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Flavoured oils arouse great interest among consumers in many countries due to their variety of flavours and versatility, especially in the culinary field. The aromatization of oils seeks to improve their sensory and nutritional properties, and extend their useful life due to the added substances can be beneficial as antioxidant and antimicrobial agent. In this research, olive oils of the 'Madural' variety from Trasos Montes region of Portugal have been obtained and flavoured with different aromatics herbs and condiments (flower of salt and bay leaf, garlic, rosemary and dehydrated lemon peel). The objective is to study the influence of the aromatic herbs and condiments on the physicochemical parameters of the oils: quality, purity, oxidative stability and microbiological analysis. It can be noted that the flavourings do not significantly alter the quality of the monovarietal oil, although, for some parameters, the excessive contact times can affect the category of the oil. On the other hand, the high content of antioxidants provided by flavouring agents can favour its stability and prolong its expiration. In this sense, the flavouring agent that contributes to stop the oxidation of the oil over time is salt + bay leaves, as higher oxidative stability values were detected than those obtained in monovarietal oil. However, oils flavoured with rosemary or lemon show a decrease over time for this parameter, which could indicate that this flavouring accelerates oxidation. In the case of oxidative stability referred to those flavoured with garlic, they present similar values to the monovarietal. The effect exerted by flavourings on the different parameters of the oils is complex, since it is influenced by the method followed and the operating variables established for flavouring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipid fraction from four different culinary condiments namely black seed (Nigella sativa), fennel seeds (Foeniculum vulgare), bay leaf (Laurus nobilis) and coriander seeds (Coriandrum sativum) were investigated for total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, total flavonoid content, total flavonol content and antibacterial attributes. Antimicrobial properties were determined against food-borne bacteria through agar well diffusion, drop agar diffusion, macrobroth dilution with simultaneous determination of their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and changes in cellular morphology was analyzed through Scanning electron microscopy. Generally, ethanolic lipid fractions were more effective bioactively as compared to methanolic EOs. Parallel results were obtained for antibacterial activities with the highest antibacterial activities exhibited by ethanolic EOs. The results positively support the use of these lipid fractions in generating new systems to inhibit bacterial growth, extend the shelf life and enhance the safety of the packaged food product. The examined oils can also be used for therapeutic purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bay leaf (Laurus nobilis L.) has been shown to possesses various biological activities such as wound healing activity, antioxidant activity, antibacterial activity, antiviral activity, immunostimulant activity, anticholinergic activity, antifungal activity, insect repellant activity, anticonvulsant activity, antimutagenic activity, and analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity. The present study aimed to investigate whether the bay leaf incense (BL) elicits the memory formation via the action on the cholinergic system using a scopolamine (Sco)-induced rat model. Rats were exposed to BL over 5 min in a smoking chamber apparatus once daily for 22 days, whereas memory impairment was induced by Sco (0.7 mg/kg), a muscarinic receptor antagonist, delivered 30 min before each behavioral test. The phytochemical composition of BL was achieved by gas chromatograph–mass spectrometry (GCMS). Behavioral effects in rats were assessed by Y-maze, radial arm maze (RAM), and novel object recognition (NOR) paradigms. Additionally, the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and the oxidative stress markers in the rat hippocampus were also evaluated. Exposure to BL significantly ameliorated Sco-induced cognitive impairment and oxidative stress in the rat hippocampus. The obtained results suggested that BL-induced ameliorative cognitive effects are mediated by enhancement of the cholinergic system and antioxidant activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]