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Bio-based solutions that promote plant growth, yields and functional quality of foods in primary production are gaining popularity in environmentally challenging conditions such as temperature fluctuations, late frosts and excess precipitation. This study was implemented to examine the foliar effect of microalgae biostimulants (three microalgae: Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus vacuolatus and Coelastrella sp. in two concentrations ‒ 5 and 10%) on growth, productivity and fruit quality of strawberry cultivar 'Alba'. Strawberry vegetative and generative potential (rosette height, number of leaves, flowers and fruit per plant), physical fruit properties (weight, height, width and shape index) was assessed with standard morphometric methods as well as fruit quality (sugars, organic acids and phenolic compounds) with high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS). Result showed that algae treatment T6 (Coelastrella sp., 10%) applied foliarly positively affected on the balance between vegetative and generative growth and consequently, more than 25% higher yields for the treated plants. Content of sugar and most of secondary metabolites in treatment T6 were more than 10% higher compared to other treatments. Overall, the results of the present study suggest the sustainable approach of microalgae application may introduce positive advances in organic strawberry production in field conditions. Furthermore, research provides novel insights into influence of microalgae on important fruit quality components that can contribute to the various potential-beneficial human health effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetable by-products, obtained from cauliflower (CA), broccoli (BRL), cabbage (CB) and beetroot (BR) can be a potentially good source of proteins. The proteins were obtained from leaves (LPs) of vegetables with alkaline extraction at pH 10, and their isoelectric precipitation at pH 4. Protein contents were in the range of 39.76 - 53.33%, and the molecular weights of fractions were mostly about 45, 25 and 14 kDa. Their solubility is higher in the alkaline environment, where they reach the highest solubility at pH 10 (9.7 mg/mL for CALP, 8.45 for BRLP, 5.35 mg/mL for CBLP, 5.5 mg/mL for BELP). Moreover, they showed favorable emulsifying abilities, water absorption capacities (0.62 to 1.61 g/g) and foaming capacity (86.3 to 92%) as well as stability (48.57 to 79.30%). Digestibility was studied using gastrointestinal proteases (pepsin and pancreatin), and all four LPs can easily be digested. The biologically active potential of the digests was evaluated measuring antioxidant capacity by two complementary methods – DPPH+ and ABTS+ radical cation scavenging activity. The values for DPPH+ and ABTS+ were in the range from 59 to 65.1% at 0.1 and 0.3 mg/ml to 0.22 mg/ml IC50 values, respectively. Therefore, it can be indicated from these results, that obtained LPs, owing to their good functional properties, may be considered as potential ingredients of health-promoting food and cosmetic products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cheese cannot be produced solely from equine or donkeys' milk, because of the unique physico-chemical properties of these milks. The purpose of this study was to characterize a novel dairy product, cheese produced from donkeys' and caprine milk mixture (60:40% v/ v), regarding its chemical, microbiological, textural and sensory properties. Fully ripened cheese was classified as a high-fat, extra-hard cheese, with high sodium (29.97 g.kg), magnesium (3.07 g.kg) and potassium (4.70 g.kg) content. The characterization by lab-on-a-chip electrophoresis revealed lysozyme, α-lactalbumin, immunoglobulins and casein fractions. Palmitic (C) and oleic fatty acids (C) with 25.11 and 24.70%, respectively, were found at the highest concentrations. The medium-chain fatty acids account 18.21% of the total fatty acid content in analysed cheese samples. Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Enterobacteriaceae, coagulase-positive staphylococci, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens as well as moulds were under the limit of detection in all analysed samples. After 6 months of cheese ripening (0.94 a, pH 4.71), total bacterial count, the counts of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts were 6.34 ± 0.03, 4.80 ± 0.10 and 5.81 ± 0.11 log CFU.g, respectively. The texture of mature cheese was moderately hard and crumbly. The cheese was described as very salty with strong pronounced creamy, fatty and acidic taste. The characterized donkey/caprine cheese could position this type of cheese as a high-quality functional product, thus having a potential impact on the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chromatographic behavior of N-cyclohexyl-N-substituted-2-phenylacetamides was investigated using reversed phase thin-layer chromatography (RP-TLC). RP-TLC was performed on a C-18 bonded phase with different aqueous eluents: water-acetone, water-acetonitrile and water-dioxane. Linear relationship between retention parameters and organic modifier content in the mobile phase allows the extrapolation procedure. From results, it is evident that retention behavior of investigated compound depended on structures of substituents R. The correlation between the chromatographic lipophilic parameters (RM0) and calculated log P values and several pharmacokinetics parameters such as HIA (human intestinal absorption) predictor, the plasma protein binding (PB) predictor, and partition predictor for predicting the biological activity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) has been studied. The results show that reversed-phase RM0 proved to express lipophilic nature of investigated compounds as well as biological activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]