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The current study focuses on evaluating the enzyme inhibition (acetylcholinesterase, α-amylase, α-glucosidase, pancreatin lipase), antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities of the “Modesto” apricot, “Stanley” plum, and their hybrid the “Stendesto” plum–apricot. The “Stendesto” is the only successful plum–apricot hybrid in Bulgaria. A spectrophotometric approach was used to evaluate the antioxidant activity following four complementary assays (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and CUPRAC). The “Stendesto” plum–apricot revealed its enhanced antioxidant potential compared to its parental lines. Apart from the free phenolics extraction, two other techniques (alkaline and acid hydrolysis) were applied to reveal the biological potential of the studied fruit. Not only free but also bound phenolic extracts were able to inhibit α-glucosidase and acetylcholinesterase, while none of the extracts inhibited lipase or α-amylase. None of the apricot extracts had antimicrobial activity, while the other fruit had limited antimicrobial activity. The proposed results undoubtedly reveal that hybrid fruits possess enhanced biological activity compared to their parents. This is a first comprehensive evaluation of hybrid fruits with reference to parental lines. This makes them an interesting research topic that should be better explored.

To comply with a more circular and environmentally friendly European common agricultural policy, while also valorising sunflower by-products, an ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) was tested to optimise ethanol-wash solutes (EWS). Furthermore, the capabilities of DART-HRMS as a rapid and cost-effective tool for determining the biochemical changes after valorisation of these defatted sunflower EWS were investigated. Three batches of EWS were doubly processed into optimised EWS (OEWS) samples, which were analysed via DART-HRMS. Then, the metabolic profiles were submitted to a univariate analysis followed by a partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) allowing the identification of the 15 most informative ions. The assessment of the metabolomic fingerprinting characterising EWS and OEWS resulted in an accurate and well-defined spatial clusterization based on the retrieved pool of informative ions. The outcomes highlighted a significantly higher relative abundance of phenolipid hydroxycinnamoyl-glyceric acid and a lower incidence of free fatty acids and diglycerides due to the ultrasound treatment. These resulting biochemical changes might turn OEWS into a natural antioxidant supplement useful for controlling lipid oxidation and to prolong the shelf-life of foods and feeds. A standardised processing leading to a selective concentration of the desirable bioactive compounds is also advisable.

In this study, the ultrasonic extraction (UAE) of free phenolic compounds and relative biological activities of the Bulgarian peach variety “Filina” was optimized using chemometric techniques (response surface methodology). A Box–Behnken design was used to reveal the variation in the hydro module, temperature, duration, and extractant on the total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, antioxidant potential, and inhibitory activity on each yield. The results revealed that the optimal conditions included a hydro module of 20, a duration of 39.33 min, a temperature of 70 °C, and an extractant of 96.64% to retrieve the highest level of bioactive compounds. The calculated parameters were discovered to be following the projected values.

Contemporary living is continuously leading to poor everyday choices resulting in the manifestation of various diseases. The benefits of plant-based nutrition are undeniable and research on the topic is rising. Modern man is now aware of the possibilities that plant nutrition can provide and is seeking ways to benefit from it. Dietary phenolic compounds are among the easily accessible beneficial substances that can exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiparasitic, analgesic, anti-diabetic, anti-atherogenic, antiproliferative, as well as cardio-and neuroprotective activities. Several industries are exploring ways to incorporate biologically active substances in their produce. This review is concentrated on presenting current information about the dietary phenolic compounds and their contribution to maintaining good health. Additionally, this content will demonstrate the importance and prosperity of natural compounds for various fields, i.e., food industry, cosmetology, and biotechnology, among others.

The “Stendesto” plumcot is the only successful Bulgarian plum–apricot hybrid having the “Modesto” apricot and the “Stanley” plum as parents. The current study reports on the metabolites and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) discovered in the three fruits. Forty-one metabolites in total, as represented by amino acids, organic acids, sugar acids and alcohols, phenolic acids, fatty acids, mono- and di-saccharides, and sterols, were identified in the samples. Additionally, sixty-five VOCs were profiled using the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis and HS-SPME technique. Among these VOCs, alcohols, aldehydes, esters, ketones, lactones, terpenoids, and benzene derivatives were the existing chemical classes. Not all metabolites were present in both apricot and plum, but the hybrid had managed to inherit all of the identified metabolites with the exception of γ-aminobutyric acid. This study is a first on the topic of plumcot fruit evaluation referencing its parental lines. Principal component (PCA) and hierarchical cluster (HCA) analyses further aided in revealing the differences and similarities between the “Stendesto” plum–apricot hybrid and its parents.

Plum–apricot hybrids are the successful backcrosses of plums and apricots. Plums and apricots are well-known and preferred by consumers because of their distinct sensory and beneficial health properties. However, kernel consumption remains limited even though kernels are easily accessible. The “Stendesto” hybrid originates from the “Modesto” apricot and the “Stanley” plum. Kernal metabolites exhibited quantitative differences in terms of metabolites identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis and HS-SPME technique profiling. The results revealed a total of 55 different compounds. Phenolic acids, hydrocarbons, organic acids, fatty acids, sugar acids and alcohols, mono- and disaccharides, as well as amino acids were identified in the studied kernels. The hybrid kernel generally inherited all the metabolites present in the parental kernels. Volatile organic compounds were also investigated. Thirty-five compounds identified as aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, furans, acids, esters, and alkanes were present in the studied samples. Considering volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the hybrid kernel had more resemblance to the plum one, bearing that alkanes were only identified in the apricot kernel. The objective of this study was to investigate the volatile composition and metabolic profile of the first Bulgarian plum–apricot hybrid kernels, and to provide comparable data relevant to both parents. With the aid of principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), differentiation and clustering of the results occurred in terms of the metabolites present in the plum–apricot hybrid kernels with reference to their parental lines. This study is the first providing information about the metabolic profile of variety-defined kernels. It is also a pioneering study on the comprehensive evaluation of fruit hybrids.

Phycocyanin is a pigment–protein complex from the group of phycobiliproteins obtained from Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis), with possibilities for various applications in food and pharmaceutical technologies. It is a natural colorant for food and cosmetic products. This study aimed to investigate the effect of ultrasonic and microwave extraction conditions on antioxidant activity (AOA), chlorophyll content, and the content and purity index of phycocyanin in aqueous and alcoholic extracts of Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis). For this purpose, ultrasonic extraction with water or ethanol was performed at 20 °C, 30 °C, and 40 °C for 1, 2, and 3 h at an ultrasonic frequency of 36 kHz, 40 kHz, and 45 kHz. Microwave water extraction was performed for 60 s, 120 s, and 180 s. For each of the obtained samples, three parallel measurements of antioxidant activity were made by DPPH and FRAP methods, and chlorophyll content and phycocyanin yield and purity index were determined spectrophotometrically. Ultrasonic extraction resulted in a higher yield and purity index of phycocyanin compared to microwave extraction. The highest yield of 14.88 mg g−1 with a purity index of 1.60 was achieved at a temperature of 40 °C for one hour and an ultrasonic wave frequency of 40 kHz. A relatively low yield of 4.21 mg g−1, but with a purity index of 2.67, was obtained at a temperature of 30 °C, a time of two hours, and an ultrasonic frequency of 40 kHz. Chlorophyll b content at 20 °C, for two hours and ultrasonic frequency 40 kHz was 1.400 mg g−1. The study proposes ultrasonic extraction as a green method to obtain phycocyanin of varying purity index that may be used for food, cosmetic, or biomedical purposes.