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Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum (Pursh) Kuntze) is a perennial plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family mainly used in folk medicine to treat various ailments. This study determined the chemical composition of the essential oil and evaluated its antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. The essential oil was obtained from plants cultivated in the experimental field at the Institute of Roses, Essential and Medical Plants, Kazanlak, Bulgaria. The plants were processed by steam distillation, with the essential oil yielding 0.37%, and its main components being methyl chavicol (82.03%) and limonene (9.90%). The most potent antimicrobial action was observed against the gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (25.7 mm inhibition zone) and Bacillus cereus (12.3 mm), the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (16.3 mm) and Candida albicans (16.5 mm). The remaining gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus epidermidis and Bacillus subtilis), gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella ebony), and fungi (Aspergillus brasiliensis and Fusarium moniliforme) were resistant to the action of the essential oil. The antioxidant activity of the essential oil was ABTS (32.36 µmol TE/mL), DPPH (21.61 µmol TE/mL), CUPRAC (19.94 µmol TE/mL), and FRAP (29.56 µmol TE/mL) in vitro. Overall, the results from this study revealed the biological potential of anise hyssop as a source in pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic applications.

Abstract There are differing views on cannabis and phytocannabinoid usage in diverse domains of application. This review explores the advantages and drawbacks of using cannabis and phytocannabinoids, including their effects on human health, in addition to highlighting the need for precise and repeatable analytical methods for quantifying controlled phytocannabinoids in consumer cannabidiol (CBD) products and foods. The composition and characteristics of the phytochemicals found in cannabis, the advantages and disadvantages of controlled and uncontrolled phytocannabinoids, and the need for regulation and standardization in the use of cannabis and products containing phytocannabinoids are all covered in this review of the pertinent literature. Cannabinoids used illegally can have negative consequences, but controlled phytocannabinoids found in consumer CBD products are relatively safe and unlikely to cause any adverse effects. It is necessary to restrict the amount of CBD in foods and consumer products in order to ensure safety. To measure the amount of restricted phytocannabinoids in these products, accurate analytical techniques are also required. In order to increase the use of cannabis among consumers, more research is needed to improve our understanding of the bioavailability and metabolic pathways of these compounds. Furthermore, consumers want clear and uniform federal rules governing the amount of CBD in food products in order to ensure correct dosing. To promote safe and responsible use, cannabis and phytocannabinoids must be carefully considered, regulated, and standardized. It is necessary for consumers to have clear, consistent standards governing the percentage of CBD in their food products. As a result, they would know the exact amount of CBD in their products.

Packaging is a key tool to serve as a vehicle for communication between customers and the food industry. The food industry is continually investigating new technologies to improve and promote new food packaging aspects. Currently, nanotechnology has become one of the most promising trends for food packaging. This systematic review aims to elaborate on the scientific research progress of consumer behavior toward nanopackaging. Social and psychological motivations for consumers toward the new trend were discussed. This paper synthesizes various numbers of studies, especially during the digital era of Industry 4.0. The application of nanotechnology for food packaging has led to the development of active, smart, and bioactive nanopackaging, which includes nanoantimicrobials, nanosensors, and nanobarcodes. Studies showed that consumer social and psychological factors influence directly or indirectly the application of nanopackaging. Social norms, social concerns, and social media behavior are the social factors that drive consumer behavior. Moreover, motivation, perception, learning, attitudes and beliefs, personality, and habits are the main psychological factors driving the consumer decision on buying or adopting the new trend in food packaging. The understanding of these social and psychological factors is crucial for manufacturers and governments in developing strategies to alleviate the consumers’ negative feedback and reduce their unfamiliarity with the new trends in food consumption, especially nanopackaging. In the future, efforts supported by scientific evidence should be made to increase the awareness, knowledge and trust of consumers to improve their perception of sustainable packaging solutions.

Chicken and seafood are highly perishable owing to the higher moisture and unsaturated fatty acids content which make them more prone to oxidation and microbial growth. In order to preserve the nutritional quality and extend the shelf-life of such products, consumers now prefer chemical-free alternatives, such as lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and essential oils (EOs), which exert a bio-preservative effect as antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds. This review will provide in-depth information about the properties and main mechanisms of oxidation and microbial spoilage in chicken and seafood. Furthermore, the basic chemistry and mode of action of LAB and EOs will be discussed to shed light on their successful application in chicken and seafood products. Metabolites of LAB and EOs, either alone or in combination, inhibit or retard lipid oxidation and microbial growth by virtue of their principal constituents and bioactive compounds including phenolic compounds and organic acids (lactic acid, propionic acid, and acetic acid) and others. Therefore, the application of LAB and EOs is widely recognized to extend the shelf-life of chicken and seafood products naturally without altering their functional and physicochemical properties. However, the incorporation of any of these agents requires the optimization steps necessary to avoid undesirable sensory changes. In addition, toxicity risks associated with EOs also demand the regularization of an optimum dose for their inclusion in the products.

