Search Results (39)

Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) is valued for its health-promoting compounds, many of which remain in the pomace after juice extraction. Berry pomace can be considered a valuable source of dietary fiber. However, it is typically dominated by insoluble dietary fiber (IDF), and the soluble-to-insoluble fiber ratio is often nutritionally suboptimal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of enzymatic hydrolysis on the composition and technological properties of blackcurrant pomace (BCP). Three commercial enzyme preparations—Viscozyme^® L, Celluclast^® 1.5 L, and Pectinex^® Ultra Tropical (Novozymes A/S, Denmark)—were used for enzymatic hydrolysis, which was conducted at 50 °C for 1 h. The enzymatic treatments altered BCP’s chemical composition and technological properties. Pectinex^® Ultra Tropical and Viscozyme^® L primarily hydrolyzed SDF, while Celluclast^® 1.5 L was more effective on IDF, resulting in increased SDF content and an improved SDF/IDF ratio. Enzymatic hydrolysis reduced the oil retention capacity and impaired stabilizing properties, but it increased both the water retention capacity and the solubility index. It was found that the creaming index of the pomace deteriorated with decreased IDF content. The findings indicate that the effects of enzymatic modification on BCP’s composition and technological properties can vary significantly, supporting its potential application in the development of novel food products. Full article

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of partially replacing wheat flour with bilberry (BIPP) and blackcurrant (BCPP) pomace powders at 2.5%, 5%, and 10% levels on dough texture and rheology and on the proximate composition, color, titratable acidity, pH, spread ratio, total phenolic content, DPPH radical scavenging activity, and textural and sensory properties of cookies. BIPP showed higher protein, fiber, and water absorption capacity while also showing lower fat and titratable acidity as compared with BCPP. The incorporation of BIPP and BCPP in cookies resulted in lower protein and higher fat, fiber, and mineral contents. Dough hardness, consistency, and stiffness increased while the hardness, cohesiveness, and chewiness of the cookies were found to decrease with the increase in pomace levels. A seven-fold increase in the total phenolic content of the cookies was recorded at a 10% replacement level of wheat flour with BIPP, reaching 214.73 mg GAE/100 g, while only a three-fold increase was found for 10% BCPP (90.18 mg GAE/100 g). The enrichment with BIPP and BCPP improved the sensory properties, with the 10% addition level presenting the highest acceptance. The results indicate that bilberry and blackcurrant pomace could be utilized as a sustainable source of fiber and bioactive compounds for adding nutritional, technological, and sensory benefits to the cookies. Full article

Background: Plant-based additives such as blackcurrant juice and pomace, as well as herbal extracts from Melissa officinalis and Centella asiatica, possess well-established health-promoting properties. This study aimed to investigate how the incorporation of polyphenol-rich plant-based additives into a myofibrillar protein matrix could enhance the nutritional value, antioxidant potential, and sensory quality of novel food gels. Methods: Myofibrillar protein gels were enriched with selected plant-based additives. Antioxidant properties were assessed using the ABTS radical cation decolorization assay, DPPH radical scavenging assay, and the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay. Polyphenol profiles were determined with emphasis on flavonols, flavan-3-ols, and chlorogenic acids. Physicochemical properties including pH, color, texture, energetic value, dry matter, and ash contents were measured. Sensory evaluation was conducted using consumer preference tests and descriptive sensory profiling. Results: Enriched gels contained bioactive compounds such as catechins, procyanidins, chlorogenic acids, and anthocyanins, whose presence correlated with distinct antioxidant activities. Blackcurrant pomace significantly elevated both total polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity, imparting a vivid red-purple color that influenced consumer perception. Melissa officinalis extract enhanced antioxidant potential and introduced a mild, pleasant aroma. Centella asiatica extract further improved the nutritional profile and oxidative stability of the gels, demonstrating additive and synergistic effects in both functional and sensory dimensions. Conclusions: Polyphenol-rich plant-based additives, particularly blackcurrant pomace and extracts from M. officinalis and C. asiatica, markedly improve the antioxidant capacity, nutritional value, and sensory appeal of myofibrillar protein-based food gels. These findings support their potential application in the development of functional food products tailored to consumer expectations. Full article

