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In the current study, Cornelian cherry powder (CCP, Cornus mas) was investigated as a functional ingredient for bread production. Experimental bread loaves were prepared using five levels of CCP (0, 1, 2, 5, and 10% w/w) to replace wheat flour in bread formulation. The final products were analyzed regarding their proximate composition, content of selected biologically active substances, antioxidant activity (AA), volume, and sensory attributes. Increasing the incorporation of CCP led to significantly (p < 0.05) higher concentrations of carbohydrate, ash, energetic value, total polyphenols, phenolic acids and AA, and reduced fat and protein contents (p < 0.05). Moreover, up to 5% addition of CCP positively affected the volume (642.63 ± 7.24 mL) and specific volume (2.83 ± 0.02 cm3/g) of bread loaves, which were significantly (p < 0.05) higher compared to the control (no addition of CCP; 576.99 ± 2.97 mL; 2.55 ± 0.002 cm3/g). The sensory attributes chewiness, crumb springiness, bitterness, and sourness had lower scores (p < 0.05) in bread formulated with 10% CCP compared to the control. Overall, results show that the bread loaves produced with up to 5% CCP addition were considered the preferred formulation among the experimental samples tested, taking into consideration their composition, bioactive content, sensory, and physical properties.

The objective of the current work was to evaluate basic technological parameters of three types of biscuits including moisture content (MC) and water activity (aw), and to characterize their microbial spoilage (related to the total bacterial count, presence of coliform bacteria, yeasts and moulds, and their specific identification) during the 42-days of storage period in laboratory conditions (temperature: 20 ± 2 °C, relative humidity: 62 ± 1%). For these purposes, Kern DBS 60-3 and Lab Master aw Standard, as well as MALDI-TOF MS Biotyper were used for the analyses. The results from the technological analysis showed that values for MC and aw of the biscuits ranged from 5.07 ± 0.03% to 13.59 ± 0.13%, and from 0.467 ± 0.022 to 0.857 ± 0.001, respectively, depending on their recipe formulas. The microbiological characterisation of the biscuit samples revealed the absence of coliform bacteria and fungi throughout the storage period, reflecting that the biscuits production was kept in appropriate hygienic conditions. However, from the 14th day of storage, the presence of some bacterial species was detected in the biscuit samples. Among them, Bacillus subtilis which is frequently occurring bacteria in bakery products causing ropiness of the products was the most represented. Our results allow for the conclusion that the biscuits developed in our laboratory are safe for the consumers and their minimum shelf life is approximately two weeks.

The present article aimed to study the effects of four selected concentrations (1%, 2%, 5%, and 10%) of apple pomace powder (APP), obtained from juice production, on the nutritional value and selected physico-chemical, antioxidant, and sensory properties of wheat bread. We have found that the ash and total carbohydrate contents, total polyphenols content, and antioxidant activity of the supplemented bread loaves were markedly higher (p < 0.05) as compared to the control ones. On the other hand, values for protein and fat contents and loaf volume in APP-containing bread samples were statistically lower (p < 0.05). Finally, sensory evaluation revealed no significant differences in all tested attributes between the investigated groups of bread samples. The current results suggest that 10% APP addition appears to be an attractive ingredient applied to bread formulation to obtain a bakery product with high nutritional value and required qualitative and sensory properties. In such a manner, apple pomace as by-products from apple juice processing can be efficiently utilized in an eco-friendly way by the food industry to decrease unnecessary waste and environmental pollution.

The study compares the impact of freeze- and spray-drying (FD, SD) microencapsulation methods on the content of β-glucan, total polyphenols (TP), total flavonoids (TF), phenolic acids (PA), and antioxidant activity (AA) in commercially β-glucan powder (Pleurotus ostreatus) using maltodextrin as a carrier. Morphology (scanning electron microscopy- SEM), yield, moisture content (MC), and water activity (aw) were also evaluated in the samples. Our examinations revealed significant structural differences between powders microencapsulated by the drying methods. As compared to non-encapsulated powder, the SD powder with yield of 44.38 ± 0.55% exhibited more reduced (p < 0.05) values for aw (0.456 ± 0.001) and MC (8.90 ± 0.44%) than the FD one (yield: 27.97 ± 0.33%; aw: 0.506 ± 0.002; MC: 11.30 ± 0.28%). In addition, the highest values for β-glucan content (72.39 ± 0.38%), TPC (3.40 ± 0.17 mg GAE/g), and TFC (3.07 ± 0.29 mg QE/g) have been detected in the SD powder. Our results allow for the conclusion that the SD microencapsulation method using maltodextrin seems to be more powerful in terms of the β-glucan powder yield and its contents of β-glucan, TP, and TF as compared to the FD technique.