Natural Appetite Control: Consumer Perception of Food-Based Appetite Regulating Aromas

According to the WHO, the number of overweight people (BMI ≥ 25) and obese people (BMI ≥ 30) is constantly growing. On the other hand, the number of elderly people (≥60 years old) in 2020 reached 1.4 billion worldwide. Both mentioned groups demonstrate their individual and characteristic appetite disorders. In light of the side effects of appetite stimulating drugs, which interfere with diabetics, hypertension and thrombosis medicines or diet supplements with doubtful effectiveness in reducing appetite, new and natural alternatives are highly demanded. Therefore, the present study focusses on the search for natural food aromas, which may have potential for appetite regulation. A survey was carried out among consumers with excess body weight (BMI ≥ 25) and the elderly (≥60 years old). Food products and meals pointed out by the survey participants were subjected to volatile analysis by HS-SPME Arrow followed by GC-MS. As a result, a group of volatiles and their odor characteristic were determined for appetite stimulation or reduction, which may suggest that the actual composition of food aroma is more significant than the character of the aroma. Those results may be a basis for designing appetite regulating agents, in which the mechanism of action will be based only on olfaction activity.

Characteristics of New England India Pale Ale Beer Produced with the Use of Norwegian KVEIK Yeast

The aim of this research was to determine the potential of four unconventional Norwegian yeasts of the KVEIK type to produce NEIPA beer. The influence of yeast strains on fermentation process, physicochemical properties, antioxidant potential, volatile compounds, and sensory properties was investigated. The KVEIK-fermented beer did not differ in terms of physicochemical parameters from the beer produced with the commercial variants of US-05 yeast. The yeast strain influenced the sensory quality (taste and aroma) of the beers, with KVEIK-fermented beer rating significantly higher. The antioxidant activity of the tested beers also significantly depended on the yeast strain applied. The beers fermented with KVEIK had a significantly higher antioxidant potential (ABTS^•+) than those fermented with US-05. The strongest antioxidant activity was found in the beer brewed with the Lida KVEIK yeast. The use of KVEIK to produce NEIPA beer allowed enrichment of the finished products with volatile compounds isobutanol, 2-pentanol, 3-methylobutanol, ethyl octanoate, and ethyl decanoate.

Changes in the Antioxidative Activity and the Content of Phenolics and Iridoids during Fermentation and Aging of Natural Fruit Meads

The aim of the study was to investigate changes in the content of biologically active compounds during the fermentation and aging of natural meads with the addition of three Cornelian cherry juices from three cultivars: 'Koralovyi', 'Podolski' and 'Yantarnyi', in the amount of 10% v/v. After the fermentation process the content of gallic and ellagic acids significantly increased, in relation to wort. Whereas the greatest losses were observed among unstable anthocyanins. The three-month aging process also reduced the content of the analyzed compounds except for ellagic acid, the content of which increased by up to 90%. The content of biologically active compounds, including iridoids and antioxidant phenolics, are constantly changing in the process of fermentation and aging of fruit meads. The studies proved that the addition of Cornelian cherry juice allows significantly enriched classic meads with new biologically active compounds, such as: exceptional iridoids (loganic acid, cornuside, loganine, sweroside), flavonols, phenolic acids and anthocyanins.

Fruit and herbal meads - Chemical composition and antioxidant properties

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of fruit additives such as syrup from chokeberry or grape seeds, and herbal in the form of a dandelion syrup on the course of the fermentation process of "trójniak" type meads, on their physicochemical and antioxidant properties. The addition of grape seeds allowed for the highest final alcoholic content, which was measured by HPLC, ie 120.73 g/L, and for obtaining a beverage with the highest overall polyphenol content measured by the Folin-Ciocialteu reagent method: 23.18 mg GAE/100 mL, while in the control sample (without additives) it was successively: 91.38 g/L and 12 mg GAE/100 mL. Our research shows that different various of fruit and herbal have a significant impact on the course of the mead fermentation process and on their composition and on the content of biologically active compounds.

Bioactive Compounds in Cornelian Cherry Vinegars

We analyzed the effect of Cornelian cherry varieties differing in fruit color ('Yantaryi'-yellow fruits, 'Koralovyi'-coral fruits, 'Podolski'-red fruits) and the production method on the physicochemical and antioxidative properties of Cornelian cherry vinegars, and on their content of iridoids and polyphenols. Acetic fermentation was conducted by two methods: I) single-stage (spontaneous) acetic fermentation, without inoculation with microorganisms, and II) two-stage fermentation in which the first stage involved the use of Saccharomyces bayanus-Safspirit fruit yeast for alcoholic fermentation, and the second one included spontaneous acetic fermentation. Acetic acid, glycerol, individual iridoids, phenolic acids, flavonols, and anthocyanins were quantified by a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The antioxidative activity was determined based on the following tests: 2,2-Diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH•), 2,2'-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzo-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS•+), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), while the total polyphenols content was determined using the Folin-Ciocialteu (F-C) reagent test. Both the Cornelian cherry variety and vinegar production method affected the antioxidative properties as well as concentrations of iridoids and polyphenols in the finished product. The concentration of total polyphenols (F-C) in vinegars ranged from 326.60 to 757.27 mg gallic acids equivalents (GAE)/100 mL vinegar, whereas the antioxidative activity assayed with the DPPH• and FRAP methods was the highest in the vinegars produced from the coral and red varieties of Cornelian cherry with the two-stage method. Loganic acid predominated among the identified iridoids, reaching a concentration of 185.07 mg loganic acid (LA)/100 mL in the vinegar produced in the two-stage fermentation from the coral-fruit variety. Caffeoylquinic acid derivatives were the main representatives among the identified phenolic compounds. The results of this study demonstrate Cornelian cherry vinegars to be rich sources of biologically-active iridoids and phenolic compounds with antioxidative properties.