Apple pomace is a by-product of apple processing industries with low value and thus frequent disposal, although with valuable compounds. Acidified hot water extraction has been suggested as a clean, feasible, and easy approach for the recovery of polyphenols. This type of extraction allowed us to obtain 296 g of extract per kg of dry apple pomace, including 3.3 g of polyphenols and 281 g of carbohydrates. Ultrafiltration and solid-phase extraction using C18 cartridges of the hot water extract suggested that, in addition to the apple native polyphenols detected by ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled to a diode-array detector and mass spectrometry UHPLC-DAD-ESI-MSⁿ, polyphenols could also be present as complexes with carbohydrates. For the water-soluble polyphenols, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects were observed by inhibiting chemically generated hydroxyl radicals (OH•) and nitrogen monoxide radicals (NO•) produced in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages. The water-soluble polyphenols, when incorporated into yogurt formulations, were not affected by fermentation and improved the antioxidant properties of the final product. This in vitro research paves the way for agro-food industries to achieve more diversified and sustainable solutions towards their main by-products.

Elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) juice concentrate is highly rich in polyphenols, particularly anthocyanins and flavonols, which have been associated with a wide range of health-promoting properties. Phenolic compounds, in particular anthocyanins, are unstable and may change during storage, which might influence the product color quality and its potential health effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in the polyphenols profile of elderberry juice concentrate produced at an industrial scale during seven months of storage at 5 °C and at room temperature. The total phenolic content, the total monomeric anthocyanins, the percent polymeric color, and the ABTS^•+ scavenging activity were monitored over time. In addition, the profile and content of the main individual phenolic compounds were also assessed by HPLC-DAD. The results show that cyanidin-3-O-sambubioside, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, cyanidin-3-O-sambubioside-5-O-glucoside, cyanidin-3,5-O-diglucoside, chlorogenic acid, rutin, and quercetin-3-O-glucoside were the main phenolic compounds identified. Storage at room temperature resulted in a strong reduction in total monomeric anthocyanin content accompanied by an increase in percent polymeric color values. Cyanidin-3-O-sambubioside and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside degraded faster than cyanidin-3,5-O-diglucoside and cyanidin-3-O-sambubioside-5-O-glucoside. Concentration of chlorogenic acid also decreased over storage, whereas rutin and quercetin-3-O-glucoside were quite stable. Storage at 5 °C caused a lower impact on the contents of anthocyanins and chlorogenic acid and the percent polymeric color was not affected. The total phenolic content and the in vitro antioxidant activity remained quite similar over the time, for both temperatures, suggesting that elderberry concentrates still preserve their health benefits of antioxidant capacity after seven months of storage.

The storage of animal manure is a major source of gaseous emissions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of biochar and clinoptilolite on the composition and gaseous emissions during the storage of separated liquid fraction of pig slurry. The experiment was carried out using containers with 6 L of pig slurry each. The additives biochar and clinoptilolite were added alone and mixed to the pig slurry at a rate of 2.5% each, in a total of four treatments with three replicates including the control. Gaseous emissions were monitored by a photoacoustic multigas monitor, and slurry samples were collected at 0 and 85 days and their composition assessed. Results showed that the addition of biochar could modify the physicochemical properties of the slurry. The addition of biochar did not reduce the E. coli during the experiment while clinoptilolite decreased its prevalence. The addition of biochar or clinoptilolite reduced significantly the NH₃ emission during the storage of slurry, but no advantages were gained with their combination. The addition of biochar significantly reduced the CO₂ and CH₄ emissions relative to clinoptilolite, however N₂O emissions and global warming potential did not differ among the additives. We conclude that the biochar and clinoptilolite are recommended as a mitigation measure to reduce gaseous emissions and preserve the fertiliser value at slurry storage.

