The Seasonal Variation in Bioactive Compounds Content in Juice from Organic and Non-organic Tomatoes

A specific objective of this paper was to evaluate seasonal changes in bioactive compounds level (carotenoids and polyphenols) in juice prepared from organic and non-organic tomatoes in Poland. In the examined tomato juice, the content of dry matter, vitamin C, carotenoids as well as polyphenols (by HPLC method) has been measured. The presented results indicate the impact of the growing system and the year of production on the composition of tomato juice. The organic tomato juice contained significantly more beta-carotene, chlorogenic acid, rutin as well as more total phenolic acids, gallic acid, p-coumaric acid, total flavonoids, quercetin-3-O-glucoside and quercetin in comparison with the non-organic. The tomato juice from 2008 contained significantly more carotenoids and some flavonoids compared to the one produced in 2009, which contained significantly more dry matter, vitamin C, as well as quercetin and it derivatives. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11130-013-0352-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Ursolic Acid—A Pentacyclic Triterpenoid with a Wide Spectrum of Pharmacological Activities

Ursolic acid (UA) is a natural terpene compound exhibiting many pharmaceutical properties. In this review the current state of knowledge about the health-promoting properties of this widespread, biologically active compound, as well as information about its occurrence and biosynthesis are presented. Particular attention has been paid to the application of ursolic acid as an anti-cancer agent; it is worth noticing that clinical tests suggesting the possibility of practical use of UA have already been conducted. Amongst other pharmacological properties of UA one can mention protective effect on lungs, kidneys, liver and brain, anti-inflammatory properties, anabolic effects on skeletal muscles and the ability to suppress bone density loss leading to osteoporosis. Ursolic acid also exhibits anti-microbial features against numerous strains of bacteria, HIV and HCV viruses and Plasmodium protozoa causing malaria

Bioaccessibility of Betalains in Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) Juice under Different High-Pressure Techniques

The influence of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCD) on the bioaccessibility of betalains in beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) juice was investigated. Freshly squeezed juice (FJ) was treated at a mild temperature of 45 °C for 10 min (T45), pasteurization at 85 °C for 10 min (T85), HHP at 200, 400, and 500 MPa at 20 °C for 5 min (HHP200, HHP400, HHP500) and SCCD at 10, 30 and 60 MPa at 45 °C for 10 min (SCCD10, SCCD30, SCCD60). The juice was subjected to an in vitro digestion system equipped with dialysis. The content of betalains was measured with the aid of a High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), the antioxidant capacity (AC) (ABTS•+, DPPH•) was analyzed during each digestion step, and the bioaccessibility of betacyanins and betaxanthins was assessed. The SCCD at 30 and 60 MPa significantly increased pigments’ bioaccessibility compared with other samples. The 30 MPa proved particularly advantageous, as it increased the bioaccessibility of the total betacyanins and the betaxanthins by 58% and 64%, respectively, compared to the T85 samples. Additionally, higher bioaccessibility of betacyanins was noted in HHP200 and HHP400, by 35% and 32%, respectively, compared to FJ, T45, and T85 samples. AC measured by ABTS•+ and DPPH• assays were not unequivocal. However, both assays showed significantly higher AC in SCCD60 compared to T85 (21% and 31%, respectively). This research contributed to the extended use of the HHP and/or SCCD to design food with higher health-promoting potentials

Extraction of Galactolipids from Waste By-Products: The Feasibility of Green Chemistry Methods

Galactolipids are a class of lipids present, inter alia, in the plastid membranes of plant cells. Apart from their biological significance, they are recognized as an important group of bioactive agents, especially in the treatment of osteoarthritis. The aim of this research was to evaluate the usefulness of the green chemistry approach in the extraction of these compounds. Waste products of food processing were selected as a raw material to improve the sustainability of the process even further, and their galactolipid content was investigated using an LC-MS analysis. The rosehip pomace, which was recognized as the most promising amongst materials used in this study, was subjected to supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). It transpired that SFE using pure CO2 was not an effective method for the extraction of galactolipids, although the use of ethanol as a cosolvent favored the separation. The results of UAE were also very promising—the improvement of the extraction yield up to 74% was observed. The green chemistry approaches used for galactolipid isolation were compared with a conventional processing method and proved to be an interesting alternative

The Application of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide and Ethanol for the Extraction of Phenolic Compounds from Chokeberry Pomace

Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliot) is a fruit with exceptionally high levels of phenolic compounds which are accumulated mainly in the peel; hence, the majority remains in the leftovers after juice production. Extraction with the use of carbon dioxide in supercritical conditions was used to isolate phenolic compounds from the pomace. The effect of the process parameters (temperature; pressure; and the addition of ethanol) on the extraction yields and properties of the extracts was investigated. The anthocyanin and total phenolic compound content, as well as the scavenging activity against five selected radicals, were evaluated. The best results were acquired for 35 °C, 10 MPa, and 80% m/m ethanol addition, the yield of phenolic compounds was 1.52 g per 100 g of pomace. The amount of extracted phenolics and the antioxidative attributes of the extracts were highly correlated. The impact of supercritical carbon dioxide density on the amount of recovered compounds was confirmed. The use of supercritical CO2 led to a significant reduction in the volume of organic solvent required for extraction

The Effect of High Pressure Techniques on the Stability of Anthocyanins in Fruit and Vegetables

Anthocyanins are a group of phenolic compounds responsible for red, blue and violet colouration of many fruits, vegetables and flowers. The high content of these pigments is important as it influences directly their health promoting properties as well as the sensory quality of the product; however they are prone to degradation by, inter alia, elevated temperature and tissue enzymes. The traditional thermal methods of food preservation cause significant losses of these pigments. Thus, novel non-thermal techniques such as high pressure processing, high pressure carbon dioxide and high pressure homogenization are under consideration. In this review, the authors attempted to summarize the current knowledge of the impact of high pressure techniques on the stability of anthocyanins during processing and storage of fruit and vegetable products. Furthermore, the effect of the activity of enzymes involved in the degradation of these compounds has been described. The conclusions including comparisons of pressure-based methods with high temperature preservation techniques were presented

