This study aimed to evaluate the potential use of Agaricus bisporus mushroom as a natural antioxidant, fat/salt substitute and flavor enhancer in beef burger. Ten treatments were considered using a fractional factorial design (salt [0.5, 1.25 and 2.0%], fat [10, 15 and 20%] and mushroom content [0, 15 and 30%]). Treatments were characterized by instrumental and sensory measurements. The statistical design indicated that fat content had little influence on the results. The principal component analysis showed that the incorporation of mushrooms and salt modified the texture, moisture and water activity. Oxidative stability decreased as the salt content increased, at a low-fat content. Finally, the sensory profile was affected by the mushroom and salt contents, with the fat content exerting the least influence. Therefore, mushroom incorporation in beef burger may be a feasible strategy to reduce the fat content of beef burgers. Graphical

The mechanical extraction of oils from Brazilian açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart) produces significant amounts of a byproduct known as “meal”, which is frequently discarded in the environment as waste material. Nevertheless, plant byproducts, especially those from oil extraction, may contain residual polyphenols in their composition and be a rich source of natural bioactive compounds. In this study, the phenolic composition and in vitro biological properties of a hydroethanolic açaí meal extract were elucidated. The major compounds tentatively identified in the extract by high-resolution mass spectrometry were anthocyanins, flavones, and flavonoids. Furthermore, rhamnocitrin is reported in an açaí byproduct for the first time. The extract showed reducing power and was effective in scavenging the ABTS radical cation (820.0 µmol Trolox equivalent∙g⁻¹) and peroxyl radical (975.7 µmol Trolox equivalent∙g⁻¹). NF-κB activation was inhibited at 10 or 100 µg∙mL⁻¹ and TNF-α levels were reduced at 100 µg∙mL⁻¹. However, the antibacterial effects against ESKAPE pathogens was not promising due to the high concentration needed (1250 or 2500 µg∙mL⁻¹). These findings can be related to the diverse polyphenol-rich extract composition. To conclude, the polyphenol-rich extract obtained from açaí meal showed relevant biological activities that may have great applicability in the food and nutraceutical industries.

Brazilian red propolis (BRP) is a natural product widely known for its phenolic composition and strong antioxidant properties. In this study, we used the Box–Behnken Design (BBD) with Surface Response Methodology to optimize the extraction conditions for total phenolic content (TPC) and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity(TEAC) of bioactive phenolics from BRP. The extraction time, ethanol/water concentration and temperature, were tested. All variables had significant effects (p ≤ 0.05), with a desirability coefficient of 0.88. Under optimized conditions (90% ethanol at 80 °C for 30 min), the BRP extract showed a TPC of 129.00 ± 2.16 mg GAE/g and a TEAC of 3471.76 ± 53.86 µmol TE/g. Moreover, FRAP and ORAC assays revealed that the optimized BRP extract had 1472.86 ± 72.37 µmol Fe²⁺/g and 4339.61 ± 114.65 µmol TE/gof dry weight, respectively. Thirty-two phenolic compounds were tentatively identified by LC-QTOF-ESI-MS/MS, of which thirteen were found for the first time in BRP, including four flavones, one flavanol, two flavanones, two chalcones, and four isoflavonoids. Thus, our results highlight the importance of BRP as a source of a wide variety of phenolic compounds with significant antioxidant properties.

A clear gap with respect to the potential biological properties of wheat flavonoids exists in the available literature. This information is crucial for breeding programs aiming to produce new varieties presenting improved health benefits. Accordingly, advanced breeding lines of whole durum wheat were evaluated in this contribution. The highest recovery of phenolics was achieved using aqueous acetone (50:50, v/v), as verified by multi-response optimization, thus showing that phenolics could be largely underestimated by employing an inappropriate extraction. The concentration of derivatives of apigenin, the main phenolics present, ranged from 63.5 to 80.7%, as evaluated by LC–ESI-QTOF-MS. Phenolics from the breeding line 98 exhibited the highest ability in scavenging peroxyl radicals, reducing power as well as in terms of inhibition of pancreatic lipase activity, a key enzyme regulating the absorption of triacylglycerols. In contrast, none of the samples exhibited a significant anti-diabetic potential. Despite their high concentration compared to that of phenolic acids, results of this work do not support a significant antioxidant and pancreatic lipase inhibitory effect of durum wheat flavonoids. Therefore, breeding programs and animal and/or human trials related to the effect of durum wheat flavonoids on oxidative stress and absorption of triacylglycerols are discouraged at this point.