Search Results (9)

Cold pressing is a sustainable oil extraction method that operates without chemical solvents, requires relatively low energy input, and preserves bioactive compounds, making it a recognized green technology in line with circular economy principles. By enabling full utilization of raw materials and valorization of by-products, it supports resource efficiency, waste reduction, and the development of bio-based products. This study provides the first comprehensive mapping of Serbia’s small-scale cold-pressed oil producers, based on data from the Central Register of Food Business Operators, local inspectorates, agricultural fairs, and social media, classified according to NUTS 2024 statistical regions. A total of 55 producers were identified, with over 60% operating as artisanal units (≤15 t/year), typically using screw presses of 20–50 kg/h capacity. Pumpkin seed was the most common raw material (30 producers), followed by sesame (21), hazelnut (20), sunflower (19), and flaxseed (19), while niche oils such as jojoba, argan, and rosehip were produced on a smaller scale. Medium and large facilities (>15 t/year) were concentrated in Vojvodina and central Serbia, focusing on high-volume seeds like sunflower and soybean. Integration of green screw press technologies, zero-kilometer supply chains, and press cake valorization positions this sector as a driver of rural development, biodiversity preservation, and environmental sustainability, providing a strong basis for targeted policy support and process optimization. Full article

The aim of the study was to evaluate the use of sunflower and sesame oilseed press cakes, which are by-products of oil extraction, as functional ingredients in cookie production. The quality characteristics of these by-products were assessed, including water activity, pH, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity, and HPLC analysis of the phenolic compounds was performed. Subsequently, cookies were prepared by replacing wheat flour with 30% or 50% press cake. The addition of sunflower press cake significantly increased the total phenolic content (up to 8.6 mg GAE/g dm) and antioxidant activity (up to 75.9%) in the cookies, whereas adding sesame press cake showed a less pronounced effect, reaching 0.91 g GAE/g dm and 8.9% for total phenolic content and antioxidant activity, respectively. HPLC analysis indicated that chlorogenic acid and its derivatives dominated in sunflower-enriched cookies, while sesame samples contained lignans such as sesamol and sesamin. Our study shows that 50% substitution improves the health-promoting properties of cookies and does not differ significantly from the 30% level in consumer sensory evaluations. These findings support the use of sunflower and sesame press cakes as valuable ingredients in food applications. This represents an important step toward developing healthier and more nutritious food products while supporting the principles of the circular economy through the upcycling of valuable raw materials. Full article

The aim of this study was to obtain low fat mayonnaise-like emulsion gels using sesame cake and walnut cake by-products resulting from vegetable oil extraction. The ingredients used to formulate the mayonnaise like emulsion gel samples were corn starch, sesame seed cake (SSC), walnuts seed cake (WSC), lemon juice, sunflower oil, mustard, sugar, salt, gelatin and water. Five different samples were prepared: one control lab sample (M) containing only corn starch and the other ingredients (without SSC and WSC), two samples (SO1 and SO2) with 2 and 4% of SSC (without corn starch and WSC) and two samples (WO1 and WO2) with 2 and 4% of WSC (without corn starch and SSC). Also, an egg-free commercial mayonnaise (CM) was purchased and used for comparison. Physicochemical (fat, protein, moisture, ash, carbohydrate, water activity, emulsion stability, viscosity, density and color), textural (hardness, adhesiveness, springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess and chewiness), and sensory (aspect, color, texture/firmness, flavor, taste and acceptability) attributes of all samples were investigated. The results showed that carbohydrate content decreased in all four seed cakes samples compared to the control sample, while protein and fat content increased in all seed cakes samples, with the largest increases observed in the sesame seed cake samples. It was observed that the CM sample has a carbohydrate content value close to that obtained for the M sample, while the protein content has the lowest value for the CM sample compared to all samples analyzed. The stability of the emulsion gels increased from 70.73% (control sample) to 83.64% for the sample with 2% addition sesame seed cake and to 84.09% for the 2% walnut cake added, due to the coagulation capacity of the added cakes. The type and concentration of oil seeds cake added in emulsion gels affected their textural properties such as hardness, adhesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness. The hardness and adhesiveness of low-fat mayonnaise-like emulsion gels samples decreased with the addition of oil seeds cake. However, the addition of by-products improved the sensory properties of emulsion gels. This study provided a theoretical basis for the food industry’s application of oilseed cakes, especially for the development of low-fat mayonnaise. Full article

β-carbolines (harman and norharman) are potentially mutagenic and have been reported in some vegetable oils. Sesame seed oil is obtained from roasted sesame seeds. During sesame oil processing, roasting is the key procedure to aroma enhancement, in which β-carbolines are produced. Pressed sesame seed oils cover most market share, while leaching solvents are used to extract oils from the pressed sesame cake to improve the utilization of the raw materials. β-carbolines are nonpolar heterocyclic aromatic amines with good solubility in leaching solvents (n-hexane); therefore, the β-carbolines in sesame cake migrated to the leaching sesame seed oil. The refining procedures are indispensable for leaching sesame seed oil, in which some small molecules can be reduced. Thus, the critical aim is to evaluate the changes in β-carboline content during the refining of leaching sesame seed oil and the key process steps for the removal of β-carbolines. In this work, the levels of β-carbolines (harman and norharman) in sesame seed oil during chemical refining processes (degumming, deacidification, bleaching and deodorization) have been determined using solid phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The results indicated that in the entire refining process, the levels of total β-carbolines greatly decreased, and the adsorption decolorization was the most effective process in reducing β-carbolines, which might be related to the adsorbent used in the decolorization process. In addition, the effects of adsorbent type, adsorbent dosage and blended adsorbent on β-carbolines in sesame seed oil during the decolorization process were investigated. It was concluded that oil refining can not only improve the quality of sesame seed oil, but also reduce most of the harmful β-carbolines. Full article

