The effects of blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) and jujube fruit (Ziziphus jujube) on physicochemical, functional, and sensorial properties, and probiotic (Lactobacillus acidophilusDSM 20079) viability of probiotic ice cream

The effects of blueberry (BB) and jujube fruit (JF) on the quality parameters, functional, probiotic (Lactobacillus acidophilus DSM 20079) viability, and sensorial properties of probiotic ice cream were investigated. No statistical differences were discovered regarding titratable acidity and L. acidophilus DSM 20079 counts between all samples. However, the ice creams preserved the survivability of probiotic bacteria during the storage period. The probiotic ice creams had counts of viable L. acidophilus DSM 20079 ranging from 8.42 to 8.80 log CFU/g which met the minimum required to achieve probiotic effects after 60 days of storage. Probiotic ice cream with BB or JF had significantly lower L* values than the control, and the BB addition caused the greatest decrease. The addition of both fruits clearly enhanced the total phenolic content and antioxidative activity in ice cream. The incorporation of BB or JF into the ice creams did not statistically affect the overrun value, while the addition of both fruits dramatically affected the first dripping time and increased hardness. Overall, sensory attributes were not significantly altered by the fortification of either fruit relative to the control, so these fruits can be added at higher concentrations to ice cream formulations for further studies.

Determination of Elemental Contents and Microbiological and Chemical Properties of Çökelek Cheeses Consumed in Turkey

The Çökelek samples what 30 different were collected from randomly local bazaars to investigate heavy metal contaminant and mineral levels and some physicochemical and microbiological properties of samples. While the Pb was identified in 6 of the 30 samples, the As was only found in 4 of the samples. The mean major and trace element contents of Çökelek samples were ordered as Na > P > Ca > K > Mg and Al > Zn > Ni > Cu, respectively. The physicochemical properties indicated a high deviation among samples. The mean total solids, ash, salt, fat, protein waters soluble nitrogen contents, and sample ripening index were 29.83%, 1.88%, 0.68%, 4.31%, 19.84%, 0.33%, and 1.79%, respectively. The mean total aerobic mesophilic bacteria (TAMB) count of Çökelek samples was found as 8.26 log CFU g^-1. The coliform bacteria and yeast-mold counts were detected in 11 and 27 of 30 samples, respectively. The mean coliform and yeast-mold counts were 1.82 log CFU g^-1 and 7.11 log CFU g^-1, respectively. Traditional cheeses are not mentioned in legal laws such as the Turkish Food Codex. So, there is no legal limit and standard production processes. This situation is a problem in terms of traditional cheese quality. For this reason, traditional cheese should perform further studied, and determine the legal limits.

Blackthorn-A Valuable Source of Phenolic Antioxidants with Potential Health Benefits

Prunus spinosa L. fruit, commonly known as blackthorn, is a rich source of bioactive compounds, including flavonoids, anthocyanins, phenolic acids, vitamins, minerals, and organic acids, which exhibit significant antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Notably, flavonoids such as catechin, epicatechin, and rutin have been reported to have protective effects against diabetes, while other flavonoids, including myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol, exhibit antihypertensive activity. Solvent extraction methods are widely used for the extraction of phenolic compounds from plant sources, owing to their simplicity, efficacy, and broad applicability. Furthermore, modern extraction techniques, such as microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), have been employed to extract polyphenols from Prunus spinosa L. fruits. This review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the biologically active compounds found in blackthorn fruits, emphasizing their direct physiological effects on the human body. Additionally, the manuscript highlights the potential applications of blackthorn fruits in various industries, including the food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and functional product sectors.

Phenolic Composition, Antioxidant, Anti-Enzymatic, Antimicrobial and Prebiotic Properties of Prunus spinosa L. Fruits

Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa L.) fruit is bluish-black wild fruit traditionally used in nutrition and medicine. It is recently gaining attention as a functional food and an underutilized source of bioactive compounds for application in the food and pharmaceutical industry. This study aimed to assess the health-promoting potential of blackthorn fruits from Serbia by examining their chemical composition and in vitro biological activities. Phytochemical analysis of the blackthorn fruit extracts was performed using LC-DAD-ESI-MS. The total phenolic (TPC), total flavonoid (TFC), total anthocyanin (TAC) content, antioxidant capacity, and enzyme inhibitory activities were determined spectrophotometrically. The antimicrobial and prebiotic properties were tested using the broth microdilution method. Twenty-seven phenolics belonging to the classes of hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids derivatives, flavonoids, and anthocyanins were identified, with caffeoylquinic acid as the most abundant compound. Blackthorn extracts were characterized by notable TPCs, TFCs, and TACs, and free radical scavenging and reducing ability. The enzyme inhibitory effects (IC₅₀ = 0.43-2.16 mg/mL) were observed towards α-amylase, α-glucosidase, acetylcholinesterase, and tyrosinase. Blackthorn fruit extracts in a concentration-dependent manner (0.3-5 mg/mL) stimulated the growth of several probiotic microorganisms and their mixtures, especially the yeast Saccharomyces boulardii. Obtained results support further evaluation of the functional food potential of blackthorn fruit.

