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The flavoring of olive oils with aromatic plants is commonly used to enrich the oils with aromatic and antioxidant compounds. Origanum majorana L. was applied as a flavoring agent for extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), at concentrations of 20 g L−1 and 40 g L−1, via ultrasound-assisted maceration. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of flavoring on the EVOOs' quality indices, oxidative stability, and antioxidant, antiradical and antifungal activities, as well as on the oils' volatile and phenolic profile. The flavored EVOO maintained the quality indices (free fatty acids, peroxide value, extinction coefficients) below the maximum permitted levels, whereas the addition of marjoram enhanced the oxidative stability, the levels of chlorophyll and b-carotene and the total phenolic content. The incorporation of marjoram into the EVOO did not have a significant impact on the antioxidant and antiradical activities. Concerning the antifungal activity, no Zygosaccharomyces bailli cell growth was observed for two weeks in a mayonnaise prepared with the flavored EVOO at a 40 g L−1 concentration. SPME-GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 11 terpene compounds (hydrocarbon and oxygenated monoterpenes) that had migrated from marjoram in the flavored EVOO. Twenty-one phenolic compounds were tentatively characterized by LC-QToF-MS in the EVOO samples; however, hesperetin and p-coumaric acid, originating from marjoram, were only detected in the flavored EVOO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of the storage process on the quality characteristics of a hemp‐enriched "tsoureki" (a rich‐dough baked Greek product, rich‐dough baked product [RDBP]) were investigated. The wheat flour was substituted with defatted hemp flour at selected ratios (0%–50% hemp:wheat flour). The baked products were stored at 25°C and at specific time intervals (0, 1, 4, 7, 10, and 14 days), and their properties were determined, including moisture content, water activity, structure, texture, color, total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant activity. Moreover, analyses of phenolic compounds were performed using quadrupole time of flight liquid chromatography–mass spectroscopy, identifying 14 compounds. Both the first‐order kinetic model and modified Avrami equation, including the hemp‐to‐wheat ratio effect in the rate constant, well described the changes in the quality characteristics. The results showed that storage time and hemp incorporation significantly affected the quality of the product. Water activity decreased from 0.901 to 0.859, whereas moisture content decreased from 30.52%–32.33% (0 days) to 26.97%–27.02% w.b. (14 days) with storage time for all hemp additions. Hardness was greatly affected by hemp flour addition and approached 14.72 and 17.85 N after 14 days of storage for 30% and 50% substitutions, respectively. Springiness and cohesiveness decreased with hemp addition and storage time. The color difference of the hemp‐enriched products compared to the control sample increased during storage. TPC increased due to the addition of hemp flour, whereas 14 compounds were identified. Based on property correlation, the hemp‐enriched RDBP‐tsoureki held its high‐quality characteristics for 7 days of storage and contained a significant amount of bioactive compounds. Practical Application: Industrially produced, defatted hemp is a promising byproduct that can be used to nutritionally enhance baked goods. Modeling results can be used for the prediction of the properties that define product storage ability and also that the hemp‐enriched, rich dough‐baked Greek "tsoureki" could be produced while maintaining total phenolic content and antioxidant activity during 7 days of storage. These findings are expected to be used in the future in baked goods industry applications to produce goods with an improved nutritional profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the technology of cultured meat continues to evolve and reach the market, it is important to understand the dynamics of consumer attitudes and preferences in order to provide insights into the potential adoption of cultured meat in Europe. Our aim was to explore the attitudes of Greek consumers, via an online survey addressed to 1230 consumers. The results revealed that only 39.35% of participants in this survey were aware of the term "cultured meat", but 55.69% would be willing to try it with the group of young (18-25 years old) being more willing to try compared to >25 years old and also male and graduates. Among the perceived benefits, the first rated benefit was the contribution to animal welfare, followed by the lower environmental impact of cultured meat. The highest concerns about the potential negative consequences of cultured meat were about the unknown long-term adverse health effects and about a negative impact on the local livestock producers. Most of the respondents (80.73%) agreed that cultured meat is an artificial product. In conclusion, our results revealed a level of skepticism and reservations regarding cultured meat among Greek consumers and addressing public concerns might be especially important to increase public acceptance of cultured meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumption of cruciferous vegetables (Brassicaceae) has been associated with prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases. Unlike other plant species, they are able to accumulate the essential micronutrient selenium and synthesize seleno-compounds with additional health benefits. Biofortification of cruciferous vegetables could be a solution to combat selenium deficiency and a means to enhance their health-promoting properties. However, biofortification leads to alterations of plant metabolism from micro- and macronutrients to various types of phytochemicals. This systematic review presents factors controlling selenium addition has on nutrients and phytochemicals of cruciferous vegetables. Selenium compounds of Brassicaceae and their possible cancer-preventive properties are also presented. Literature research was performed using four known databases by keywords such as cruciferous vegetables names and selenium biofortification. Over 90 references, mainly from the last decade, have been reviewed. Findings suggest that selenium biofortification affects differently the contents of nutrients and phytochemicals and therefore the biofortification process for each crop should be designed accordingly taking into account selenium toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Consumers today wish to know the botanical origin of the olive oil they purchase. The objective of the present study was the development of robust chemometric models based on gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) and attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐FTIR) for the purpose of botanical differentiation of three commercial Greek olive oil cultivars. RESULTS: Using the solid‐phase microextraction technique (SPME), volatile compounds (VC) were obtained and analyzed by GC‐MS. Five hydrocarbons and one ester were selected by the forward stepwise algorithm, which best discriminated the olive oil samples. From ATR‐FTIR analysis, the spectral regions chosen from the forward stepwise algorithm were associated with CO stretching vibration of the esters of triglycerides and the CH bending vibrations of the CH2 aliphatic group and double bonds. Application of the supervised methods of linear and quadratic discriminant cross‐validation analysis, based on VC data, provided a correct classification score of 97.4% and 100.0%, respectively. Corresponding statistical analyses were used in the mid‐infrared spectra, by which 96.1% of samples were discriminated correctly. CONCLUSION: ATR‐FTIR and SPME‐GC‐MS techniques in conjunction with the appropriate feature selection algorithm and classification methods proved to be powerful tools for the authentication of Greek olive oil. The proposed methodology could be used in an industrial setting for determination of the botanical origin of Greek olive oil. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumption of cruciferous vegetables has been associated with a low risk of developing cancer. Indole-type phytonutrients, derived from enzymatic hydrolysis of glucobrassicin, exhibit cancer-preventive properties and occur in all vegetables of the Brassicaceae family. A LC-Q-TOF-MS methodology was developed and applied in extracts from seven cruciferous vegetables allowing the rapid determination of indole-3-carbinol, indole-3-carbaldehyde, ascorbigen, indole-3-acetic acid and indole-3-acetonitrile. The novel method described herein, was validated and is characterized by low detection limits and excellent linearity. The simultaneous determination of indole-type phytonutrients in turnip and radish was performed for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]