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The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ozone treatment on the mitochondrial energy metabolism in blueberry fruit during storage as well as to determine the relationship between the activity of mitochondria and the antioxidative properties of ozonated fruit. Blueberry fruit was stored for 28 days at 4 °C and ozonated daily with gaseous ozone at the concentration of 15 mg L−1 for 30 min, every 12 h of storage. Research showed that ozonated fruit was characterized by higher activity of enzymes involved in oxidative phosphorylation (by 58.7% for SDH, 118.2% for CCO, and 78.16% for H+-ATPase after 7 days, respectively) than non-ozonated sample, which contributed to reduction of the loss of energy charge and ATP in the fruit during storage. Moreover, the increased activity of mitochondria led to the growth of mitochondrial ROS accumulation which, in turn, activated defense mechanisms against oxidative stress in the fruit. These metabolic responses might collectively contribute to increase the antioxidative properties of ozonated fruit and consequently to maintain a good quality of the fruit over a long period of storage.

The conversion of raw honey into powder can increase its usage in food industry but the health properties of obtained powder in relation to chemical composition of honey have been not studied since now. The aim of the study was to check the influence of botanical origin of honey on the quality of honey powder produced by spray drying method. Nine honey samples: honeydew (3), multifloral (3) and acacia (3) were transformed into honey powder using DC1500 dryer (Unimach, China). Analysis of honey powders and comparatively raw honeys covered: physicochemical parameters (moisture content, titratable acidity, pH, electrical conductivity, sugar profile (HPLC) and calorific value), bioactive compounds determination (antioxidant activity (DPPH and FRAP tests), phenolic compounds, mineral composition (ICP-OES) as well as microbiological purity and antibacterial activity. The experiments have shown that honeydew honey powder was characterized by the strongest antioxidant activity and the richest mineral composition, whereas the weakest properties for acacia honey were observed. Moreover, sugar profile of obtained powders was similar to raw honey. It was found that the quality of honey powder was directly dependent on the quality of raw honey.

Celem prezentowanych badań było określenie wpływu procesu ozonowania na poziom związków polifenolowych oraz aktywność wybranych enzymów zaangażowanych w metabolizm polifenoli w owocach borówki wysokiej (Vaccinum corymbosum L.) podczas przechowywania. Materiał badawczy stanowiły owoce borówki wysokiej odmiany Bluecrop, które były ozonowane gazem o stężeniu 15 ppm, przez 30 min, co 12 godzin przechowywania w temperaturze 4°C przez 28 dni. Owoce były poddawane analizie zawartości związków polifenolowych, aktywności antyoksydacyjnej oraz aktywności enzymów uczestniczących w ich biosyntezie oraz rozkładzie. Wyniki pokazały, że proces ozonowania aktywuje szlak biosyntezy polifenoli w owocach borówki wysokiej. W owocach ozonowanych stwierdzono wyższą aktywność hydroksylazy 3ß-flawononu oraz syntazy flawonolu niż w owocach nieozonowanych, co korespondowało z wyższą zawartością większości analizowanych polifenoli i aktywnością antyoksydacyjną. Ponadto, po 2 tygodniu przechowywania stwierdzono niższą aktywność oksydazy polifenolowej w owocach ozonowanych. Powyższa odpowiedź metaboliczna owoców przyczyniła się do większej odporności owoców na stres abiotyczny, jak również do utrzymania wysokiej jakości owoców, w tym wartości biologicznej podczas przechowywania. Powyższe wyniki badań zostały zaprezentowane na Ogólnopolskiej Konferencji Naukowej pt. „Człowiek - Żywność -Środowisko” dnia 15 października 2021 r. w Rzeszowie.

Food industry is on constant search for improved, enzymatically modified forms of proteins, which are the most important functional food ingredients, capable of either introducing or modifying texture, appearance, and flavour. One of the key aspects of food design is creating new functional properties and novel food macro- and microstructures in order to provide tailored food characteristics expected by consumers. Milk proteins are among the most thoroughly studied protein complexes occurring in foods and having a wide range of functionalities. The common usage of milk proteins has also contributed to the development of techniques designed to modify and improve functional properties of milk proteins. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of enzymatic modification induced by microbial transglutaminase (TGM) in milk proteins on the range of cross-linking as well as heat and ethanol stability of these proteins. Milk used in the study was subjected to various technological processes and then incubated with the enzyme added at an amount of 2 Units g−1 protein for 2 h at 40 °C. Modification of milk proteins by transglutaminase leads to their partial cross-linking and formation of high molecular weight polymers in the range of 55–200 kDa. The changes of cross-links between milk proteins occur most dynamically in the first hour of incubation at 40 °C. Enzymatic modification of milk proteins significantly increases the ethanol stability of raw as well as pasteurized milk and UF concentrate. Addition of transglutaminase does not change the heat stability of milk measured as the time of heat coagulation at 140 °C.