Blackcurrant pomace (BCP) is an example of an annual, high-volume, under-utilized renewable resource with potential to generate chemicals, materials and bioenergy within the context of a zero-waste biorefinery. Herein, the microwave-assisted isolation, characterization and potential application of defibrillated lignocelluloses from depectinated blackcurrant pomace are reported. Depectination was achieved using citric acid (0.2–0.8 M, 80 °C, 2 h, conventional heating) and compared with acid-free hydrothermal microwave-assisted processing (1500 W, 100–160 °C, 30 min). The resultant depectinated residues were subjected to microwave-assisted hydrothermal defibrillation to afford two classes of materials: namely, (i) hydrothermal acid-free microwave-assisted (1500 W, 160 °C, 30 min; DFC-M1-M4), and (ii) hydrothermal citric acid microwave-assisted (1500 W, 160 °C, 30 min; DFC-C1–C4). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that the thermal stability with respect to native BCP (T_d = 330 °C) was higher for DFC-M1-M4 (T_d = 345–348 °C) and lower for DFC-C1–C4 (322–325 °C). Both classes of material showed good propensity to hold water but failed to form stable hydrogels (5–7.5 wt% in water) unless they underwent bleaching which removed residual lignin and hemicellulosic matter, as evidenced by ¹³C solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The hydrogels made from bleached DFC-C1–C4 (7.5 wt%) and bleached DFC-M1-M4 (5 wt%) exhibited rheological viscoelastic, shear thinning, and time-dependent behaviour, which highlights the potential opportunity afforded by microwave-assisted defibrillation of BCP for food applications. Full article

The growing demand for viscoelastic polyurethane foams creates a need for new sustainable raw materials that support cost-effective production while maintaining the desired material performance and fire safety standards. In this regard, our study aimed to develop viscoelastic polyurethane foam composites with reduced flammability and a high proportion of renewable raw materials. To achieve this, blackcurrant pomace, expandable graphite and a third-generation blowing agent were introduced to a viscoelastic polyurethane foam composition containing a reactive flame retardant in the formulation. The effects of the incorporated additives on the foaming process, flammability, chemical structure, cellular structure, thermal properties and physico-mechanical properties of the composites were determined. The results showed that the viscoelastic foam composite containing 30 php of blackcurrant pomace and 15 php of expandable graphite had a pHRRmax 52% lower than that of the reference material. The additional use of a blowing agent enhanced the flame-retardant effect of the materials, resulting in a 67% reduction in pHRRmax of the composite compared to the reference material. Moreover, the developed biocomposites exhibited promising limiting oxygen index values of 26–28%, compared to the 21% shown for the reference sample. Consequently, the best-performing biocomposites achieved the V-0 flammability rating according to the UL-94 standard. This study’s results indicate the composites’ high application potential due to their reduced flammability and the materials’ desirable physical and mechanical properties. Full article

In this study, the quality and health-promoting components in rhubarb products sweetened with isomaltulose and enriched with fruit (apple, chokeberry, black currant) and vegetable (beetroot, carrot) pomace were assessed. All products with added pomace had higher levels of ash (27–65%) and macro- and microelements (5–436% and 5–333%) compared to the sample without pomace. The addition of pomace also increased the total antioxidant activity. The addition of pomace increased the value of gel strength (Fe) by 22–73% compared to the control; the highest value was found in the product enriched with chokeberry pomace (1.71 N). Red (a* > 0) and yellow (b* > 0) dominated all products, and values of the L* parameter ranged from 7.81 to 37.54. The brightest were the products with added carrot, apple, and beet pomace, while the darkest were those containing chokeberry and blackcurrant pomace. The values of the texture parameters decreased after storage, but to a lesser extent in the products with pomace; however, the products with pomace maintained greater antioxidant activity and retained beneficial components better than those without. A slight darkening of the products and a decrease in the proportion of red (a*) and yellow (b*) color was also observed. Full article

