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Water-methanol extract from Filipendula ulmaria contains a variety of phenolic compounds, such as caffeic, p-coumaric and vanillic acid, myricetin, etc, which demonstrate antibacterial activity. Monitoring this activity in the broth using absorbance measurements showed that species of the Enterobacteriaceae family were more resistant than other Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria tested. Acidic environment enhanced the antibacterial activity of Filipendula ulmaria extract when it was tested against Salmonella Enteritidis PT4 and Listeria monocytogenes Scott A. The efficacy of Filipendula ulmaria extract against selected foodborne psychrotrophic bacteria was also tested using solid laboratory media and low incubation temperatures for better simulation of food preservation conditions. Higher concentrations of the extract, compared to minimum inhibitory concentration determined in the broth, were needed for satisfactory inhibition of spoilage bacteria. Potential use of Filipendula ulmaria extract as natural food preservative was also examined against natural spoilage flora and inoculated pathogenic bacteria on fish flesh and fish roe product (tarama salad). No significant differences of viable populations of spoilage or pathogenic bacteria were found between the treated samples and controls. Further trials of Filipendula ulmaria extract should be carried out in acidic foods with low fat and protein content, supplemented with additional adjuncts, in order to explore its potential as effective natural food antimicrobial agent.

The aim of the present work was to assess the nutritional value of shrimps in terms of the essential fatty acids versus the toxicological concern as regards elements' accumulation in their tissues. The concentrations of lead (Pb). mercury (Hg). cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As), and the fatty acid (FA) profiles in the muscle and cephalothorax of Parapenaeus longirostris (Mediterranean shrimp) and Pandalus borealis (northern shrimp) were evaluated and comparatively studied. The results indicated a substantial association of the Cd, Pb and Hg concentrations with the shrimp fishing area and the tissue type. Moreover. Cd. Pb and Hg levels, found in the tissues of shrimps, were below EU maximum levels for human consumption. Total As concentration was highest (p < 0.05) in all tissues studied, mainly in the organic As form. Fatty acid patterns were found significantly different between shrimp species and tissues. Palmitic (C16:0). oleic (C18:1 omega-9), eicosapentaenoic (C20:5 omega-3, EPA) and docosahexaenoic (C22:6 omega-3, DHA) acids were found to be the major FA in all tissues. The highest DHA/EPA and omega-3/omega-6 ratios were found in Parapenaeus longirostris and Pandalus borealis tissues, respectively. A positive feature, arising from the FA comparison, was the low values for both the atherogenic and thrombogenic indices, related to the high unsaturated/saturated FA ratio. (C) All Rights Reserved

Aromatic plants contain natural antioxidant constituents such as phenolic compounds, which have attracted a great deal of public and scientific interest because of their health-promoting effects as antioxidants. Five plants, Filipendula ulmaria (meadow sweet), Crataegus monogyna (hawthorn), Polygonum aviculare (polygonum), Potentilla anserina (silverweed),and Pelargonium purpureum (little robin), have been examined in order to determine their phenolic composition. Reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) was employed for the identification and quantification of phenolic compounds ofthe aforementioned plants. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method (GC-MS) was also used for identification of phenolic compounds after silylation. Analysis of the non-volatile and thermolabile phenolic compounds by GC-MS presupposes their conversion intovolatile and thermotolerant derivatives. The derivatization process was optimized againstreagents, temperature and reaction time. The antioxidant capacity was determined in driedplants and in their methanol extracts with the Rancimat test using sunflower oil as substrate. Both pulverized plants and extracts showed antioxidant capacity. Total phenoliccontent in the extracts was determined spectrometrically applying the Folin-Ciocalteu assay and it ranged from 7.2 to 28.2 gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/(mg/mL). Antimicrobial activity of the extracts against selected microorganisms was performed using the disk diffusion method. Gram-(+) bacteria were more sensitive to the plant extracts than Gram-(–) bacteria.