Dietary proteins are no longer just nutritional ingredients in our food. During hydrolysis, some of the released peptides may possess properties that favor the health of the human body. In our study enzymatic hydrolysis of lupin proteins was performed using papain. Three enzyme-to-substrate ratios were set for three different duration times. The SDS-PAGE of the samples was performed. Each hydrolysate was studied for the degree of hydrolysis (DH), acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities (AOA, according to four spectrophotometric methods). The DH varied from 9.06 ± 0.20 to 27.97 ± 0.37%. According to the results, the best AOA was measured by the ABTS method (from 0.76 ± 0.03 to 1.15 ± 0.46 M TE/100 g protein). All the hydrolysates displayed AChE inhibitory activity (IC50), which varied between 155.58 ± 1.87 and 199.63 ± 0.41 mg/g protein. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of lupin protein hydrolysates. In conclusion, lupin proteins prove to have a high potential to serve as a source of bioactive peptides.

Edible coatings that have a recognized ecological effect are an alternative to retard the processes of moisture evaporation and mold growth in bakery products. The aim of the present research was to study the influence of Malva sylvestris L. (mallow) flowers’ extract on the antimicrobial activity of edible coatings of three types of polysaccharides, pectin/P/, xanthan/X/ and carboxymethylcellulose/C/, as well as to analyze their effect on the freshness and microbiological status of coated small loaves during storage. It was found that the presence of a mallow extract had a positive effect on the fungicidal and yeasticidal activities of the X and C coatings. The loaves were evaluated for their physical (moisture, color), textural (firmness and crumb firming kinetics) and microbiological characteristics. The coatings (P, X and C) with mallow extract had the strongest moisture-retaining effect on the loaves’ crumb. The coatings with X and with P (with/without mallow extract) significantly slowed down the crumb firming process, and the value of the rate constant for the crumb firming (k) is the lowest for the X coating—0.1815 day−1. The smallest changes in the crust color were reported when mallow-based coatings were used. They have also been proven to have the lowest microbial load when they are stored for up to three days. This study shows that polysaccharide edible coatings with an active mallow component have significant potential to extend the shelf life of bakery products.

The morphological and essential oil diversity of Stachys lavandulifolia populations from the west and northwest of Iran were evaluated. The results showed a significant difference between the populations for nearly all the evaluated traits. The broadest variation ranges were recorded for the auxiliary shoot length, leaf length in the main branch, and the number of flowers in the inflorescences. Furthermore, cluster analysis divided 13 populations into four separate groups. GC/MS analysis verified the presence of 28 components comprising up to 94/4% of the oils. The dominant constituents were α-pinene (1.07–34.87%), (E)-caryophyllene (0.45–25.99%), germacrene D (3.36–20.61%), Δ-cadinene (2.82–19.90%), bicyclogermacrene (1.72–12.08%) α-terpineol (0–11.86%), α-muurolol (0.31–11.50%), p-cymene (0.67–9.67%), β-elemene (0.63–9.31%), and sabinene (0.32–6.29%). The results revealed that natural habitats and the related geo-climatological cues influenced morphological traits and oil composition. Considering the substantial environmental variations and the broad diversity, there would be a rich selection pool for the traits of interest. The populations are a step forward in the breeding programs for the highlighted essential oil constituents needed by the pharmaceutical and related industries. Furthermore, with the future comparative study of the populations from all Iranian territories and the neighboring countries, we will have a realistic idea of the coming conservational and exploitation programs.

Forty-four bicyclo ((aryl) methyl) benzamides, acting as glycine transporter type 1 (GlyT1) inhibitors, are developed using molecular modeling techniques. QSAR models generated by multiple linear and non-linear regressions affirm that the biological inhibitory activity against the schizophrenia disease is strongly and significantly correlated with physicochemical, geometrical and topological descriptors, in particular: Hydrogen bond donor, polarizability, surface tension, stretch and torsion energies and topological diameter. According to in silico ADMET properties, the most active ligands (L6, L9, L30, L31 and L37) are the molecules having the highest probability of penetrating the central nervous system (CNS), but the molecule 32 has the highest probability of being absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract. Molecular docking results indicate that Tyr124, Phe43, Phe325, Asp46, Phe319 and Val120 amino acids are the active sites of the dopamine transporter (DAT) membrane protein, in which the most active ligands can inhibit the glycine transporter type 1 (GlyT1). The results of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation revealed that all five inhibitors remained stable in the active sites of the DAT protein during 100 ns, demonstrating their promising role as candidate drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia.