Blackcurrant pomace is a widely available waste stream derived from the industrial production of juice rich in pectin and unextracted polyphenols. Since pectin, an emerging class of gastrointestinal prebiotics, is also a common cosmetic ingredient, the aim of this work was to evaluate blackcurrant pomace as a source of pectin-rich fractions suitable for application in prebiotic cosmetics. Hereby, this raw material was valorised by sequential extraction of acid-soluble (by citric acid, CAP) and Ca-bound (by ammonium oxalate, AOPP) pectic polysaccharides. Both fractions had favourable physicochemical features and a similar degree of methyl-esterification between low- and high-methoxyl pectin (approx. 50%), but CAP had significantly higher galacturonic acid content (72.3%), branching, and purity. Regardless of that, both had very high oil (18.96 mL/g for CAP and 19.32 mL/g for AOPP) and water (9.97 mL/g for CAP and 7.32 mL/g for AOPP)-holding capacities and excellent emulsifying properties, making them promising cosmetic ingredients. The polyphenol content was 10 times higher in CAP, while corresponding antioxidant activity was 3-fold higher. Finally, the influence of varying CAP and AOPP concentrations on common skin pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus, and beneficial skin bacteria, Staphylococcus epidermidis, was examined. The results show significant prebiotic potential of two pectic fractions since they were capable of selectively stimulating S. epidermidis, while S. aureus growth was inhibited, whereas CAP demonstrated a particularly high capacity of up to 2.2, even with methicillin-resistant S. aureus. Full article

Consumer interest in healthier meat products has grown in recent years. Therefore, the use of plant powders as natural preservatives in the composition of pork and beef products could be an alternative to traditional meat products. This study aimed to assess the effect of different powders, such as blackcurrant, chokeberry, rowan berries, apple, tomato, garlic, and rhubarb, on the microbial growth dynamics in minced pork and beef during refrigerated storage. The total counts of aerobic microorganisms, Pseudomonas spp., yeasts, and molds were examined according to ISO methods. The polyphenolic profiles of plant powders and supplemented minced pork and beef samples were determined by HPLC-MS. The antioxidative capacity of the plant powders was analyzed using a spectrophotometric method. The findings of the study revealed that supplemented minced pork and beef samples had similar polyphenolic profiles and microbial growth dynamics. The highest antioxidative capacity was observed for anthocyanin-rich berry powders. In both minced pork and beef, rhubarb powder was the most effective plant material for inhibiting microbial growth, followed by blackcurrant pomace powder. In conclusion, all of the plant powders used in the present study can be used for the valorization of minced meat products, providing both antimicrobial and antioxidant effects. Full article

Fruit leathers are convenient, delicious and sophisticated alternatives to natural fruits as a source of nutrients, fibers and bioactive compounds. The present study was conducted to develop new fruit leathers by adding 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5% wild bilberry (BIPP) and blackcurrant (BCPP) pomace powders in pear leather manufactured with honey (5%), pectin (1%) and lemon juice (2.5%) as additional ingredients. The CIEL*a*b* color parameters, titratable acidity, total phenolics content, total anthocyanins content and DPPH radical scavenging activity were determined in the fruit leathers. In addition, the puncturing force, flexibility and adhesiveness of the fruit leathers were measured and sensory analysis was conducted. The results showed that the addition of pomace powders significantly decreased the lightness, chroma and hue angle and increased the titratable acidity of the fruit leathers while a* values decreased in the leathers with BIPP addition. Flexibility slightly decreased while adhesiveness significantly increased with increasing BIPP and BCPP addition level, changes that were perceived as negative in the sensory analysis. The total phenolic content increased by 2.03, 3.26 and 4.45 times at 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% BIPP addition, respectively, while only by 1.22, 1.42 and 1.60 times at the same levels of BCPP addition. The newly developed fruit leathers could be recommended as alternative snack foods with high nutritional value and functionality. Full article

