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The multicomponent mixtures consisting of herbs and fungi are commonly used for the production of alcoholic beverages with potential health-promoting effects in many Asian countries. The medicinal fungus Ganoderma lucidum is one of the most important fungi used for spirit production. Although this fungus affects the aromatic complexity of spirits, only a small number of studies have focused on investigating the influence of G. lucidum on the aromatic profile and colour of spirits. The aim of the research is to evaluate the influence of adding G. lucidum and herbal extract on final concentrations of volatile compounds and sensory quality of several distillates. In this study, distillates (grain, plum, grape and wine) were used to produce new spirit-based beverages with the fungus G. lucidum only, or with the fungus and herbal extract. Fifty-nine aroma compounds were identified by GC-MS. The aromatic profiles were strongly influenced by the primary aromas of the distillates, but the addition of G. lucidum and herbal extract enriched the volatile fraction of distillates with a range of ethyl esters, with a fruity and floral fragrance. Higher alcohols, 1-propanol, 2-isobutanol and isoamyl alcohol, were the most abundant volatile compounds in the analyzed distillates and spirits. The lightness of distillates was from 60.7 to 63.6, and with the addition of Ganoderma it significantly decreased to the range from 43.6 to 50.5. The addition of the fungus also increased the intensity of red and yellow colours. The Ganoderma spirits scored very highly in sensory evaluation (17.6-18.3), significantly better than the spirits without any additions (16.1-16.9).

Research background. Apple juice is one of the most popular and liked beverages worldwide. Due to the increased health consciousness among consumers, beetroot and chokeberry juices have also rising consumption trends. Despite representing a consider-able percentage of the processed fruit and rich source of bioactive compounds, fruit pom-ace, remaining after juice production, has still been underutilised. Here, the possibility of using apple, beetroot and chokeberry pomace in liqueur formulations is investigated. Experimental approach. Apple and chokeberry liqueurs were produced from apple and chokeberry pomace extracts, respectively. Apple/chokeberry and apple/beetroot liqueurs were obtained by combining apple pomace with chokeberry and beetroot pomace extracts in ratios 50:50 and 70:30, respectively. The sensory quality and acceptability of freshly prepared liqueurs were evaluated by experts and consumers. Sugars and phenolics were identified and quantified by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed-amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) and high-performance liquid chromatog-raphy–diode array detection–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–DAD–MS/MS), respec-tively. Storability was preliminarily evaluated based on monitoring of total phenolic con-centration, antioxidant activity and colour each month during 6 months of storage at 4 and 22 °C. Results and conclusions. The expert and the consumer testing indicated that apple and chokeberry pomace could be used as raw materials without any flavour corrections while apple/beetroot pomace liqueur would require modification. High total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were found in all freshly prepared liqueurs, with chokeberry liqueur being by far superior. Among identified phenolics, ellagic acid and phlorizin were quantified as the most prominent, except in chokeberry liqueur, where phlorizin was not quantified. Despite the decrease in total phenolic concentration and antioxidant activity after 6 mont

Herbal residues from the production and processing of medicinal plants are usually discarded as waste material. Plantago major is an edible plant, traditionally used for medicinal purposes, having wide application in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry, usually in the form of liquid extracts and tinctures. In this work, extracts of P. major leaves waste remaining after industrial tincture production and dried leaves used initially for tincture production were investigated and compared. Methods: The chemical composition was obtained by FTIR analysis, whereas polyphenolic profile was assessed by HPLC. Antioxidant activity, sun protection factor (SPF), cytotoxic activity against colon carcinoma (HCT116) and melanoma (Hs294T) human cell lines as well as antistaphylococcal activity against S. aureus ATCC strains and one clinical isolate were also evaluated. Results: FTIR analysis revealed wider chemical diversity in waste samples than in initial plant material. Among detected phenolics, chlorogenic acid, luteolin, and rutin were the most abundant in all extracts, whereas luteolin was even higher in the waste. Waste extracts had a significantly lower sun protection factor (SPF) when compared to initial dried leaves. On the contrary, cytotoxic activity of waste extracts against tested human cell lines were more efficient when compared to initial dried leaves, which can be attributed to the higher luteolin content in tincture residues. Both waste and initial dried leaves extracts exhibited antibacterial activity against all tested S. aureus strains at higher tested concentrations. Conclusion: P. major waste remaining after industrial tincture production represents high-value material with great valorization potential. Graphic abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

