Search Results (7)

Berry fruit seeds should be treated as a valuable waste product of the fruit industry. In the following study, oils from cranberry, black currant, red currant, strawberry and chokeberry seeds were extracted by conventional and pressurized liquid extraction. The quality of oils was assessed by determining oxidative stability (onset and maximum time of induction) with the use of pressure differential scanning calorimetry, fatty acids composition by gas chromatography and health indices, such as atherogenicity, thrombogenicity and hypocholesterolemic indexes. Additionally, health-promoting index was calculated. It was found that the fatty acid profile was not affected when pressurized liquid extraction was used. The major fatty acids in the studied oils were linoleic acid ranging from 36% for cranberry seed oil to 69% for chokeberry seed oil, followed by α-linolenoic acid in the case of cranberry, strawberry and red currant seed oils or by oleic acid for chokeberry and black currant seed oils. The oxidative stability of fats extracted with the use of pressurized solvent was significantly lower compared to oils obtained using the conventional extraction process, e.g., the maximum induction time for conventionally extracted chokeberry seed oil was 40.74 ± 0.66 min and 9.24 ± 0.57 min when pressurized liquid extraction was applied. The studied oils had low values of atherogenicity and thrombogenicity indexes, which, when combined with high values of hypocholesterolemic index, qualifies them as high nutritional quality oils. However, further studies regarding the process optimization are needed in order to obtain oils with improved quality, especially better oxidative stability. Full article

Proper management of waste is one of the major challenges for the food industry. Fruit seeds are an example of by-products that are rich in bioactive substances and generated in significant amounts during fruit processing. Oils, including those obtained from seeds, should meet certain requirements to be allowed for human consumption. The aim of this study was to determine the quality of oils from black currant, strawberry and cranberry seeds by determining the following parameters: fatty acid composition by gas chromatography, distribution of fatty acids between sn-2 and sn-1,3 positions of triacylglycerols by partial enzymatic hydrolysis, oxidative stability by pressure differential scanning calorimetry and melting characteristics by differential scanning calorimetry. Additionally, health indices of atherogenicity (IA), thrombogenicity (IT) and hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic (HH) ratio were calculated. It was found that the oils studied were a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids. Linoleic acid was found to occupy the internal position of triacylglycerols in the highest proportion. Black currant and strawberry seed oils were of lower oxidative stability and, in the case of cranberry seed oil, high oxidative stability was determined. The shape of melting curves for black currant and strawberry seed oils indicated the presence of low-melting fractions of triacylglycerols containing polyunsaturated fatty acids. It can be concluded that cranberry seed oil, with low values of IA and IT, high values of HH index and the highest oxidative stability, can be considered the most favorable from a nutritional point of view concerning human health. Full article

Berries are important components of the human diet, valued for their high content of nutrients and active compounds. Berry seeds are also important objects of scientific investigation as, in some cases, they can have a higher concentration of certain phytochemicals than other parts of the fruit. Moreover, they are often byproducts of the food industry that can be reused to make oil, extracts, or flour. We have reviewed available literature related to the chemical content and biological activity of seeds from five different berry species—red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L. and Rubus coreanus Miq.), strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa), grape (Vitis vinifera L.), sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.), and cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.). We have searched various databases, including PubMed, Web of Knowledge, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. Last search was conducted on 16.01.2023. Various preparations from berry seeds are valuable sources of bioactive phytochemicals and could be used as functional foods or to make pharmaceuticals or cosmetics. Some products, like oil, flour, or extracts, are already available on the market. However, many preparations and compounds still lack appropriate evidence for their effectiveness in vivo, so their activity should first be assessed in animal studies and clinical trials. Full article