The incorporation of a blackcurrant pomace extract (BPE) at 2.5%, 5.0% and 10.0% into an emulsion gel based on high oleic sunflower and linseed oils was examined in order to obtain a functional ingredient to be used as a pork backfat replacer in Vienna sausages. The replacement of the pork backfat with the control emulsion gel reduced the cooking loss but negatively affected the color by decreasing L* and a* values as compared with the traditional product. A decrease in the n-6/n-3 ratio from 10.99 to around 1.54 (by 7 times) was achieved through reformulation, while the PUFA/SFA ratio increased from 0.49 to 1.09. The incorporation of BPE did not have a major impact on the fatty acid profile and improved color by increasing redness, but negatively affected the texture by increasing hardness, gumminess and share force as compared with the sausages reformulated without extract. BPE reduced the pH and the thermal stability of the emulsion gels, increased cooking loss and decreased moisture retention in sausages. BPE increased the oxidative stability of Vienna sausages enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids; however, the incorporation of BPE into the emulsion gels above 5% affected the sensory scores for appearance, texture and general acceptability of the reformulated sausages. Full article

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of storage temperature on quality changes in freeze-dried carrot–orange–ginger (COG) snacks obtained with 2% of apple (AP) or blackcurrant (BP) pomace powder or 1.5% of pectin (LMP). The material was stored at 4, 25 and 40 °C for 1, 3, 6 and 12 months in pouches impermeable to vapour, oxygen and light. Water content and activity, texture, colour, total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity were examined to evaluate the products’ quality. During storage, water content and activity fluctuations were noted, but no critical values were exceeded. Texture properties remained stable in snacks with pomace powders compared to those with pectin, the hardness of which significantly decreased when stored at ambient and elevated temperatures. However, the product with pectin was found to change colour the least over time. The results obtained for chemical properties were not clear, but they strongly indicated the occurrence of the transformation of some chemical compounds. Overall, a lowered temperature helped to maintain the quality of the freeze-dried snacks for the longest time. The presented research contributes to the general knowledge of the behaviour of innovative products with the addition of nonconventional but sustainable compounds, revealing the potential for quality and stability improvements. Full article

Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) is a berry bush widely cultivated in Europe for producing juices, jams, jellies, and syrups. In addition to berries, blackcurrant leaves and pomace, as byproducts, have also been shown to have health-promoting effects. Static digestion, simulating oral, gastric, and small intestinal digestion, was applied, and blackcurrant leaves, fruits, and pomace and the polyphenol bioaccessibility were evaluated in terms of recovery index. The results were related to sample type, and the recovery index presented higher values in the case of fruits, indicating this morphological part of blackcurrant as the most bioaccessible. The antioxidant potential of blackcurrant was evaluated using four different methods, with the leaves proving to be a significant and powerful antioxidant compared to fruits and pomace. The counteracting potential of inhibiting the oxidation process was evaluated using in vitro-induced lipid peroxidation and the inhibition potential of superoxide and hydroxyl anions. The antioxidant evaluation and the inhibition of biological and non-biological radicals indicate the leaf extract is the most powerful antioxidant studied. Also, the results proved that not only fruits but also the blackcurrant byproducts (pomace and leaves) are promising sources of bioaccessible antioxidants with potential benefits in animal nutrition. Full article

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in berry fruit processing byproducts, namely, seeds, pulp, and peel, due to the high content of nutritionally valuable ingredients. The market is seeing an increase in the popularity of fermented products, especially those from vegetables or fruits. Fermented fruit pomace can be used as an ingredient or food additive. Many studies have confirmed that the fermentation process can increase the antioxidant activity of plant extracts due to the decomposition of cell walls. The aim of this study was to evaluate the microbiological quality and antioxidant potential of fermented berry pomace (from chokeberry, blackcurrant, raspberry, and strawberry) in terms of its potential use as an alternative source of valuable ingredients for the design of new food products. The scope of this research included assessing microbiological quality, vitamin C and total phenolic compound (TPC) contents, and antioxidant activity using ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP assays. The polyphenolic compound and vitamin C contents, as well as antioxidant activity, depended on the mixture of microbial strains used for fermentation and the type of fruit pomace. The most favorable parameters for TPC, ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP were obtained for chokeberry pomace samples inoculated with yeast cultures. Chokeberry pomace exhibited the highest vitamin C content when inoculated with a mixture of bacteria. Full article