Probiotic Yoghurts with Sea Buckthorn, Elderberry, and Sloe Fruit Purees

Elderberries, sea buckthorn, and sloe berries are fruits of wild-grown bushes, valued in folk medicine for their health-promoting properties but still rarely applied in food. The aim of the present study was to produce probiotic yoghurts with a 10% addition of sweetened purees prepared from elderberries (EPY), sea buckthorn (SBPY), and sloe berries (SPY) and to assess their chemical composition, acidity, content of polyphenols and anthocyanins, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and antiradical power (ARP), level of starter microbiota, concentration of acetaldehyde and diacetyl, syneresis, instrumentally measured color and texture parameters, and sensory acceptance. The results were compared to those obtained for plain probiotic yoghurt (PPY) and the changes tracked during 1 month of cold storage at 2 week intervals. The addition of elderberry and sloe berries significantly increased the antioxidant capacity of probiotic yoghurts, probably due to a high content of polyphenols, especially anthocyanins. However, anthocyanins were more stable in the EPY when compared to the SPY. All yoghurt treatments were characterized by good sensory quality and viability of starter microorganisms, including probiotic strains during cold storage. Elderberries promoted the evolution of diacetyl in yoghurts during storage and, together with sloe berries, produced increased syneresis and the greatest changes in color profile compared to PPY.

Consumer-perception, nutritional, and functional studies of a yogurt with restructured elderberry juice

We investigated the effects of supplementation of yogurt with elderberry juice (Sambucus nigra L.), in both natural and restructured forms, on certain technological, physicochemical, sensory, and health-promoting properties of yogurt, including antioxidant activity and inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), α-amylase, and α-glucosidase activity. Consumer acceptance of the yogurt-juice products was assessed. Gel-strength restructured elderberry juice retained a spherical shape and most of the juice, despite decreasing in mass from 57.2 to 50.9 g during storage. As a result, yogurt supplemented with 10 and 25% restructured elderberry juice appeared to be more desirable from a sensory and technological perspective than yogurt with natural juice. Yogurt supplemented with restructured elderberry juice had a high water-holding capacity (94.4-96.4%), exhibited no spontaneous whey syneresis, and maintained a dense consistency (up to 5,626 g). Consumer penalty analysis of the just-about-right diagnostic attributes indicated that the flavor of these yogurts may not be sufficiently refreshing. High correlation was demonstrated between ACE inhibition, ABTS, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase in yogurt supplemented with restructured juice. An in vitro gastrointestinal simulation estimated bioaccessibility of antioxidants to be in the range of 62 to 66%. This model fermented yogurt supplemented with restructured elderberry juice is a novel dairy-juice beverage that represents a new approach for the development of functional fruit yogurt beverages.

Quality enhancement of Dendrobium officinale and banana juice through probiotic fermentation using beneficial lactic acid-producing bacteria

Consumption of functional juice is becoming increasingly popular. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of probiotic fermentation with Bacillus sp. DU-106; Lactobacillus planturum Lp-43 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus Lr-156 on the biochemical and functional characteristics, antioxidant activities and storage stability of Dendrobium officinale and banana (DOB) juice. The cell levels of the lactic acid bacteria reached near 9 log copies/mL after fermentation at 32 °C for 36 h and could keep in this level after storage at 4 °C for 28 days. After fermentation, total acidity, flavonoids and polysaccharide contents of DOB juice increased, while pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrite, nitrate, vitamin C, β-carotene, sugar contents and antioxidant capacity slightly decreased. Compared with nonfermented DOB juice, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) activities of fermented DOB decreased significantly, but the color value and the content of total phenols and vitamin C decreased slightly in fermented DOB juice during storage. Overall, the probiotic fermentation with selected strains could improve the quality the DOB juice, enhance antioxidant capacity and storage stability, and destroy accumulation of nitrite and nitrate during storage. Findings of this study would help in the development of beneficial beverages in industrial production.