Endophytic fungi are promising producers of phenolic compounds; however, the process of extracting these molecules from the culture medium is a crucial step for obtaining these metabolites. In this context, the best conditions for extracting phenolic compounds produced by Cophinforma mamane CF2-13, isolated from an Amazonian plant, were evaluated. The fungus was cultivated in a liquid medium to obtain its metabolites. The effects of the solvent, time, and temperature were investigated, as well as the use of ultrasound. The total phenolics and the antioxidant activity were assessed to define the best extraction conditions. The optimized extract was chemically characterized and used to analyze its potential in protecting olive oil from lipid oxidation. The best results were found using ethyl acetate at 20 °C for 2 h. These conditions led to 61.61 mg GAEq/g of extract of total phenolics, and an antioxidant capacity of 0.47, 0.45, and 0.29 mmol TEq/g of extract using the DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP methods, respectively. In addition, the optimized extract presented caffeic acid and was able to delay the lipid oxidation of olive oil. The potential of endophytic fungi to produce phenolic compounds is promising for the food industry since natural bioactive compounds have many benefits for human health.

One of the food industry’s greatest challenges is to find natural ingredients capable of conferring antioxidant and color properties. In addition, the agri-food industry generates by-products that are often treated as waste, despite their abundance of phytochemicals that can be recovered and used as food ingredients. This study explores the potential of elderberry pomace, an industrial by-product of juice processing rich in anthocyanins and polyphenols, as a natural food additive in blueberry sorbet. Elderberry pomace was incorporated into the sorbet formulation in powder form or as aqueous extracts at two different concentrations. The analysis of the pomace extract by UHPLC-DAD-MS showed the presence of four anthocyanins: cyanidin-3,5-O-diglucoside, cyanidin-3-O-sambubioside-5-O-glucoside, cyanidin-3-O-sambubioside, and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside. The physicochemical properties of the sorbets such as pH, °Brix, overrun, melting rate, and color were evaluated, as well as their levels of total phenolic compounds, total monomeric anthocyanins, and in vitro antioxidant activity. The potential of sorbets to stimulate the growth of probiotic bacteria was evaluated and a sensory analysis was conducted to assess consumer acceptance. Results indicated that the sorbet containing the more concentrated extract presented higher overrun, faster melting rate, higher contents of phenolic compounds and anthocyanins, and higher antioxidant activity compared to the control. Additionally, this formulation showed a darker hue (lower L* value) and a tendency to stimulate probiotic bacteria. Moreover, the sorbets with pomace in their composition had good consumer acceptability. These findings highlight the potential of elderberry pomace to be used as a natural, sustainable ingredient in the ice cream industry, aligning with growing consumer trends towards healthier and eco-friendly products.

Background: Cardoon is a multi-purpose crop with a wide spectrum of potential applications. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the effects of nitrogen (N) application and drip irrigation practices on emissions of nitrous oxide (N₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) and morphological characterization and biomass production of cardoon crop. Methods: The experiment was run under field conditions from April to August 2018. The field experiment was a randomized complete block design with three replications and four treatments: (i) non-amended soil as control (CONTR); (ii) mineral N fertilizer and non-irrigated (NITRO); (iii) non-fertilized and drip irrigation (IRRIG); and (iv) mineral N fertilizer and drip irrigation by fertigation (FERTI). The fluxes of N₂O, CO₂ and CH₄ were measured by the closed chamber technique and the morphological characteristics and yield of cardoon plants were evaluated per treatment. Results: Results showed that the N₂O emissions and global warming potential were not significantly different among the application of mineral N fertilizer itself or by drip fertigation with an emission rate of 0.5% of N applied and -6,8 t CO₂-eq. ha^-1. The characteristics related to biomass production did not differ significantly (p>0.05) between amended treatments although numerically higher in IRRIG treatment. Conclusion: It was concluded that the application of mineral N fertilizer itself or drip fertigation had no significant effect on N₂O emissions and global warming potential. Additionally, the plant growth, including biomass production, increased due to drip irrigation, but not significantly.