In this investigation, the possibility of wood waste (hardwoods such as oaks’ and alternatives’ staves from Balkan cooperage) revalorization for simultaneous cadmium removal and wastewater disinfection was examined. All samples were characterized in terms of their crystallinity index and crystallite size, amount of functional groups, and surface chemistry (determined by ATR-FTIR) as well as antibacterial activity. Mulberry is characterized by the lowest crystallinity index which can be ascribed to the highest crystallite size disabling crystallite denser packaging, while myrobalan plum has about 23% lower crystallite size that enables crystallite better packaging, thus resulting in a 42.4% higher crystallinity index compared to the mulberry. All oaks have a significantly higher amount of carboxyl groups compared to the alternatives (0.23-0.28 vs. 0.12-0.19 mmol/g). The adsorption experiments revealed that with increasing the initial cadmium concentration from 15 up to 55 mg/g, samples’ adsorption capacity increases by 89-220%. The equilibrium data fit well with the Langmuir isotherm model implying monolayer coverage of cadmium ions over a homogeneous wood surface. The relationship between the samples’ maximum adsorption capacities (ranged from 5.726 to 12.618 mg/g), their crystallinity index, and crystallite size was established. According to ATR-FTIR spectra, aldehyde, carboxyl, hydroxyl, and phenyl groups present on the wood waste surface are involved in Cd2+ adsorption which proceeds via the interplay of the complexation, cation-π interactions, and ion-exchange mechanisms. Mulberry and myrobalan plum showed about 89% and 80% of the total uptake capacity of cadmium within 60 min, while the equilibrium was attained after 240 min of contact time. Good compliance with pseudo-second kinetic order indicated that cadmium adsorption was mediated by chemical forces. Thermodynamic parameters revealed the spontaneous and exothermic character of cadmium ion adsorption onto m

In this study, a novel green walnut liqueur (GWL) based on green walnuts, as the main ingredient, with the addition of fruits, aromatic plants, chocolate and honey, was produced at the pilot-scale. Antioxidant activity (AO) of the obtained GWL was determined using multiple AO assays in parallel, standard spectrophotometric (FC, DPPH and FRAP) and recently developed electrochemical ones, HydroxoPerhydroxoMercury(II) Complex and Mercury Reduction Antioxidant Power, and compared to similar commercial alcoholic beverages. Characterization of the GWL in terms of volatile and polyphenolic components was performed using SPE-GC-MS and HPLC-DAD-MS/MS, respectively. Sensory quality assessment was performed by experts in the field of sensory analysis of alcoholic beverages, using a scoring method. According to all AO assays applied, AO activity and total phenolics content of GWL were superior in comparison to commercial spirits considered. The volatile fraction of GWL was mainly composed of eugenol,alpha-terpineol and vanillin, while the most prevalent phenolic compounds were gallic (5.054 mg/L) and chlorogenic acid (1.307 mg/L) and flavonoids such as catechine (0.882 mg/L), quercetin (0.499 mg/L) and its sugar-conjugated derivatives, quercetin 3-O-glucoside (0.774 mg/L) and quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside (0.614 mg/L). Gallic acid is the major contributor to total AO activity, especially determined by DPPH and FRAP, followed by catechine, quercetin and chlorogenic acid. Among the terpenoids, contribution of eugenol to total AO activity is estimated as the highest. Excellent sensory quality (18.52 of maximum 20 scores) was ascribed to GWL. Consequently, the presence of bioactive compounds and high AO activity of GWL, in addition to high sensory quality score, indicates a high market potential for this high-value product.

