Volatile Composition and Sensory Profiles of a Shiraz Wine Product Made with Pre- and Post-Fermentation Additions of Ganoderma lucidum Extract

Potentialities of Ganoderma lucidum extracts as functional ingredients in food formulation

Owing to the recognized therapeutic characteristics of G. lucidum, it is one of the most extensively researched mushrooms as a chemopreventive agent and as a functional food. It is a known wood-degrading basidiomycete possessing numerous pharmacological functions and is termed a natural pharmacy store due to its rich number of active compounds which have proved to portray numerous therapeutic properties. This current review highlights studies on the potentialities of G. lucidum extracts as functional ingredients on organoleptic and nutritional properties of food products (e.g., dairy, wine, beverage, bakery, meat, and other products). In addition, the study delved into various aspects of encapsulated G. lucidum extracts, their morphological and rheological characteristics, prebiotic and immunomodulatory importance, the effects on apoptosis, autophagy, cancer therapy, inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, antioxidant activities, and safety concerns. These findings have significant implications for the development of new products in the food and pharmaceutical industries. On the other hand, the various active compounds extracted from G. lucidum exhibited no toxic or adverse effects, and the appeal for it as a dietary food, natural remedy, and health-fortifying food is drastically increasing as well as attracting the interest of both the industrial and scientific communities. Furthermore, the formation of functional foods based on G. lucidum appears to have actual promise and exciting prospects in nutrition, food, and pharmaceutical sciences.

Chemical and Sensory Characterization of Xinomavro Red Wine Using Grapes from Protected Designations of Northern Greece

Despite Xinomavro (Vitis vinifera L.) being a well-known noble red grape variety of northern Greece, little is known about its ''bouquet'' typicity. Volatile compounds of Xinomavro wines produced using a common vinification protocol were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and sensory descriptive analysis was carried out with a trained panel. Wines were characterized by the presence of fatty acids, ethyl and acetate esters, and alcohols, with contributions from terpenes and a volatile phenol. The most active aroma compounds were determined to be 3-methylbutyl acetate, β-damascenone, ethyl esters of octanoic and hexanoic acids, and eugenol. Those compounds positively correlated with fruity and spicy odor descriptors, with the wines being mostly characterized by five typical aroma terms: strawberry, berry fruit, spices, tomato, and green bell pepper. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis was used to visualize relationship between the orthonasal sensory attributes and the volatile aroma compounds with calculated OAVs > 1. Key aroma-active volatiles in the wines were identified using GC-MS/olfactometry, providing a list of 40 compounds, among which 13 presented a modified detection frequency > 70%. This study is the first of its kind and provided strong indications regarding the aroma compounds defining the sensory characteristics of Xinomavro wines.

Therapeutic potential and nutritional significance of Ganoderma lucidum - a comprehensive review from 2010 to 2022

With a long history in traditional Asian medicine, Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum) is a mushroom species suggested to improve health and extend life. Its medicinal reputation has merited it with numerous attributes and titles, and it is evidenced to be effective in the prevention and treatment of various metabolic disorders owing to its unique source of bioactive metabolites, primarily polysaccharides, triterpenoids, and polyphenols, attributed with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic activities, etc. These unique potential pharmaceutical properties have led to its demand as an important resource of nutrient supplements in the food industry. It is reported that the variety of therapeutic/pharmacological properties was mainly due to its extensive prebiotic and immunomodulatory functions. All literature summarized in this study was collated based on a systematic review of electronic libraries (PubMed, Scopus databases, Web of Science Core Collection, and Google Scholar) from 2010-2022. This review presents an updated and comprehensive summary of the studies on the immunomodulatory therapies and nutritional significance of G. lucidum, with the focus on recent advances in defining its immunobiological mechanisms and the possible applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries for the prevention and management of chronic diseases. In addition, toxicological evidence and the adoption of standard pharmaceutical methods for the safety assessment, quality assurance, and efficacy testing of G. lucidum-derived compounds will be the gateway to bringing them into health establishments.

Sensory and Chemical Drivers of Wine Consumers' Preference for a New Shiraz Wine Product Containing Ganoderma lucidum Extract as a Novel Ingredient

This study explored wine consumers’ preferences towards a novel Australian Shiraz wine product containing Ganoderma lucidum (GL). Wine consumers (n = 124) were asked to complete a questionnaire and participate in a blind tasting of six GL wine products (differing in the amount and timing of GL extract additions). Based on individual liking scores for each GL wine product that was tasted, four hedonic clusters C1 (n = 44, preferred control and low levels of GL additions), C2 (n = 28, preferred control only), C3 (n = 26, generally preferred all GL additions) and C4 (n = 26, preferred 1 g/L additions and 4 g/L post-fermentation) were identified. Sensory attributes of the GL wine products were also profiled with rate-all-that-apply (n = 65) and the 31 sensory attributes that significantly differentiated the wines underwent principal component analysis with the hedonic clusters overlaid to explain consumers’ preferences. There was a clear separation between hedonic clusters. Sensory attributes and volatile flavor compounds that significantly differentiated the wines were subjected to partial least squares regression, which indicated the important positive drivers of liking among the hedonic clusters. Pepper and jammy aroma, 3-methylbutanoic acid (linked to fruity notes) and non-fruit aftertaste positively drove C2′s preference, whereas spice flavor and hexanoic acid (known for leafy and woody descriptors) drove C3′s liking. There were no positive drivers for C1′s liking but bitter taste, cooked vegetable, and toasty aromas drove this cluster’ dislike. C4 preferred brown appearance, tobacco aroma, and jammy and cooked vegetable flavors. These findings provide the wine industry with deeper insights into consumers’ liking towards new GL wine products targeted at the Australasian market.