In Morocco, Cynara humilis L. is used in traditional medicine. The objective of this research was to research the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of hydroethanolic extracts from the C. humilis plant’s leaves and roots. The content of polyphenols and flavonoids was evaluated using Folin–Ciocalteu’s and aluminum chloride assays. Two techniques were used to evaluate antioxidant properties: antioxidant capacity in total (TAC) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhdrazyl (DPPH). In antimicrobial assays, five pathogenic microbial strains were studied including two Escherichia coli, one coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and Klebsiella pneumoniae, and one Candida albicans, by two techniques: agar disk diffusion and microdilution. Leaves had a greater content of flavonoids 27.07 mg QE/g of extract and the polyphenols 38.84 mg GAE/g of extract than root 24.39 mg QE/g of extract and 29.39 mg GAE/g of extract, respectively. The TAC test value of the 0.77 mg AAE/g extract in the leaf extract was found to be significantly greater than that of the 0.60 mg EAA/g extract in the root extract. The DPPH antioxidant assay IC50 values of the root and leaf extract were 0.23 and 0.93 µg/mL, respectively. C. humilis extracts showed an antimicrobial effect against all tested strains, the inhibitory zone (DIZ) have values in the range between 12 and 15 mm. Moreover, the root extract showed the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against coagulase-negative Staphylococcus with an IC50 value of 6.25 mg/mL. The higher content of flavonoids and polyphenols in the hydroethanolic extracts of C. humilis leaves and roots demonstrates that they have a significant antimicrobial and antioxidant effect, as found in this study.

The present paper aims to investigate the chemical composition of unripe black pine seeds obtained from Bulgaria. The lipid fraction was evaluated in unripe seeds, and the cellulose, total carbohydrates, glucose, fructose, and sucrose were evaluated in seedcakes. The major fatty acid identified in the Pinus nigra seed oil was unsaturated linoleic acid (44.2%), followed by the saturated palmitic acid (31.2%). The amount of unsaturated pinolenic (10.5%) and oleic acids (8.8%) was also rather high. The amino acid composition of the protein fraction of seedcakes was also determined. The amino acid composition was represented mainly by asparagine (3.92 mg/g), serine (3.79 mg/g), alanine (3.65 mg/g), arginine (3.32 mg/g), phenylalanine (2.98 mg/g), lysine (2.85 mg/g), proline (2.69 g/mg), tryptophan (2.44 mg/g), valine (2.33 mg/g), isoleucine (2.28 mg/g), and tyrosine (2.05 mg/g). The mineral content (N, P, K, Mg, Na, and Cu) of the seedcakes was evaluated, as the amount of K (8048.00 mg/kg) and Mg (172.99 mg/kg) were the highest in the samples. These findings emphasized the potential use of the unripe black pine seeds in different areas due to their chemical importance and values.

In the wake of continual foodborne disease outbreaks in recent years, it is critical to focus on strategies that protect public health and reduce the incidence of foodborne pathogens and spoilage microorganisms. Currently, there are limitations associated with conventional microbial control methods, such as the use of chemical preservatives and heat treatments. For example, such conventional treatments adversely impact the sensorial properties of food, resulting in undesirable organoleptic characteristics. Moreover, the growing consumer advocacy for safe and healthy food products, and the resultant paradigm shift toward clean labels, have caused an increased interest in natural and effective antimicrobial alternatives. For instance, natural antimicrobial elements synthesized by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are generally inhibitory to pathogens and significantly impede the action of food spoilage organisms. Bacteriocins and other LAB metabolites have been commercially exploited for their antimicrobial properties and used in many applications in the dairy industry to prevent the growth of undesirable microorganisms. In this review, we summarized the natural antimicrobial compounds produced by LAB, with a specific focus on the mechanisms of action and applications for microbial food spoilage prevention and disease control. In addition, we provide support in the review for our recommendation for the application of LAB as a potential alternative antimicrobial strategy for addressing the challenges posed by antibiotic resistance among pathogens.

