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Piwo jest popularnym i najbardziej preferowanym napojem alkoholowym wśród konsumentów na świecie. W Polsce jego roczne spożycie w przeliczeniu na 1 mieszkańca wynosi blisko 100 litrów, dzięki czemu nasz kraj znajduje się w gronie światowych liderów w tym zakresie. Na przestrzeni ostatnich dwudziestu lat postrzeganie piwa uległo znacznemu przeorientowaniu. Rewolucja piwna i związane z nią zmiany w branży browarniczej przyczyniły się do uzyskania przez ten trunek prestiżowej pozycji. Bardzo dynamicznie rozwija się rynek innowacyjnych piw rzemieślniczych, które stanowią ciekawą, a zarazem smakowo i jakościowo zróżnicowaną alternatywę dla marek masowych. Wśród nich dominują „piwne specjalności”. Mianem tym określa się zwykle wszystkie piwa fermentacji górnej oraz dolnej, innej niż tradycyjne lagery i pilsy. Pojawił się trend tzw. premiumizacji, wciąż wzrastają oczekiwania konsumentów wobec jakości piwa dotyczące jego składu, właściwości sensorycznych oraz potencjału prozdrowotnego. Na rynku coraz częściej pojawiają się propozycje piw zawierających dodatki bioaktywne lub składniki mineralne czy pozbawionych glutenu. W niniejszej pracy scharakteryzowano aktualną sytuację na rynku piwa w Polsce, w tym jego strukturę w ujęciu ogólnym oraz dotyczącą piw specjalnych i funkcjonalnych. Szczegółowo omówiono surowcowe i technologiczne aspekty otrzymywania piw funkcjonalnych: bezalkoholowych i niskoalkoholowych, bezglutenowych, izotonicznych, probiotycznych, o zwiększonej zawartości ksantohumolu, a także piwa gruit zawierające dodatki ziołowe. Z analizy danych literaturowych wynika, że segment piw funkcjonalnych wyraźnie się wyodrębnia, a zainteresowanie piwami specjalnego przeznaczenia żywieniowego wzrasta. Piwa niskoalkoholowe i bezalkoholowe są i prawdopodobnie będą najszybciej rosnącą kategorią na rynku.

Failure to adjust the fertilization system to quantitative needs, and especially to the dynamics of mineral demand, causes plant metabolism disorders, low mineral utilization by the plant, and an increased risk of environmental pollution. Additionally, unbalanced mineral fertilization may reduce the assimilation surface actively involved in photosynthesis, which determines the yield potential of individual varieties. The aim of the strict field experiment was to determine the responses of two types of maize varieties (Zea mays L.) to treatments with different nutrient management systems, as expressed by the growth analysis of active organs during photosynthesis, SPAD (soil and plant analysis development) leaf greenness index, green mass yield, and unit nitrogen productivity from PFPFN mineral fertilization (partial factor productivity fertilizer nitrogen). It was demonstrated that the total area of leaf blades of a single plant and the LAI (leaf area index) value were significantly higher in the “stay-green” hybrid compared to the traditional variety. The analysis of leaf morphological structure of the “stay-green” hybrid, based on SLA (specific leaf area), indicated a highly effective utilization of nitrogen, leading to faster leaf production with a larger assimilation area, which formed the basis for effective absorption of solar radiation. The selection of “stay-green” varieties for silage cultivation guarantees high green mass yields. The risk of lower maize biomass intended for ensilage can only be reduced by applying balanced mineral fertilization of all nutrients. The omission of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in the mineral fertilization dose, regardless of the variety tested, was a factor reducing the yield of maize biomass intended for ensilage and a lower partial factor productivity of nitrogen fertilizer compared to the treatment optimally balanced with respect to the nitrogen dose.

Beer is one of the most popular alcoholic beverages around the world. Currently, there is a noticeable increase in the consumption of beer, especially non- and low-alcoholic beers. The sensory characteristics of these beers are very similar to their alcoholic counterparts, while a lack of alcohol or a low alcohol content reduces their psychoactive character. In addition, their high nutritional and low caloric values make these types of drinks an excellent alternative to soft drinks (for adults), primarily sweetened carbonated beverages. The aim of this study was to characterize the non- and low-alcoholic beer market and the techniques for manufacturing these products. In general, reducing alcohol content is possible through the use of biological methods (limiting fermentation processes) and physical methods (dealcoholization processes). An example of a biological method is the modification of the mashing program in order to reduce the level of fermentable sugars in wort, e.g., inactivation of β-amylase, or the use of unconventional yeasts with limited ability or inability to convert fermentable sugars into alcohol. The group of physical methods includes modern thermal and membrane separation techniques which enable the efficient removal of ethanol from beer to the desired level. This paper also presents the nutritional value of regular and non-alcoholic beers and their antioxidant potential. The prohealth properties of beer were pointed out, emphasizing the negative influence of alcohol on the human body. The collected information shows that the market of non-alcohol and low-alcohol beers will continue to grow. The main directions of its development will concern the production of functional beers.

