before the expensive disposal. Therefore, reducing waste biomass and valorizing by-products would make olive oil production more sustainable. Here, we explore the biological actions of extracts deriving from olive by-products including olive pomace (OP), olive wastewater (OWW), and olive leaf (OLs) in human colorectal carcinoma HCT8 cells. Interestingly, with the same phenolic concentration, the extract obtained from the OWW showed higher antioxidant ability compared with the extracts derived from OP and OLs. These biological effects may be related to the differential phenolic composition of the extracts, as OWW extract contains the highest amount of hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol that are potent antioxidant compounds. Furthermore, OP extract that contains a higher level of vanillic acid than the other extracts displayed a cytotoxic action at the highest concentration. Together these findings revealed that phenols in the by-product extracts may interfere with signaling molecules that cross-link several intracellular pathways, raising the possibility to use them for beneficial health effects

Environmental Impact of Food Preparations Enriched with Phenolic Extracts from Olive Oil Mill Waste

Reducing food waste as well as converting waste products into second-life products are global challenges to promote the circular economy business model. In this context, the aim of this study is to quantify the environmental impact of lab-scale food preparations enriched with phenolic extracts from olive oil mill waste, i.e., wastewater and olive leaves. Technological (oxidation induction time) and nutritional (total phenols content) parameters were considered to assess the environmental performance based on benefits deriving by adding the extracts in vegan mayonnaise, salad dressing, biscuits, and gluten-free breadsticks. Phenolic extraction, encapsulation, and addiction to the four food preparations were analyzed, and the input and output processes were identified in order to apply the life cycle assessment to quantify the potential environmental impact of the system analyzed. Extraction and encapsulation processes characterized by low production yields, energy-intensive and complex operations, and the partial use of chemical reagents have a non-negligible environmental impact contribution on the food preparation, ranging from 0.71% to 73.51%. Considering technological and nutritional aspects, the extraction/encapsulation process contributions tend to cancel out. Impacts could be reduced approaching to a scale-up process