There are mainly two varieties of cinnamon available on the European market – Ceylon and Cassia cinnamon. Cassia cinnamon differs from Ceylon cinnamon in the taste, smell, appearance and, most of all, in the content of coumarin. Cassia cinnamon contains up to 10.6 % of this compound, whereas Ceylon cinnamon contains only trace amounts thereof. The objective of the research study was to assess the quality of cinnamon marketed in Poland using HPLC method. There were analysed twenty-six commercial samples in the form of powder (n = 19), sticks (n = 6) and bark (n = 1) in order to determine the contents of coumarin and cinnamaldehyde therein. Among them 73 % had no information of their botanical origin shown on their labels (they were marked with the “unknown origin” indication). The samples labelled as Cinnamomum verum (n = 6) or Cinnamomum cassia (n = 1) were used as reference samples. The samples of unknown origin were characterised by the highest content of coumarin (2.3 ÷ 7.7 mg/g) and the C. verum and C. cassia samples by the lowest content thereof (up to 0.08 mg/g). The cinnamaldehyde content was 38.7 mg/g – C. cassia, 19 mg/g – species of unknown origin and 9 mg/g - C. verum. The cinnamaldehyde-to-coumarin content ratio was highly differentiated. In the case of the samples with unknown origin that ratio was below 10, and the reference samples were characterised by a ratio 157 ÷ 680. It was proved, that on the Polish market it was Cassia cinnamon, that was predominantly marketed as a low-cost spice with no producer’s declaration of its botanical origin.

The article presents the findings of a study investigating the effects of storing Jonagold apples for six weeks in a condition in which the vertical component of the geomagnetic field has been eliminated (near null GMF) and in control conditions representing those applied in traditional storage (i.e., in the local geomagnetic field (local GMF)). Analyses of the fruit were performed before the start of and three times during the experiment (i.e., following four, five and six weeks in storage). The contents of simple sugars were measured using the HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) method, refractometry was applied to identify total extract, thermogravimetry was used to measure the water content, volatile substances and total ash, calorific value and intensity of respiration were examined by measuring CO2 emissions. Significant differences were found between the apples stored in the experimental and under control conditions, showing an advantage of storage in a condition with the vertical component of the geomagnetic field removed. Statistically significant differences were mainly identified in the speed of starch conversion into simple sugars, as well as the intensity of respiration and the appearance of the two groups of apples. Storage of fruit in a compensated geomagnetic field proved to be an effective method permitting an extended duration of storage without significant deterioration of the physicochemical and organoleptic properties of apples.

Is it possible to characterize the types of honey based on their chemical composition, their content of bioactive substances, and their physicochemical properties? The objective of this study was a comparative analysis of four types of honey from the Carpathian Foothills area, located in south-east Poland, based on the content of the main phenolic acids and proline, the mineral composition, and selected physicochemical properties. Most analyses, such as those of phenolic acids, sugars, and proline content, in honey samples were performed using chromatographic methods. These experiments demonstrated that honeydew honeys were the richest in phenolic acids, minerals, as well as oligosaccharides, compared to other honeys. Dark-colored honeys were characterized by the highest proline content. The dominant elements in all types of honey were potassium and calcium. The results of the present study show that analyses of specific phenolic acids, minerals, proline, and sugar content, in combination with chemometrics analysis, may successfully differentiate between the biological origins of honey samples and allow the preliminary verification of the samples before performing time-consuming pollen analysis.

This article presents the findings of a laboratory study investigating the stimulation and conditioning of seeds with biochar and the effects observed in the germination and emergence of Virginia mallow (Sida hermaphrodita (L.) Rusby) seedlings. The study shows that biochar, applied as a conditioner added to water in the process of seed hydration, improves their germination capacity. When the processed plant material was added to water at a rate of 5 g (approx. 1250 seeds) per 100 mL, the rate of germination increased to 45.3%, and was 23.3% higher when compared to the control group, and 7.3% higher than in the seeds hydrated without biochar. The beneficial effects of biochar application were also reflected in the increased mass of Virginia mallow seedlings. The mass of seedlings increased by 73.5% compared to the control sample and by 25.9% compared to the seeds hydrated without biochar. Given the low cost of charcoal applied during the hydro-conditioning process, the material can be recommended as a conditioner in large-scale production of Virginia mallow.

The aim of this paper was to analyze selected physicochemical properties and the pro-health potential of wines produced in southeastern Poland, in the Subcarpathian region, and commercial Carlo Rossi wines enhanced with cowslip (Primula veris L.). This study used ultra-performance reverse-phase liquid chromatography (UPLC)-PDA-MS/MS to perform most of the analysis, including the polyphenolic compounds and saponin content in wines enriched by Primula veris L. The initial anthocyanin content in Subcarpathian (Regional) red wine samples increased four times to the level of 1956.85 mg/L after a 10% addition of Primula veris L. flowers. For white wines, a five-fold increase in flavonol content was found in Subcarpathian (Regional) and wine samples, and an almost 25-fold increase in flavonol content was found in Carlo Rossi (Commercial) wine samples at the lowest (2.5%) Primula veris L. flower addition. Qualitative analysis of the regional white wines with a 10% Primula veris L. flower enhancement demonstrated the highest kaempferol content (197.75 mg/L) and a high quercetin content (31.35 mg/L). Thanks to wine enrichment in triterpenoid saponins and in polyphenolic compounds from Primula veris L. flowers, which are effectively extracted to wine under mild conditions, both white and red wines can constitute a highly pro-health component of diets, which is valuable in preventing chronic heart failure.