Field experiments were carried out at the Department of Agronomy of the Poznań University of Life Sciences to determine the effect of the depth of NP fertilization placement in maize cultivation on the number of plants after emergence. The adopted assumptions were verified based on a six-year field experiment involving four depths of NP fertilizer application (A1—0 cm (broadcast), A2—5 cm (in rows), A3—10 cm (in rows), A4—15 cm (in rows)). The objective of this study was to assess NP fertilizer placement depth, in conjunction with the year, on the number of maize (Zea mays L.) plants after emergence using the additive main effects and multiplicative interaction model. The number of plants after emergence decreased with the depth of NP fertilization in the soil profile, confirming the high dependence of maize on phosphorus and nitrogen availability, as well as greater subsoil loosening during placement. The number of plants after emergence for the experimental NP fertilizer placement depths varied from 7.237 to 8.201 plant m−2 during six years, with an average of 7.687 plant m−2. The 61.51% of variation in the total number of plants after emergence was explained by years differences, 23.21% by differences between NP fertilizer placement depths and 4.68% by NP fertilizer placement depths by years interaction. NP fertilizer placement depth 10 cm (A3) was the most stable (ASV = 1.361) in terms of the number of plants after emergence among the studied NP fertilizer placement depths. Assuming that the maize kernels are placed in the soil at a depth of approx. 5 cm, the fertilizer during starter fertilization should be placed 5 cm to the side and below the kernel. Deeper NP fertilizer application in maize cultivation is not recommended. The condition for the use of agriculture progress, represented by localized fertilization, is the simultaneous recognition of the aspects of yielding physiology of new maize varieties and the assessment of their reaction to deeper seed placement during sowing.

The pine (Pinus L.) is the largest and most heteromorphic plant genus of the pine family (Pinaceae Lindl.), which grows almost exclusively in the northern hemisphere. The demand for plant-based remedies, supplements and functional food is growing worldwide. Although pine-based products are widely available in many parts of the world, they are almost absent as food ingredients. The literature shows the beneficial effects of pine preparations on human health. Despite the wide geographical distribution of pine trees in the natural environment, there are very few data in the literature on the widespread use of pine in food technology. This study aims to present, characterise and evaluate the content of phytochemicals in pine trees, including shoots, bark and conifer needles, as well as to summarise the available data on their health-promoting and functional properties, and the potential of their use in food and the pharmaceutical industry to support health. Various species of pine tree contain different compositions of bioactive compounds. Regardless of the solvent, method, pine species and plant part used, all pine extracts contain a high number of polyphenols. Pine tree extracts exhibit several described biological activities that may be beneficial to human health. The available examples of the application of pine elements in food are promising. The reuse of residual pine elements is still limited compared to its potential. In this case, it is necessary to conduct more research to find and develop new products and applications of pine residues and by-products.

This article discusses the analysis, made by the analytical and comparative method, of the programming offer of public broadcasters in the implementation of missions in the era of cross-platform broadcasting of radio and television programs. The article contains an analysis of the genre structure of the programs of Telewizja Polska SA, Polish Radio SA and the regional radio stations of the public radio. Identifies the principles of construction of public media programs available on the Polish media market. Describes the components for evaluating the quality of public media through their programming offers. It points to the need to develop a high level of technical and technological content of public media offerings in new content distribution platforms - the Internet, mobile devices.

To meet the growing interest in natural antibacterial agents, we evaluated the physicochemical and biological properties of the folk medicine known as “five thieves’ oil” (Polish name: olejek pięciu złodziei). Five thieves’ oil consists of a mixture of five oils: rosemary, lemon, clove, eucalyptus, and cinnamon. In this study, we performed gas chromatography, FTIR, and UV–vis spectroscopic analysis, as well as L-a-b color tests, contact angle determination, and surface tension determination. To verify its antibacterial activity, the metabolic activity and changes in cell membrane permeability of bacteria of the genus Pseudomonas were studied. As a result, it was found that among the constituent oils, the oils of clove and cinnamon were the least volatile and, at the same time, had the strongest antibacterial activity. However, a mix of all the oils also showed comparable activity, which was even more pronounced for the oils after 4 weeks of aging. This effect can be linked to the high content of terpene derivatives such as eugenol and cinnamaldehyde, which can cause changes in bacterial membrane permeability, affecting cell activity and survival. This study is the first to characterize the constituents of the popular folk medicine five thieves’ oil, confirming and explaining its strong antibacterial activity, thus constituting a significant contribution to contemporary health education.

