Beverages

Dendrobium officinale leaf contains a variety of bioactive compounds, and has the potential to be used for functional yogurt production. However, the compounds in D. officinale leaf may affect the growth and metabolism of lactic acid bacteria. In this work, extracts from different dosages of D. officinale leaves were added into the media of Streptococcus thermophilus (one of the most commonly used lactic acid bacteria in yogurt production), and the biomass, lactic acid content, glucose uptake capacity, and cellular metabolic/reducing activity were analyzed. Simultaneously, the changes in biomass, lactic acid production capacity, and key enzyme activities were determined during the 24 h fermentation. Furthermore, transcriptomics analysis was performed to explore the molecular mechanisms. Results showed that D. officinale leaf extract can promote the growth, cellular metabolic/reducing activity, glucose uptake, lactic acid production, and β-galactosidase, glucokinase, pyruvate decarboxylase and lactic dehydrogenase activities of S. thermophilus at the appropriate dosage, and the extract from 4% (w/v) leaves is optimal. Further transcriptomic analysis revealed that D. officinale leaf extract enhances the growth and metabolism of S. thermophilus by up-regulating the expression of genes related to amino acid metabolism, translation, membrane transport, carbohydrate metabolism, energy metabolism, and nucleotide metabolism. These findings will provide a theoretical basis for the utilization of D. officinale leaves to fortify the health function of yogurt.

Low- and no-alcohol beers are gaining relevance in response to consumer demand for healthier fermented beverages, but incorporating fruit ingredients to enhance their functional value often compromises physicochemical stability. This study evaluated the effect of mango pulp (Mangifera indica “Kent”) addition, with and without pectinolytic enzyme treatment, on the physicochemical and functional properties of a reduced-alcohol beer produced with Saccharomyces cerevisiae SafBrew™ LA-01. Four treatments were developed: control beer (C1), beer with 15% mango pulp (C2), beer with 15% mango pulp and 0.15% pectinolytic enzyme (C3), and a control beer diluted to 85% used as a dilution control (C4). Total polyphenols, antioxidant capacity (ABTS, ORAC, and FRAP), alcohol content (HPLC), turbidity, and dietary fiber were determined in triplicate and analyzed by one-way Welch ANOVA (p < 0.05) with Tukey post hoc comparisons and Pearson correlation analysis. Mango pulp addition significantly increased dietary fiber and turbidity, whereas total polyphenols showed only a non-significant increasing trend (p = 0.052). The antioxidant response was method-dependent: ABTS and ORAC showed no significant differences among fruit-containing treatments, whereas FRAP increased significantly in the enzyme-treated sample, suggesting enhanced release. The intended alcohol-free target (≤0.5% v/v) was not achieved, as ethanol content ranged from 1.31 to 1.60% v/v; the product is therefore described as a reduced-alcohol beer.

This study examines the effects of grape cultivar, soil type, and sur lies maturation on the chemical and physical–chemical properties of white wines. Chardonnay and Grillo were analyzed to identify cultivar-specific differences, while limestone and marlstone soils were compared for their impact on volatile and phenolic profiles. Multivariate analytical methods, including partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), were used to evaluate key chemical markers and their interactions. Significant cultivar-specific differences were observed, with Chardonnay wines containing higher levels of isoamyl acetate, hexyl acetate, phenylethyl acetate, 9-hydroxy-megastigm-7-en-3-one, 3-oxo-α-ionol, blumenol C, and vomifoliol compared to Grillo wines. Limestone soils yielded higher hexanoic and octanoic acids and their esters, whereas marlstone soil showed higher concentration of 9-hydroxy-megastigm-7-en-3-one and 3-oxo-α-ionol. Sur lies maturation increased ethyl esters (especially ethyl octanoate, ethyl decanoate, and ethyl dodecanoate) and linalool levels. Phenolic analysis indicated that Chardonnay wines contained higher levels of caftaric, coutaric, and fertaric acids than Grillo wines. Hydroxycinnamoyltartaric acids were not significantly affected by soil or sur lies treatment, whereas quercetin-3-glucoside was significantly higher in sur lies-treated wines than in the controls. Sur lies treatments significantly improved potassium bitartrate stability compared with control wines. Chemometric analysis successfully differentiated wines based on cultivar, soil, and treatment. These findings provide useful information for terroir characterization and for optimizing sur lies management in Sicilian white wine production.