Research background. Apple juice is one of the most popular and liked beverages worldwide. Due to the increased health consciousness among consumers, beetroot and chokeberry juices have also rising consumption trends. Despite representing a consider-able percentage of the processed fruit and rich source of bioactive compounds, fruit pom-ace, remaining after juice production, has still been underutilised. Here, the possibility of using apple, beetroot and chokeberry pomace in liqueur formulations is investigated. Experimental approach. Apple and chokeberry liqueurs were produced from apple and chokeberry pomace extracts, respectively. Apple/chokeberry and apple/beetroot liqueurs were obtained by combining apple pomace with chokeberry and beetroot pomace extracts in ratios 50:50 and 70:30, respectively. The sensory quality and acceptability of freshly prepared liqueurs were evaluated by experts and consumers. Sugars and phenolics were identified and quantified by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed-amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) and high-performance liquid chromatog-raphy–diode array detection–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–DAD–MS/MS), respec-tively. Storability was preliminarily evaluated based on monitoring of total phenolic con-centration, antioxidant activity and colour each month during 6 months of storage at 4 and 22 °C. Results and conclusions. The expert and the consumer testing indicated that apple and chokeberry pomace could be used as raw materials without any flavour corrections while apple/beetroot pomace liqueur would require modification. High total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were found in all freshly prepared liqueurs, with chokeberry liqueur being by far superior. Among identified phenolics, ellagic acid and phlorizin were quantified as the most prominent, except in chokeberry liqueur, where phlorizin was not quantified. Despite the decrease in total phenolic concentration and antioxidant activity after 6 mont

INTRODUCTION: The quest for foods that have a health-promoting impact began many years ago as a functional food. Nowadays, the varieties of food products and food ingredients are more about how they impact the health and well-being of consumers. Throughout history, herbs have been used to add taste and/or preservation to foods. The creative use of herbs can make food much more enjoyable, and not less healthy. Various herbal infusions can be added to beverage compositions to increase nutritional qualities and health benefits while maintaining a sensory and pleasant balance throughout the fortification process. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of the study was to develop and manufacture specialty drinks made from fruit juices and extracts of medicinal and aromatic plants that had a high concentration of biologically active chemicals and a high antioxidant activity. Three types of soft drinks have been developed: those with potentially targeted physiologically beneficial effects on metabolism, cardiovascular system, and body resistance, as well as those with medicinal and aromatic herbs whose positive healing effects have already been documented in previous research. METHOD / DESIGN: Fruit juices were made by mechanically processing mature fruits, that have not been fermented and have been preserved only via physical methods. The plant material was dried in ambient conditions and ground shortly before extraction. A single percolation method was used to create liquid plant extracts. Extracts of medicinal and aromatic herbs were mixed in combinations with specific functional characteristics sensory acceptable and compatible with fruit blends. Total flavonoid content, polyphenols, and antioxidant capacity were determined. RESULTS: Plant extracts and fruit juices were first classified in terms of total phenols, and their antioxidant activity was assessed using the FRAP and DPPH tests. The total antioxidant activity determined by the FRAP assay and the antioxidant activity

The ageing in contact with wood is an important process for improving the aroma, color, taste and astringency of some high-quality alcoholic beverages. One of the important changes is extraction of volatile compounds (i.e. extractable compounds and gradually transformed wooden constituents) as a result of the interaction between compounds present in wood and alcoholic beverages.The aim of this study was to obtain volatile profiles of seasoned wood stave extracts and find potential markers for wood species. The following species were investigated: mulberry (Morus alba L.), Myrobalan plum (Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), wild cherry (Prunus avium (L.) L.) and oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl., and Q. robur L.). Gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used for qualitative and quantitative analyzes of the wood extracts, respectively.The volatile profiles of oak and other wood species were significantly different. Some of the identified compounds were proposed as potential markers for the identification of the specific wood. Oak samples were characterized by presence of many compounds, such as oak lactones, vinylguaiacol, eugenol, vanillin, propiovanillone, homovanillic acid, methyl homovanillate, syringyl propan-2-one, butyrosyringone and dihydrosynapil alcohol. In addition, isoeugenol was characteristic for pedunculate oak from Gornji Radan. On the other hand, the following compounds were characteristic of other wood samples: methylresorcinol and coumaran (mulberry); resacetophenone and o-acetyl-p-cresol (black locust); benzoic acid, 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid and scopoletin (Myrobalan plum); sakuranin, chrysin, tectochrysin, naringenin, pinocembrin and 2,6-dimethoxybenzoquinone and acetophenone (wild cherry). Sakuranin could be considered as potential marker for wild cherry. Our findings could be used for authenticity of wood species used for coo