Predicting yield at an early growth stage allows one to optimize the amount and timing of nitrogen fertilization to maximize crop yield. The aim of the study was to determine how different nitrogen doses would affect the nutrition of two maize varieties (Zea mays L.) with this element and their yields, and to demonstrate the potential of using the SPAD index as an early-stage predictor of dry matter yield (DMY) of maize biomass. The field experiment, with different pre- and post-sown N fertilizer doses, was conducted for two years in Poland. The two-factor experiment was set up in a randomized block design with three field replicates. There were four mineral fertilization variants: (I) 120 kg N·ha−1 without P and K fertilization, (II) 120 kg N·ha−1 + PK, (III) 160 kg N·ha−1 + PK, and (IV) 200 kg N·ha−1 + PK. The second-order factor was two stay-green maize varieties: Delitop (FAO 240) and Magitop (FAO 270). The mean values of the SPAD index of maize depended on the nitrogen dose. When the dose was increased from 120 kg·ha−1 to 200 kg·ha−1 with constant P and K fertilization, the value of the leaf greenness index increased significantly. The plants of both maize varieties fertilized with nitrogen at a dose of 120 kg N·ha−1 without P and K were characterized by the lowest values of the SPAD index, regardless of the year of the experiment. When the nitrogen dose was supplemented with P and K, the plants’ nutrition with nitrogen improved significantly. The values of the SPAD index in the maize plants of the variety Magitop were significantly greater than in the plants of the variety Delitop. The coefficients of correlation calculated for both maize varieties were highly significant at all measurement dates. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that the SPAD leaf greenness index can be used as an important, reliable, and non-invasive indicator for maize yield prediction. Nutrition of maize plants with nitrogen proved to be the main determinant of variability of the biomass yield. For this reason, it was the basis for the verification of individual mineral fertilization variants. The lack of phosphorus and potassium in the dose of mineral fertilizer limited the yield regardless of the variety, as compared to the variant that was optimally balanced with the nitrogen dose.

In this experimental study, the soluble fraction of polysaccharides (SFP) was isolated from the fruiting bodies of Pleurotus ostreatus mushrooms, to stabilise the casein–gluconate kefir matrix. Soluble fraction of polysaccharides dissolved in water or in milk was added to the lactose-reduced milk (0.5% w/v). Fermentation was carried out at 22 °C (to pH 4.4, 31°SH). Kefirs with SFP dissolved in the milk showed higher firmness, cohesiveness and consistency than the control kefir. The dissolving of SFP in the milk reduced spontaneous whey syneresis and prevented changes in water holding capacity. Soluble fraction of polysaccharides decreased the feeling of prickling in the kefirs and their mouth-coating properties.

Some ß-glucans can be easily extracted from Basidiomycete mushrooms but commonly used extraction procedures are not satisfactory. A simultaneous method for acid extraction and deproteinization in the case of Pleurotus ostreatus was developed using response surface methodology. The optimized extraction conditions proposed here (30°C, 3.8% HCl, 300min, stirring) allow for the simultaneous extraction and deproteinization of polysaccharides. Additionally, the acid extraction yield was 7 times greater than that of hot water extraction. The combined enzymatic digestion with lyticase, ß-glucanase, exo-1,3-ß-d-glucanase, and ß-glucosidase results elucidated that an extract containing ß-1,3-ß-1,6-ß-1,4-glucan. The gel permeation chromatography (GPC) results showed that the two glucan fractions obtained do not contain linked proteins. The weight average molecular weight of the first fraction (Mw=1137kDa) was 60 times higher than that of the second fraction (Mw=19kDa).

The oleaginous yeast Rhodosporidium diobovatum is a poorly described producer of carotenoids and may be of interest in biotechnology. This study investigated the effects of culture medium and illumination on effective carotenoid production by R. diobovatum IMB Y-5023. Yeast was cultured on carrot, bran extract, and modified yeast malt (YM) medium at illuminations in the 0-5000 lx range. Biomass, total carotenoids and their profile were assessed after cultivation. In order to compare samples, cluster analysis and principal component analysis were used to visualize the relationships between the variables and samples. Results show that it is not illumination but culture medium that is the main factor determining the quantity and proportions of carotenoids produced by R. diobovatum IMB Y-5023. The yeast grew and produced pigments throughout the tested range of illumination intensity. The modified YM medium was optimal for carotenogenesis. In cultures on that medium, the highest carotenoid yields of 24.98 mg g-1 dry cell weight and 77 mg L-1 were recorded. It was found that this yeast is capable of assimilating oligosaccharides and can grow and produce carotenoids in low-glucose media containing DP3 and DP4. Moreover R. diobovatum IMB Y-5023 produced lycopene as the main pigment independently of the culture conditions.

