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Caffeic acid is one of the most abundant hydroxycinnamic acids in fruits, vegetables, and beverages. This phenolic compound reaches relevant concentrations in the colon (up to 126 µM) where it could come into contact with the intestinal cells and exert its anti-inflammatory effects. The aim of this investigation was to study the capacity of caffeic acid, at plausible concentrations from an in vivo point of view, to modulate mechanisms related to intestinal inflammation. Consequently, we tested the effects of caffeic acid (50-10 µM) on cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression and prostaglandin (PG)E2, cytokines, and chemokines (IL-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 -MCP-1-, and IL-6) biosynthesis in IL-1ß-treated human myofibroblasts of the colon, CCD-18Co. Furthermore, the capacity of caffeic acid to inhibit the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity, to hinder advanced glycation end product (AGE) formation, as well as its antioxidant, reducing, and chelating activity were also investigated. Our results showed that (i) caffeic acid targets COX-2 and its product PGE2 as well as the biosynthesis of IL-8 in the IL-1ß-treated cells and (ii) inhibits AGE formation, which could be related to (iii) the high chelating activity exerted. Low anti-ACE, antioxidant, and reducing capacity of caffeic acid was also observed. These effects of caffeic acid expands our knowledge on anti-inflammatory mechanisms against intestinal inflammation.

Bioactive compounds present in plant-based foods, and their metabolites derived from gut microbiota and endogenous metabolism, represent thousands of chemical structures of potential interest for human nutrition and health. State-of-the-art analytical methodologies, including untargeted metabolomics based on high-resolution mass spectrometry, are required for the profiling of these compounds in complex matrices, including plant food materials and biofluids. The aim of this project was to compare the analytical coverage of untargeted metabolomics methods independently developed and employed in various European platforms. In total, 56 chemical standards representing the most common classes of bioactive compounds spread over a wide chemical space were selected and analyzed by the participating platforms (n = 13) using their preferred untargeted method. The results were used to define analytical criteria for a successful analysis of plant food bioactives. Furthermore, they will serve as a basis for an optimized consensus method.

Common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) is recognized as a health promoting food which offer many beneficial health effects for consumers. In this study, antioxidant properties of buckwheat enhanced wheat bread formulas, composed of dark or white wheat flour, unhusked common buckwheat flour, salt and yeast, was investigated. The buckwheat flour substituted dark or white wheat flour at amount of 10, 20, 30 and 50% w/w on total flour basis. The breads were baked in electric oven at 230°C for 30 min. The antioxidant properties of buckwheat enhanced wheat breads were characterized by their chelating and reducing power, and antioxidant capacity measured against ABTS•+, DPPH• and against O2 •- radicals by photochemiluminescence (PCL) assay. The studies showed higher antioxidant properties of reference dark wheat bread as compared to reference white wheat bread. The antioxidant capacity formed by water and lipid soluble antioxidants (PCL assay) and reducing power were threefold higher, chelating power was above fivefold higher whilst scavenging capacity against ABTS•+ and DPPH• radicals was increased by 18% and 21%. Therefore, only substituting from 30 to 50% of dark wheat flour in the bread formula with buckwheat flour resulted in higher antioxidant properties of enhanced dark wheat bread, being generally twice better with comparison to dark wheat bread. On the other hand, substituting 10, 20, 30 and 50% of white wheat flour in the bread formula with buckwheat flour resulted in almost linear increase of chelating and reducing power, scavenging activity against ABTS•+ and DPPH• radicals and antioxidant capacity against O2 •-. The antioxidant properties of buckwheat enhanced white wheat breads, considered as above, were almost fivefold higher for bread with 50% buckwheat flour substitution when compared to those noted in commonly consumed white wheat bread. The improved antioxidant properties of buckwheat enhanced wheat breads might be due to the incorporation of phe

E. coli and P. aeruginosa are two microbial species affecting foods. E. coli is to date, the most well investigated cause of intestinal infectious diseases, and there are many strains with specific virulence factors which cause disease in humans. It is also known that P. aeruginosa can cause spoilage of foods at low temperatures, because it is a psicrophilic microorganism. Therefore, these microorganisms compromise both human health and food quality. Nowadays, there is an increased interest for healthier and safety foods for achieving the well being of the food consumers. Bread is a fundamental daily dietary food. Buckwheat bread has been recently received much more attention because it is rich in many bioactive compounds such phenolic compounds like rutin and its metabolites. The present investigation aimed to evaluate the effect of buckwheat bread formulation on the microbial viability of those microorganisms that may affect both human health (E. coli) and food quality (P. aeruginosa). The study also intended to gain insight on the contribution of rutin to this property if so. To achieve this goal the effect of different food concentrations of pure rutin as well as two buckwheat flours and four buckwheat enhanced wheat bread samples on the microbial viability was tested. Rutin concentration in food samples was determined by RP-HPLC. Rutin was detected in all samples based on buckwheat. Results seem to indicate those breads prepared mixing wheat and buckwheat negatively affect the viability of both E. coli and P. aeruginosa. Pure rutin in food concentrations also showed a similar effect in a dose depending manner. Therefore, it may be suggested that buckwheat enhanced formulation may contribute to bread conservation, also increasing the antimicrobial properties of bread. The choice of some ingredients could offers great potential to modulate the bread composition to much better technological and functional properties.