In alignment with Hippocrates’ aphorisms “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food” and “All diseases begin in the gut”, recent studies have suggested that healthy diets should include fermented foods to temporally enhance live microorganisms in our gut. As a result, consumers are now demanding this type of food and fermented food has gained popularity. However, certain sectors of population, such as those allergic to milk proteins, lactose intolerant and strict vegetarians, cannot consume dairy products. Therefore, a need has arisen in order to offer consumers an alternative to fermented dairy products by exploring new non-dairy matrices as probiotics carriers. Accordingly, this review aims to explore the benefits of different fermented non-dairy beverages (legume, cereal, pseudocereal, fruit and vegetable), as potential carriers of bioactive compounds (generated during the fermentation process), prebiotics and different probiotic bacteria, providing protection to ensure that their viability is in the range of 10⁶–10⁷ CFU/mL at the consumption time, in order that they reach the intestine in high amounts and improve human health through modulation of the gut microbiome.

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is a spice used worldwide as a colouring and flavouring agent. Saffron is also a source of multiple bioactive constituents with potential health benefits. Notably, saffron displays consistent beneficial effects against a range of human neurological disorders (depression, anxiety, sleeping alterations). However, the specific compounds and biological mechanisms by which this protection may be achieved have not yet been elucidated. In this review, we have gathered the most updated evidence of the neurological benefits of saffron, as well as the current knowledge on the main saffron constituents, their bioavailability and the potential biological routes and postulated mechanisms by which the beneficial protective effect may occur. Our aim was to provide an overview of the neuroprotective effects attributed to this product and its main bioactive compounds and to highlight the main research gaps that need to be further pursued to achieve full evidence and understanding of the benefits of saffron. Overall, improved clinical trials and adequately designed pre-clinical studies are needed to support the evidence of saffron and of its main bioactive components (e.g., crocin, crocetin) as a therapeutic product to combat neurological disorders.

The current saffron production system is generating several hundreds of tons of tepal waste, because only stigmas are used for food. Consequently, the valorization of saffron floral by-products by developing stable functional ingredients could lead to the environmental impact minimization. Thus, the main aim of this study was to develop innovative green extraction processes from saffron floral by-products by using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NaDES) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) as ecological extraction method. Response surface methodology was used to optimize process parameters. To improve the stability of the optimal extracts, they were incorporated into chitosan/alginate hydrogels, studying their water-uptake and water retention capacity and the total phenolic content (TPC) during the in vitro digestion. The results indicated that the optimal extraction, regarding total phenolic and flavonoid content, was achieved in 20 min, using 180 W ultrasound power and 90% of NaDES. The results of the DPPH assay revealed the potent antioxidant activity of saffron floral by-products. The chitosan/alginate hydrogels incorporating the as-obtained NaDES extracts showed favorable properties whereas the TPC remained stable under intestinal conditions. Therefore, NaDES combined with UAE was an efficient technique to isolate high added-value compounds from saffron flowers, succeeding also the valorization of discarded waste by using green and low-cost strategies. Furthermore, these novel hydrogels could be used as promising candidates for food or cosmetic applications.

The consumption of probiotic foods is rather limited for many sectors of the population (vegans, lactose intolerant and celiacs). Therefore, it is necessary to offer functional alternatives for these sectors. Different red quinoa drinks were fermented with L. plantarum (QLPBB) and B. longum (QBLBB) at different times. Results showed that microbial concentration reached high levels (6–8 Log CFU/mL) after 6 h and probiotic viability was very high (6 Log CFU/mL) after gastrointestinal digestion (GD). However, QBLBB reached the best probiotic concentration at 24 h. From 6 h of fermentation, probiotic resistance to some antibiotics, especially B. longum, could have a great potential to restore the intestinal microbiota during and after treatment with certain antibiotics. QLPBB showed the highest levels of total polyphenols and antioxidant capacity (AOC) after GD. Therefore, these red quinoa drinks have potential as functional probiotic beverages for vegans, celiacs and allergic to milk protein and lactose-intolerant people.

The current production system of saffron spice generates hundreds of tons of waste. Thus, the aim of this study was to value both saffron and its floral by-products as a source of natural bioactive extracts, studying the in vitro antioxidant capacity, the composition of the volatile fraction by GC-MS/MS, and the determination of crocetins esters by HPLC-PDA. Saffron stigmas and floral by-products showed a high content of polyphenols and different antioxidant properties. Floral bio-residues (tepals, stamens, and styles) presented a high concentration of anthocyanins, and stigmas had high levels of flavonoids, β-carotene, and total crocins. In stigmas, 25 different volatile components were found, with safranal the most relevant. Floral by-products volatile composition consisted of 55 compounds with varying amounts depending on the drying treatment; all the samples presented acetic acid, 2(5H)-furanone, and phenylethyl alcohol. Therefore, saffron stigmas and flower by-products represent a sustainable source of bioactive ingredients for innovative healthy food formulations.

The saffron flower stigmas are used for the saffron spice production while the remaining saffron floral by-products, that are a valuable source of natural bioactive compounds, remain underutilized. The aim of this study was to evaluate the microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) through response surface methodology to obtain high value-added compounds from saffron tepals as ingredients with potential application in the food, pharmaceutical and/or cosmetic industries. A central composite design was applied to optimize process variables: temperature, time and ethanol solvent concentration. Extracts were characterized in terms of total phenolic and total flavonoid content, and antioxidant capacity (ORAC and HOSC assays), being the maximum values obtained: 126.20 ± 2.99 mg GAE/g dry matter; 8.05 ± 0.11 mg CE/g dry matter; 6219 ± 246 μmol TEAC/dry matter; 3131 ± 205 μmol TEAC/dry matter, respectively. Results indicated that the optimal extraction conditions were the combination of low temperature (25 °C)—high extraction time (5 min) using ethanol as solvent (100%). MAE revealed to be an efficient technique to isolate bioactive compounds from saffron floral by-products with a low energy footprint.