Whole sesame seeds and sesame oil, which is obtained after cold pressing the seeds, are foodstuffs globally consumed due to their nutritional characteristics. The press cake that remains from the oil extraction process can be ground to form a defatted flour that can be incorporated into the human diet, contributing to the valorisation of this product. The nutritional comparison between the whole seeds and the press cake reveals the potential of this by-product to be incorporated in the formulation of diverse foodstuff, since it is richer than the seeds in proteins (30%) and fibre (25%) and still contains a proportion of oil (32%) with a fatty acid pattern characterized by the abundance of unsaturated fatty acids. The protein fraction of both the seeds and the cake shows a balanced composition regarding amino acid composition, with all the essential amino acids included. On the other hand, the oil obtained by cold pressing is shown as a high-quality oil, where the predominant fatty acids are oleic (42.66%) and linoleic (41.25%), which are essential fatty acids because they are not synthetised in the organism and must be obtained through the diet. In addition, it is rich in vitamin E, especially in γ-tocopherol, that was the main isomer found. Regarding these results, all products (sesame seeds, oil and press cake) are components suitable to be included in a healthy diet. Full article

The goal of treatment for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is to reduce the existing clinical symptoms, delay the progression of cognitive impairment and prevent the progression to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). At present, there is no effective drug therapy for AD treatment. However, early intake of dietary supplements may be effective in alleviating and delaying the MCI. This study aims to evaluate the effects of sesame oil cake extract (SOCE) supplementation on cognitive function in aged 60 years or older adults with memory impairment. A total of 70 subjects received either SOCE (n = 35) or placebo (n = 35) for 12 weeks based on random 1:1 assignment to these two groups. Cognitive function was evaluated by a computerized neurocognitive function test (CNT), and changes in the concentrations of plasma amyloid β (Aβ) proteins and urine 8-OHdG (8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine) were investigated before and after the experiment. Verbal learning test index items of the CNT improved markedly in the SOCE group compared to the placebo group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, plasma amyloid-β (1–40) and amyloid-β (1–42) levels in the SOCE group decreased significantly compared to that in the placebo group (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in urine 8-OHdG between the two groups (p > 0.05). Collectively, intake of SOCE for 12 weeks appears to have a beneficial effect on the verbal memory abilities and plasma β-amyloid levels of older adults with memory impairment. Full article

This study was initiated to determine the effect of organic farm-derived liquid fertilizer (LF) on (1) the performance of open-field cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.) and (2) the soil environment. Treatments included fertigation with a 0.2% solution of an equal T-N concentration on each LF, including long-term non-treatment (LNT, groundwater), non-treatment (NT, groundwater), oil cake (OC), bone meal + fish residue (BF), fish extract + active phosphoric acid (FP), sesame oil (SO), and starfish (SF). Electrical conductivity (EC) in LF was increased in the SF or BF, with high concentrations of T-C observed in the OC and BF and high P in the SO. LNT treatment decreased soil mineral nutrient concentrations and numbers of bacterial operational taxonomic units, invertebrates, and earthworms, significantly increasing infection of powdery mildew and downy mildew for the plants but reducing foliar concentrations of T-N, P, Ca, and SPAD values, and vegetative growth parameters. Soil bulk density decreased in the SF and SO plots. Total fruit yield and fruit yield efficiency were enhanced by BF, FP, SO, and SF treatments, with the highest top grade values observed on the FP- and SO-fruit. Overall, all the organic LF, in particular the SO treatment, would have improved eco-physiological sustainability and provided an alternative organic fertilizer for a short growing period. Full article

The parasitism of root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne spp., can cause heavy yield losses to vegetable crops. Plant biostimulants are often reported for a side-suppressive effect on these pests and many commercial products are increasingly included in sustainable nematode control strategies. Source materials of most biostimulants derived from plant or seaweed raw materials were documented for a reliable suppression of root-knot nematode species, whereas the suppressiveness of microbial biostimulants was found largely variable, as related to the crop and to environmental factors. Chitosan-based biostimulants were also stated for a variable phytonematode suppression, though clearly demonstrated only by a few number of studies. In a preliminary experimental case study, four commercial biostimulants based on quillay extract (QE), sesame oil (SO), seaweeds (SE), or neem seed cake (NC) were comparatively investigated for their effects against the root-knot nematode M. incognita on potted tomato. Soil treatments with all the four biostimulants resulted in a significant reduction of nematode eggs and galls on tomato roots, though NC and SO were significantly more suppressive than QE or SE. In addition, almost all biostimulant treatments also resulted in a significant improvement of tomato growth compared to the non-treated control. These preliminary results seem to confirm the literature data and clearly indicate the potential role of biostimulants for a safe nematode management both in organic and integrated crop systems. Full article

Agri-food residues represent a rich source of nutrients and bioactive secondary metabolites, including phenolic compounds. The effective utilization of these by-products in food supplements and the nutraceuticals industry could provide a way of valorization in the transition to becoming more sustainable. In this context, the present study describes the phenolic profiling of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) cake using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detection and quadrupole-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry. Compounds were characterized based on their retention time, UV spectra, accurate mass spectrometry (MS) and MS/MS data along with comparison with standards, whenever possible, and the relevant literature. The characterized compounds (112 metabolites) belong to several classes, namely, phenolic acids (hydroxybenzoic acids and hydroxycinnamic acids), flavonoids, and lignans. Moreover, organic acids and some nitrogenous compounds were characterized. The total phenol content and the antioxidant activity of the cake extract were determined. This study provides useful information for the valorization of by-products from the sesame oil industry. Full article