The proper management of the waste generated during food production and processing is currently one of the major and urgent challenges for the food industry. Berry seeds are believed to be a source of bioactive substances that could be reused in food and cosmetic production, in agreement with the EU policies of circular economy and sustainable development. The aim of this study was to extract oils from black currant, strawberry and cranberry seeds and to determine the quality of the obtained oils. The following parameters were determined: fatty acid composition by gas chromatography; distribution of fatty acids between the sn-2 and sn-1,3 positions of triacylglycerols by enzymatic hydrolysis; the oxidative stability of fat by pressure differential scanning calorimetry and melting characteristics by differential scanning calorimetry. The oils were extracted with yields of 5.71, 11.62 and 22.74% in the cases of black currant, strawberry and cranberry seeds, respectively. Based on the obtained results, it can be stated that the oils studied were a rich source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids. Linoleic acid was mainly present in the internal position of triacylglycerol molecules, whereas saturated fatty acids usually occupied the external positions of triacylglycerols. Black currant and strawberry seed oils were characterized by short oxidation induction times, which proves their low oxidative stability. The melting curves for black currant and strawberry seed oils were of a similar shape characterized by one endothermic event, indicating the presence of low-melting triacylglycerol fractions containing polyunsaturated fatty acids. The shape of the DSC curve for cranberry seed oil differed from the shape of the melting curves for blackcurrant and strawberry seed oils, and indicated two endothermic transitions, proving the presence of low-melting fractions containing polyunsaturated fatty acids and medium-melting fractions rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. The shape of the curves corresponded to the analysis of the fatty acid composition. On the basis of the conducted analyses, it can be concluded that cranberry seed oil is characterized by the highest quality parameters of the analyzed oils; it may be a source of both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids; the distribution of fatty acids at the internal and external positions of the triacylglycerols is nutritionally favorable. This oil is also characterized by the highest resistance to oxidative processes. Full article

Cranberry seed oil (CSO) can be used in various skin diseases, perhaps due to the presence of ω-3, ω-6, and ω-9 fatty acids. In addition, tocotrienols (vitamin E) has demonstrated powerful antioxidant activity. The combined application of CSO nanoemulsions open a promising avenue for skin conditions. The goal of this work was to create a nanoemulsion (NE) containing CSO and test its stability and in vitro release. To make NE formulations (CNE1-CNE6), the aqueous titration method was used. Following the creation of NE formulations, we selected the CNE4 formulation, which had a mean droplet size of around 110 nm, a narrow size distribution (PDI < 0.2), a steady zeta potential (−34.21 mV), and a high percentage transmittance (>99%). Furthermore, electron microscopy imaging revealed nanosized spherical droplets without any aggregation in the CNE4 formulation, which showed high entrapment efficiency (>80%). Densitometry analysis confirmed linoleic acid (R_F 0.62) as a major component of CSO using toluene–acetone–glacial acetic acid (90:9:1 v/v/v) as a mobile phase. Nanogel had a three-fold greater cumulative drug permeation through the skin than neat CSO. This study shows that a unique CSO delivery technique can be used to treat skin diseases. Full article

Every year, thousands of tons of fruit seeds are discarded as agro-industrial by-products around the world. Fruit seeds are an excellent source of oils, monounsaturated fatty acids, and n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated essential fatty acids. This study aimed to develop a novel technology for extracting active substances from selected seeds that were obtained after pressing fruit juices. The proposed technology involved sonification with the use of ethyl alcohol at a low extraction temperature. Seeds of four species—blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.), raspberry (Rubus idaeus), cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), and cuckooflower (Cardamine pratensis)—were used for extraction. Following alcohol evaporation under nitrogen, the antioxidant activity, chemical composition, and volatile compounds of the obtained extracts were analyzed using chromatographic methods, including gas chromatography (GC)–mass spectrometry (MS) (GC–MS/MS), and high-performance liquid chromatography–MS. We analyzed physicochemical properties, fatty acid, and volatile compounds composition, sterol and tocochromanol content of blueberry, cranberry, raspberry, and cuckooflower seed oils obtained by sonication. This method is safe and effective, and allows for obtaining valuable oils from the seeds. Full article

The triacylglycerol (TAG) compositions of blackberry, red raspberry, black raspberry, blueberry and cranberry seed oils were examined using ultra-performance convergence chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPC²-QTOF MS). A total of 52, 53, 52, 59 and 58 TAGs were detected and tentatively identified from the blackberry, red raspberry, black raspberry, blueberry and cranberry seed oils, respectively, according to their accurate molecular weight in MS1 and fragment ion profiles in MS2. OLL was the most abundant TAG in the blackberry, red raspberry and black raspberry seed oils. Furthermore, the fatty acid compositions of the five berry seed oils were directly determined by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In addition, the seed oils had total phenolic contents ranging 13.68–177.06 µmol GAE (gallic acid equivalent)/L oil, and significant scavenging capacities against DPPH, peroxyl, and ABTS⁺ radicals. These results indicated that the combination of UPC² and QTOF MS could effectively identify and semi-quantify the TAGs compositions of the berry seed oils with sn-position information for the fatty acids. Understanding the TAGs compositions of these berry seed oils could improve the utilization of these potentially high nutritional value oils for human health. Full article