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of introducing hemp seeds, as a source of PUFAs, into a standard diet with or without dried fruit pomace (dried blackcurrant (DB) or dried rosehip (DR)), as a source of natural antioxidants, on the laying performance of hens and the FA profile, cholesterol level, antioxidant content, and lipid oxidative status in the yolks of fresh eggs or eggs stored at 4 °C for 28 days. The experiment used 128 Tetra SL hens at 35 weeks of age, which were divided into four groups and randomly assigned to four dietary treatments: a standard corn–wheat–soybean meal diet (C), standard diet containing 8% ground hemp seed (H), hemp seed diet containing 3% dried blackcurrant pomace (HB), and hemp seed diet containing 3% dried rosehip pomace (HR). The laying rate, feed conversion ratio (FCR), egg weight, and yolk weight were improved by the use of hemp seeds. The yolks of the H, HB, and HR eggs had a lower cholesterol (p ˂ 0.01) and SFA content, while the concentration of total and individual PUFAs (n-6 and n-3 FAs) was significantly higher (p ˂ 0.01) compared to C. In addition, the introduction of hemp seeds into the diets alone or with dried fruit pomace (DB or DR) led to increased (p ˂ 0.001) content of α-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) and hypo-/hypercholesterolemic FA ratio and decreased arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4n-6) content, n-6/n-3 ratio, and thrombogenicity index (TI) compared to the control eggs. The introduction of dried fruit pomace (DB or DR) into the diets had no effect on the laying performance of the hens or the cholesterol content and FA profile of the egg yolks, compared to the diet supplemented only with hemp seeds. The dried fruit pomace improved the color, accumulation of antioxidants, and oxidative stability of fats in the yolks of the fresh eggs and eggs stored at 4 °C for 28 days. The DR was found to have the most desirable effects, producing the most intense color of egg yolks, the highest content of natural antioxidants, and the best oxidative stability of yolk lipids. Full article

The chemical composition of berries and berry pomaces is diverse, containing polyphenolic components that may have both antibacterial and antioxidative properties. In the present study, in vitro antibacterial effect of the extracts of chokeberry, blackcurrant, and rowan berries and berry pomaces against L. monocytogenes, S. aureus, E. coli, and C. jejuni was studied. In addition, the polyphenolic profile and antioxidant activity of these extracts were investigated. The polyphenolic profiles in the aqueous and 30% ethanolic extracts were determined chromatographically by HPLC-MS, and the total polyphenol content was estimated spectrophotometrically by HPLC-DAD-UV. The minimal inhibition concentrations (MICs) of the extracts against tested bacteria were determined by the broth microdilution method. The content of total polyphenols was highest and good antioxidative properties of the extracts were determined for chokeberry and blackcurrant berries and their pomaces. The highest proportions of total quercetin derivatives and anthocyanins were found in the extracts of chokeberry berry/pomace and blackcurrant berry/pomace, respectively. The sensitivity of tested microbes to the extracts of berries and berry pomaces was as follows: S. aureus > L. monocytogenes > E. coli and C. jejuni. In vitro antibacterial activity of tested extracts depended on the extraction solvent, mainly for the ethanolic extracts. Findings suggest that chokeberry and blackcurrant berries and their pomaces can be used as a good source of polyphenols with antioxidative properties, and they also have antibacterial activity against some foodborne pathogenic bacteria. It is important that the valuable compounds are extracted from juice press residues before their disposal. Full article