Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are potential sources of natural polyphenols. Solid residues (SRs) from the essential oil (EO) industry are produced in significant volumes and may be used as natural sources of bioactive compounds. Therefore, this work was designed to examine the antioxidant and antibacterial characteristics of phenolic extracts obtained from SRs that have remained after EO distillation. SR extracts of Greek oregano, rosemary, spearmint, lemon balm, and Greek sage were assessed for their total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, and Bacillus cereus in the concentration range of 500-3000 mg/L. The rosemary and Greek sage extracts exhibited the strongest antibacterial activities against all the Gram-positive species, while the spearmint and oregano extracts were less effective and only had an effect at the highest concentration used. The lemon balm extract did not show any inhibitory effect; however, it had the highest TPC, showing moderate antioxidant activity, along with spearmint. The oregano extract exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity, followed by Greek sage and rosemary. The experimental findings pointed to the potential use of extracts from post-distillation residues of MAPs as antimicrobials in the food industry, in addition to being rich sources of bioactive compounds.

A traditional Greek sourdough, based on the fermentation of chickpea flour by an autochthonous culture, was evaluated as a wheat bread improver. The dominant indigenous microflora (Clostridium perfringens isolates) was identified by 16S rDNA analysis, and a selected strain (C. perfringens CP8) was employed to ferment chickpea flour to obtain a standardized starter culture (sourdough) for breadmaking. In accordance with toxin-typed strain identification, all isolates lacked the cpe gene; thus, there is no concern for a health hazard. Loaf-specific volumes increased with the addition of liquid, freeze-dried, and freeze-dried/maltodextrin sourdoughs compared to control bread leavened by baker’s yeast only. Following storage (4 days/25 °C), the amylopectin retrogradation and crumb hardness changes (texture profile analysis) revealed a lower degree of staling for the sourdough-fortified breads. Modifications in the protein secondary structure of fortified doughs and breads were revealed by FTIR analysis. High amounts of organic acids were also found in the sourdough-supplemented breads; butyric and isobutyric acids seemed to be responsible for the characteristic ‘butter-like’ flavor of these products (sensory analysis). Overall, the addition of liquid or freeze-dried chickpea sourdough in wheat bread formulations can improve the specific volume, textural characteristics, and sensorial properties of loaves, along with extending bread shelf life.

Nowadays, there is a growing consumer demand for non-dairy functional foods due to several health issues related to milk and dairy consumption and increasing vegetarianism. Following that trend, in the present study emmer-based beverages were developed after flour gelatinization, fortification with fruit juices (blueberry, aronia, and grape) and fermentation with the potential probiotic strain Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 2035. The produced beverages were subjected to a 4-week storage at 4 °C. The addition of juices significantly affected the physicochemical characteristics of the beverages, while resulting in increased red color. Total phenolic content (22.3–31.9 mg gallic acid equivalents 100 g⁻¹) and antioxidant activity (94–136 μmol Trolox equivalents 100 g⁻¹) were significantly higher in the case of aronia juice followed by blueberry and grape juice. All beverages showed high values of apparent viscosity and water-holding capacity. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 2035 retained high viable counts during storage especially in beverages with fruit juices (>10⁸ cells g⁻¹ up to 21st day) revealing a positive effect of the juices. The obtained results show that emmer-based beverages fortified with fruit juices (aronia, blueberry, and grape) have a great potential as carriers of probiotics, prebiotics and other functional compounds and may be served as an ideal alternative to dairy products.

In the present study, the formation of molecular inclusion complexes of Salvia officinalis (sage) bioactive compounds with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) was evaluated. Sage essential oil (SEO)/β-CD inclusion complexes (ICs) were prepared by co-precipitation at iso-molecular concentrations, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was applied for the confirmation of the ICs’ formation. Quantification of the SEO in the inclusion complexes was performed spectrophotometrically at 273 nm using an SEO standard curve. The SEO and its inclusion complexes were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes. The results showed that β-CD effectively formed inclusion complexes with SEO in satisfactory yields. The antimicrobial activity of the SEO in prepared complexes with β-CD was exhibited against L. monocytogenes and S. aureus and was proportional to their concentrations but was less pronounced.

The objective of this study was to investigate the antibacterial and antioxidant effect of Greek oregano and rosemary by-products from essential oil distillation on pathogenic and spoilage bacteria. The antibacterial effect of raw material of oregano and rosemary before distillation and post distillation, the dried residues, was tested against the following bacteria: Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica ser. Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, and Bacillus cereus strains. Results showed that rosemary distillation by-products were able to inhibit the growth of all Bacillus (B. subtilis, B. licheniformis, B. cereus) strains and L. monocytogenes while oregano affected the growth of L. monocytogenes and S. aureus, even at the minimum concentration. However, it affected B. cereus, at the maximum concentration. The total phenolic content in oregano/rosemary raw material and their by-products was approximately similar; however, antioxidant activity was reduced in oregano solid residue, whereas it was surprisingly increased in the rosemary by-products after distillation. These results suggest the potential use of oregano and rosemary distillation by-products as antimicrobial and bioactive agents.

This study aimed to develop a novel gluten-free bread using a rice/chickpea flour-based sourdough, fermented by a commercial starter culture, to improve the quality characteristics and shelf life of this product. The effects of sourdough incorporation, chickpea flour content (6.5 and 10.0%), and added water level (80–110%) on batter rheology and bread quality were investigated; bread textural characteristics upon storage (0–2 days) were also monitored. The level of added water was the primary factor influencing batter rheology, as evaluated by the back extrusion test. Sourdough incorporation decreased the pH and increased the acidity of batters and breads. The inclusion of sourdough, the water level, and the storage time affected the moisture and texture parameters of the bread crumb. Sourdough incorporation into bread formulations decreased crumb hardness and staling rate and increased loaf specific volume. Moreover, intermediate water (90 and 100%) and high chickpea (10%) levels in the batters increased loaf specific volumes and crust redness, respectively. Sensory analysis revealed that sourdough-enriched breads were preferred by the assessors concerning general appearance and crumb texture. Overall, bread formulations with the incorporation of sourdough, at a 90% level of added water in the batter mixtures, exhibited the most desirable characteristics according to both instrumental and sensory analyses.