Koelreuteria paniculata Laxm. is used in traditional medicine and has various established biological activities, however, the species is considered to be a potentially invasive alien tree species for Bulgarian flora. However, there is still much to be studied about the phytochemical and biological characteristics of the species. The present study aimed to determine the chemical composition of the ethanol extracts of aerial plant parts, by GC-MS analysis, and to thereby evaluate their in vitro antitumor and antibacterial properties. All three extracts were tested against the HT-29 and PC3 tumor cell lines using the MTT assay. Fifty-six components were identified from leaf, flower, and stem bark extracts, and over 10% were the following constituents: pyrogallol, α-terpinyl acetate, neryl acetate, and α-terpinyl isobutanoate. The oxygenated monoterpenes predominated in the extracts, followed by the oxygenated aliphatics and phenylpropanoids. Significant antiproliferative activity on the HT-29 cell line (IC50–21.44 µg/mL and 23.63 µg/mL, respectively) was found for the flower and leaf extracts. Antibacterial activity was established for the following bacteria strains: Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Bacillus cereus NCTC 10320, Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 6027, and Proteus vulgaris ATCC 6380. The stem bark and flower extracts showed better antimicrobial potential. K. paniculata could be considered as a potential source of biologically active substances with antitumor and antibacterial properties.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possibilities for using date fruit from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the formulation of a novel snack bar while replacing the used honey with date paste. The technological, textural, microbiological and sensory qualities of the obtained food products were evaluated during storage for 12 days after their production. Date palm fruit in the form of date paste was used as an ingredient in the composition of the new snack bars that also included nuts and dried fruits. Five formulations were prepared: a control bar, snack bar with 40% date paste, snack bar with 50% date paste, snack bar with 60% date paste, and snack bar with 70% dates paste. The resulting date paste’s textural characteristics supported the bonding potential of the food system and gave a sweet taste to the final product. The formulations containing 50% date paste presented the highest overall acceptability and were the formulation with the best sensory characteristics. Thus, the addition of date paste in snack bars would be a good option to develop a functional product that contributes to rational nutrition principles. The obtained values in the current study confirmed the technological and functional potential of date fruit as a product that can find adequate application in the composition of foods with functional properties.

Grecian juniper (Juniperus excelsa M. Bieb.) is an evergreen tree and a rare plant found in very few locations in southern Bulgaria. The aim of this study was to evaluate the phytochemical content and antioxidant potential of J. excelsa unripe and ripe galbuli from three different locations in Bulgaria. The essential oil content ranged between 1.9% and 5.1%, while the lipid fraction yield was between 4.5% and 9.1%. The content of total chlorophyll was 185.4–273.4 μg/g dw. The total carotenoid content ranged between 41.7 and 50.4 μg/g dw of ripe galbuli, and protein content was between 13.6% and 16.4%. Histidine (5.5 and 8.0 mg/g content range) and lysine (4.0 and 6.1 mg/g) were the major essential amino acids. The antioxidant potential of the 95% and 70% ethanol extracts was analyzed using four different methods. A positive correlation between the antioxidant potential and phenolic content of the galbuli was found. The results obtained in this study demonstrated the differences in phytochemical composition and antioxidant capacity of J. excelsa galbuli as a function of maturity stage and collection locality.

Laurel, Laurus nobilis L. is an evergreen plant belonging to the Lauraceae family, native to Southern Europe and the Mediterranean area. This is the first report on the composition and bioactivity of laurel essential oil (EO) from Bulgaria. The oil yield was 0.78%, 0.80%, and 3.25% in the fruits, twigs, and leaves, respectively. The main constituents in the fruit EO were 1,8-cineole (33.3%), α-terpinyl acetate (10.3%), α-pinene (11.0%), β-elemene (7.5%), sabinene (6.3%), β-phellandrene (5.2%), bornyl acetate (4.4%), and camphene (4.3%); those in the twig EO were 1,8-cineole (48.5%), α-terpinyl acetate (13.1%), methyl eugenol (6.6%), β-linalool (3.8%), β-pinene (3.4%), sabinene (3.3%) and terpinene-4-ol (3.3%); and the ones in the leaf EO were 1,8-cineole (41.0%), α-terpinyl acetate (14.4%), sabinene (8.8%), methyl eugenole (6.0%), β-linalool (4.9%), and α-terpineol (3.1%). The antibacterial and antifungal properties of laurel EOs were examined according to the agar well diffusion method. The leaf EO showed antibacterial and antifungal activities against almost all strains of the microorganisms tested, whereas the twig EO was only able to inhibit Staphylococcus aureus. Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027 and Escherichia coli ATCC 8739 were the bacterial strains that showed the highest resistance to the laurel EO. The results can benefit the EO industry and biopesticide development.