The aim of the study was to select optimal illumination for Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous DSM 5626 and its mutants: 26UV, 10BE, 13B, and 34B for astaxanthin production. The strains were cultivated on YM medium at an illumination of 0–5,000 lx. The highest yields of astaxanthin were found in cultures at 600 lx. The maximum pigment production for the parental strain was 0.95 mg/L and 0.19 g/kg dry cell weight (DCW), while for mutants 1.23–1.51 mg/L and 0.34–0.39 g/kg DCW. It was calculated that the application of adequate values of illumination (within the range of 670–718 lx), determined on the basis of regression models, may improve astaxanthin production by approximately 5–15%, depending on the strain. This was confirmed in the verification experiments for the parental strain and mutants: 10BE, 13B, 26UV, but for 34B at 718 lx the volumetric astaxanthin production was found to be higher than predicted by the model.

Edible macromycetes for ages have been used by humans, not only as a source of food, but medicinal resources as well; however, this happened first of all in the civilizations of the East. In recent years, they have become subjects of numerous scientific studies in Europe and United States. It was shown that they constitute a rich source of bioactive compounds exhibiting antitumor, hypocholesterolemic, immunosuppressive, antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. These compounds include non-starch polysaccharides, polysaccharide–protein and polysaccharide–peptide complexes, ribonucleases, proteases and lectins. Mushrooms also accumulate many secondary metabolites, that is, polyphenols, polyketides, terpenes and steroids. Most of the above-mentioned compounds exhibit a clinical potential. In this article, the health-promoting potential of mushroom polisaccharides was characterized. The special attention was paid on their antitumor, antiatherogenic and prebiotic activities.

Astaxanthin is a xanthophill pigment with commercial application in the aquaculture, pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries. The red yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous is one of the most promising microorganisms for its industrial production. However, astaxanthin content in wild yeast strains is low. Pigment production by X. dendrorhous can be improved by mutagenesis. The aim of the study was to assess the efficiency of four mutagens: UV radiation, benomyl, ethyl methanesulfonate and ethidium bromide in generating asthaxanthin-hyperproducing strains of the yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous DSM 5626. Mutations with benomyl, ethidium bromide and UV radiation generated a group of hyperpigmented mutants exhibiting increases up to 100% in astaxanthin content. Ethyl methanesulfonate turned out to be useless in this respect.

Nurses in community settings are seeing more health care consumers who are medically stable and who are asking for assistance in areas such as exercise, stress reduction, nutrition, and illness and accident prevention. These requests can be characterized as concerns of health maintenance or health promotion. Two nursing diagnoses, altered health maintenance and health-seeking behaviors (specify), enable the practitioner to address these concerns in clinically useful ways. Through case studies and comparative tables, the differences between these two diagnoses is clarified to enable nurses to identify, treat, and evaluate efforts made to enhance health-oriented behaviors.

Background. Astaxanthin is the most important and expensive carotenoid pigment used in aquaculture. Its commercial attractiveness is also related with its antioxidant potential. Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous yeast is considered to be promising for commercial production of astaxanthin. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of the growth and astaxanthin production by X. dendrorhous strains on media containing xylose under different illumination. Material and methods. X. dendrorhous DSM 5626 and its mutants: 10BE and 26UV were used in this study. The cultures were carried out on hydrolysed rye stillage (HS) and YM medium with xylose (YM-K). Cell concentration, total carotenoid and astaxanthin yields were assessed in 5-day cultures. The effect of illumina- tion in the range of 0-5,000 lx on growth and on astaxanthin production of yeasts in cultures run on YM-K medium was also examined. Results. For the tested yeast strains better growth parameters and astaxanthin yields were obtained on the YM-K medium, on which for all strains the highest pigment yields were recorded at 600-1,000 lx. The high- est concentration of astaxanthin in cells was recorded for 26UV in a culture at 1,000 lx (0.51 g·kg -1 DCW). The volume yield of the pigment regardless of strain was highest in cultures at 600 lx. In this case 10BE was found to be the best astaxanthin producer with a yield of 2.15 mg·dm -3 . Conclusions. Astaxanthin synthesis in X. dendrorhous DSM 5626 and its mutants was better on YM-K me- dium comparing to hydrolysed rye stillage. Moreover, carotenogenesis in the studied yeast strains was sub- jected to marked photoregulation. Illumination within the range of 600-1,000 lx promotes carotenogenesis and astaxanthin production, while exceeding a certain light capacity results in microbial cell death.