Sazrevanje je jedan od najvažnijih procesa proizvodnje visokokvalitetnih alkoholnih pića, uključujući viski, rakiju i konjak. Kontakt drveta i destilata je presudan korak za migraciju hemijskih jedinjenja koja evociraju nova senzorna svojstva konačnih proizvoda. Novi ukus je ugodan za vrlo široku grupu potrošača i zavisi od kulturološki uslovljenih preferencija. Da bi se demistifikovala glavna hemijska jedinjenja, koja doprinose aromi, njihovo povezivanje sa senzornim profilom alkoholnih pića, koja su starila u buradima je presudan korak za ubrzanje vrlo dugotrajnog procesa, bez smanjenja kvaliteta. Na obrasce konzumiranja alkoholnih pića uticali su promenjene sklonosti potrošača i povećana dostupnost različitih vrsta alkoholnih pića na tržištu. Izbor jedne vrste alkoholnih pića u odnosu na druge značajno je oblikovan spoljašnjim atributima pića i faktorima koji zavise od samih potrošača, ali izbor između različitih dostupnih opcija jedne vrste alkoholnog pića može se zasnivati na potrošačkoj percepciji njegovih specifičnih senzornih atributa. Stoga, kombinacija ukusa, arome, boje i drugih senzornih atributa alkoholnih pića može da oblikuje percipirani kvalitet od strane potrošača i generalno utiče na potencijal njihovog tržišnog uspeha., Aging is one of the most important processes in the production of high-quality spirits, including whisky, brandy and cognac. The contact between wood and distillates is a crucial step for the migration of chemical compounds, which evoke the novel sensory properties of the final products. Novel taste is pleasurable for a vast group of consumers and depends on cultural preferences. In order to demystify the main chemical compounds for aroma contribution, connecting them with a sensory profile of aged spirits is a crucial step in hastening the very timeless process without decreasing the quality. Consumption patterns of spirit drinks have been influenced by changed consumers' preferences and increased availability of different types of spirits on the market. Consumers' choice of one type of spirit drinks over others is significantly shaped by extrinsic attributes and consumer-based factors, but the choice among different available options of the single type of spirit may be based on consumers' perception of its specific sensory attributes. Therefore, the combination of taste, aroma, color and other sensory attributes of a spirit drink can shape consumers' perceived quality of the spirit and impact the potential of its market success in general.

The main focus of this study is to assess radical scavenging and antimicrobial activities of the 11 wood extracts: oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl., Q. robur L., and Q. cerris L.), mulberry (Morus alba L.), myrobalan plum (Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), and wild cherry (Prunus avium L.). High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) provided initial phenolic screening and revealed different chemical patterns among investigated wood extracts. To identify individual compounds with radical scavenging activity DPPH-HPTLC, assay was applied. Gallic acid, ferulic and/or caffeic acids were identified as the compounds with the highest contribution of total radical scavenging activity. Principal component analysis was applied on the data set obtained from HPTLC chromatogram to classify samples based on chemical fingerprints: Quercus spp. formed separate clusters from the other wood samples. The wood extracts were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against eight representative human and opportunistic pathogens. The lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was recorded against Staphylococcus aureus for black locust, cherry and mulberry wood extracts. This work provided simple, low-cost and high-throughput screening of phenolic compounds and assessments of the radical scavenging properties of selected individual metabolites from natural matrix that contributed to scavenge free radicals.

