Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extraction of Allium ursinum: Impact of Temperature and Pressure on the Extracts Chemical Profile

Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum) Preparations in the Design of Novel Functional Pasta

This study investigated the design of novel pasta enriched with different forms of wild garlic (WG): a powder, an extract and an encapsulated extract applied at three enrichment levels (low/middle/high). The effect of cooking on changes in the content of bioactive compounds, antioxidative activity, cooking behaviour, texture, colour and sensory properties of the cooked pasta was evaluated. WG preparations significantly increased the antioxidant potential (by 185-600%) as well as the content of phenolics (by 26-146%), flavonoids (by 40-360%) and potassium (up to three-fold) in the cooked pasta, depending on WG type and enrichment level. Flavonoids were dominantly present in the free form. Cooking resulted in a significant loss of flavonoids (39-75%) whereas phenolics were liberated from the matrix. The highest increase in total phenolics and antioxidant activity was exerted by the WG powder and extract. Pasta hardness and adhesiveness were increased, but encapsulated WG deteriorated cooking behaviour. The best-scored enriched pasta regarding sensory quality and texture was that enriched with WG powder at the low/moderate level.

Black Elderberry Press Cake as a Source of Bioactive Ingredients Using Green-Based Extraction Approaches

To study the efficiency of two green-based extraction techniques for the isolation of bioactive constituents from black elderberry press cake, changes in phenolic compounds and main anthocyanin contents were analyzed. Polyphenolic content was correlated with antioxidant and antidiabetic potential by radical-scavenging activity and monitoring of α-amylase inhibition. Black elderberry press-cake extracts were obtained by ultrasound-assisted (UAE) and microwave-assisted (MAE) extractions under different extraction conditions. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis revealed that cyanidin-3-sambubioside and cyanidin-3-glucoside were the principal anthocyanins in all the obtained extracts, with their content being highest in MAE obtained at 80 °C over 5 min. The same extract induced two-fold higher antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ 6.89 μg/mL) and α-amylase inhibitory potential (IC₅₀ 2.18 mg/mL) in comparison to UAE extracts. The main compositional differences between extracts obtained by the same extraction technique were assigned to the extraction temperature. A principal component analysis confirmed that the antidiabetic feature is to be attributed to the rich content of anthocyanins in black elderberry press cake. Our results indicate the great potential of underutilized black elderberry press cake for the development of novel food and herbal formulations due to notable anthocyanin contents highly correlated with antidiabetic activity.

Antibacterial Potential of Allium ursinum Extract Prepared by the Green Extraction Method

The antimicrobial activity of Allium ursinum aqueous extract prepared using high pressure extraction was evaluated. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of A. ursinum extract for six bacterial pathogens were determined using the broth macrodilution method. Although the A. ursinum extract was shown to be effective toward all investigated foodborne bacteria, its antimicrobial activity depended on its concentration and bacterial strain. Listeria monocytogenes was the most sensitive to antimicrobial activity of A. ursinum extract among all tested pathogens. Accordingly, the lowest MIC and MBC of A. ursinum extract were determined for L. monocytogenes (28 and 29 mg/mL). The tested extract showed a similar antimicrobial potential to other examined bacterial strains (Salmonella Enteritidis, Proteus hauseri, Enterococcus faecalis and two strains of Escherichia coli) with MIC and MBC values at concentrations of 29 and 30 mg/mL, respectively. The dependence of the antimicrobial activity of the A. ursinum extract on the level of contamination of tested pathogens was also observed. The increase in the contamination level caused an intense reduction in antibacterial potential of the A. ursinum extract. The composition of the A. ursinum extract was analyzed and found to be a good source of polyphenols and sulfur compounds. However, considering the applied extraction method and the HPLC analysis of bioactive compounds, the antimicrobial potential may be attributed more to polyphenol content. The obtained results that the extracts have shown toward food pathogens open the possibility of using the tested extracts as natural additives in a variety of food products.

Food Innovation as a Means of Developing Healthier and More Sustainable Foods

The current demand for healthy and sustainable foods has encouraged the development of new alternatives even in traditional products. Improved foods may be produced by reducing the amount of some ingredients, adding new ones, or replacing traditionally used ingredients for others. By reformulating their products, manufacturers can offer healthier choices for an ever-growing number of consumers interested in maintaining a balanced diet. In addition, the market demand for more sustainable foods contributes to a lower environmental impact in their production. In this regard, current areas of interest include the production of foods using a lower number of inputs, as well as the utilization of food by-products, to improve the amount and quality of available foods. Another aspect to be considered is that not all consumers are willing to eat foods produced with new ingredients or novel technologies. Hence, the development of innovations in food products should take into account the influence of so-called “consumer food neophobia”.