Bioaccessibility of Antioxidants in Blackcurrant Juice after Treatment Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Blackcurrant juice (Ribes nigrum L.) was subjected to supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCD) at 10, 30, and 60 MPa for 10 min at 45 °C, as well as thermally treated at 45 and 85 °C for 10 min to determine the stability, antioxidant capacity (AC), and bioaccessibility (BAc) of vitamin C, total anthocyanins, and their individual monomers. An in vitro gastrointestinal digestion model completed with dialysis was used to assess BAc. The use of SCCD at each of the pressures applied improved the stability of vitamin C, total anthocyanins, and AC before in vitro digestion. As a result of digestion, the total content of vitamin C, anthocyanins, and AC decreased. The highest BAc of vitamin C was noted in fresh juice (FJ) (40%) and after mild heat treatment at 45 °C (T45) (46%). The highest BAc of total anthocyanins was also noted in the FJ (4.4%). The positive effect of the application of SCCD on the BAc of the delphinidin-3-O-glycosides was observed compared to T45 and thermal pasteurization at 85 °C (T85). Although SCCD did not significantly improve the BAc of vitamin C and total anthocyanins, the higher AC of SCCD samples after intestinal digestion (ABTS+• and DPPH•) and in dialysate (ABTS+•) compared to thermally treated was observed. The protocatechuic acid was detected by UPLC-PDA-MS/MS as the major metabolite formed during the digestion of delphinidin-3-O-rutinoside. This may indicate the influence of SCCD on improvement of the accessibility of antioxidants for digestion, thanks to which more metabolites with high antioxidant activity were released

Influence of Steviol Glycosides on the Stability of Vitamin C and Anthocyanins

A high level of sweetness and health-promoting properties make steviol glycosides an interesting alternative to sugars or artificial sweeteners. The radical oxygen species scavenging activity of these compounds may influence the stability of labile particles present in food. Model buffer solutions containing steviol glycosides, a selected food antioxidant (vitamin C or anthocyanins), and preservative were analyzed during storage. The addition of steviol glycosides at concentrations of 50, 125, and 200 mg/L increased the stability of both ascorbic and dehydroascorbic acid (degradation rates decreased up to 3.4- and 4.5-fold, respectively); the effect was intensified by higher sweetener concentrations and higher acidity of the solutions. Glycosides used alone did not affect the stability of anthocyanins; however, they enhanced the protective effect of sugars; half-life times increased by ca. 33% in the presence of sucrose (100 g/L) and by ca. 52% when both sucrose (100 g/L) and glycosides (total 200 mg/L) were used. Steviol glycosides concentrations remained stable during experiments

The effect of supercritical carbon dioxide on the physiochemistry, endogenous enzymes, and nutritional composition of fruit and vegetables and its prospects for industrial application: a overview

Consumers have an increasing demand for fruit and vegetables with high nutritional value worldwide. However, most fruit and vegetables are vulnerable to quality loss and spoilage during processing, transportation, and storage. Among the recently introduced emerging technologies, supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO2) has been extensively utilized to treat and maintain fruit and vegetables mainly due to its nontoxicity, safety, and environmentally friendly. SCCO2 technology generates low processing costs and mild processing conditions (temperature and pressure) that allow for the application of CO2 at a supercritical state. This review aimed to summarize the current knowledge on the influence of SCCO2 technology on the quality attributes of fruit and vegetable products, such as physicochemical properties (pH, color, cloud, particle size distribution, texture), sensory quality, and nutritional composition (ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, carotenoids, and betalains). In addition, the effects and mechanisms of the SCCO2 technique on endogenous enzyme inactivation (polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, and pectin methylesterase) were also elucidated. Finally, the prospects of the SCCO2 technique for industrial application was discussed from the economic and regulatory aspect

The Development and Consumer Acceptance of Functional Fruit-Herbal Beverages

The development of functional beverages often requires a compromise between the palatability and high content of bio-active compounds. The purpose of this study was to elaborate on the fruit-herbal beverages with defined pro-health functions and evaluate their consumer acceptance. The beverages contained 80% of juices obtained from the fruits of aronia, rugosa rose, acerola, sea buckthorn, and cranberry. Each beverage was supplemented with different plant extracts which enhanced the designed functions of the beverage. The beverages were sweetened with sugar or with steviol glycosides, and were preserved by thermal pasteurization. The main groups of bio-active compounds and antioxidant capacity using ABTS, DPPH, and ORAC methods were analysed before and after pasteurization. The sensory acceptance was tested by 60 adult consumers who assessed the desirability of taste, odour, colour, and overall quality. Each beverage contained substantial amounts of polyphenols, including anthocyanins; rosehip-acerola and sea buckthorn beverages were also sources of vitamin C and carotenoids. All these components were stable under thermal treatment. Rosehip-acerola beverages had the highest antioxidant capacity, which was measured using all three methods exhibited. The highest level of consumer acceptance and willingness to purchase went to aronia beverages, while the sea buckthorn gained the lowest. There was no significant difference between the acceptance of beverages sweetened with sugar and stevia. Women and the 25- to 34-year-old consumer group rated the overall acceptability of the beverages slightly higher, although this was not reflected in their inclination to buy them. Attitude toward proper body mass and health had no influence on overall acceptance and willingness to complete the purchases. The main motivation for purchasing the functional beverages was their sensory acceptance, even if the consumers were informed of their potential health benefits