In this study, a novel green walnut liqueur (GWL) based on green walnuts, as the main ingredient, with the addition of fruits, aromatic plants, chocolate and honey, was produced at the pilot-scale. Antioxidant activity (AO) of the obtained GWL was determined using multiple AO assays in parallel, standard spectrophotometric (FC, DPPH and FRAP) and recently developed electrochemical ones, HydroxoPerhydroxoMercury(II) Complex and Mercury Reduction Antioxidant Power, and compared to similar commercial alcoholic beverages. Characterization of the GWL in terms of volatile and polyphenolic components was performed using SPE-GC-MS and HPLC-DAD-MS/MS, respectively. Sensory quality assessment was performed by experts in the field of sensory analysis of alcoholic beverages, using a scoring method. According to all AO assays applied, AO activity and total phenolics content of GWL were superior in comparison to commercial spirits considered. The volatile fraction of GWL was mainly composed of eugenol,alpha-terpineol and vanillin, while the most prevalent phenolic compounds were gallic (5.054 mg/L) and chlorogenic acid (1.307 mg/L) and flavonoids such as catechine (0.882 mg/L), quercetin (0.499 mg/L) and its sugar-conjugated derivatives, quercetin 3-O-glucoside (0.774 mg/L) and quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside (0.614 mg/L). Gallic acid is the major contributor to total AO activity, especially determined by DPPH and FRAP, followed by catechine, quercetin and chlorogenic acid. Among the terpenoids, contribution of eugenol to total AO activity is estimated as the highest. Excellent sensory quality (18.52 of maximum 20 scores) was ascribed to GWL. Consequently, the presence of bioactive compounds and high AO activity of GWL, in addition to high sensory quality score, indicates a high market potential for this high-value product.

The aim of this research was to study phenolic compounds of diverse botanical species of wood commonly used in cooperage in Balkan countries. Several botanical species have been considered including mulberry (Morus alba L.), myrobalan plum (Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), wild cherry (Prunus avium (L.) L.), and oak (Q. petraea (Matt.) Liebl., Q. robur L., and Q. cerris L.). A total of 37 compounds were quantified, demonstrating the presence of phenolic acids, flavonols, flavones, flavanones, flavanonol taxifolin, stilbenoids, and coumarins. Taxifolin was the most abundant in wild cherry (8455.70 mg kg−1), while ellagic acid predominated in oak wood (8872.05–10099.32 mg kg−1 in sessile oaks, and up to 15,958.80 mg kg−1 in pedunculate oak from Slavonia). The highest content of protocatechuic acid (533.39 mg kg−1) was found in myrobalan plum. Also, isoflavones were characteristic of wild cherry, while mulberry was abundant in stilbenoids. Total phenolic content, as well as antioxidant, chromatic, and fluorescence properties were studied. The spectral shapes and maxima of fluorescence emission spectra of bare wood samples were compared with those of the corresponding wood extracts. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied in order to find patterns in emission spectra for differentiation among wood samples.

In the production of some alcoholic beverages one of the most important practices is theageing process in a presence of wood. This process contributes to improved sensorycharacteristics such as aroma, color, taste and astringency. Although oak heartwood isthe most used material in cooperage, other species such as chestnut, cherry, and mulberrycan be also considered. Currently, limited published data are available on the mineralcontent of the wood extract from cooperage industry, although some research was doneto investigate the content of heavy metals in alcoholic beverages1, especially in wine2.Daily consumption of the wine and brandy with an elevated content of heavy metalsmight cause chronical poisoning. To avoid this issue, the maximum allowableconcentration (MAC, mg L–1) in fruit brandies were established for lead, zinc, arsenium,and copper.1The aim of this research was to investigate elemental composition of ethanolic extracts,obtained from alternative wood species used in Balkan cooperage, such as mulberry(Morus alba L.), Myrobalan plum (Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.), black locust (Robiniapseudoacacia L.), and wild cherry (Prunus avium (L.) L.). Elements were determined byinductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Results indicatedthat the elemental composition of wild cherry extract was much lower than in other nonoakwood extracts, and all investigated wood extracts have lower content of traceelements than maximum allowable concentration in fruit brandies.